[{"text": "Prologue As the hands around his neck tightened, Kaito Sena mused on how predictable this outcome was. In fact, it was a miracle that he had lived this long in the first place. His right arm was covered in shallow lacerations, his left arm unmoving and stained dark red. His ankle had been twisted at an odd angle a few months back and had stiffened that way. And it was possible that the stomach pain he had been enduring for the past three days was due to one of his organs having ruptured. He was seventeen years and three months old. All through his life, he'd only known fickle treatment and been attacked on a whim. It was a life no better than that of livestock, knowing it would eventually be devoured yet unable to escape its fate. In his case, he wasn't going to be eaten but rather buried alive somewhere, or perhaps his flesh would be burned away until only bone remained, or maybe his body would be abandoned in the mountains or dumped in the ocean. The pain weighed heavily on him as time seemed to stretch longer and longer. While he was thinking, the fat fingers pressed down on his neck even harder, crushing his respiratory tract and blood vessels. Sticky tears leaked from his protruding eyeballs. He kicked and clawed at the hands grabbing him, but it was no use. His father was doped up well past the point of being able to reason or feel pain. As Kaito's tongue lolled out in his desperate attempt to struggle for one more lungful of air, a part of him separated from his body and observed the situation with a disturbing level of calm. His brain, on the other hand, was burning with panic. I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die please don't kill me. Against his wishes, his throat gave in. His vision went blank, but rather than infinite blackness, he saw a dancing light. It was almost like his life was flashing before his eyes, like in stories. But this was something else entirely, something sinister. There were corpses as far as the eye could see. There were men and women, young and old, their bodies mutilated and cast aside. Their hands and feet had been twisted off like those of broken dolls, their chests ripped open, their limbs torn off. Eyes, ears, teeth, and tongues were all missing. Before Kaito's eyes lay a mountain of corpses, each lacking so much as a shred of human dignity. A crow cawed before taking flight, a lump of human flesh in its beak. Kaito's vision darkened, and he could hear the roar of countless voices. A mass of people, clad in black and shaking their fists, shouted as high as their voices would allow. \"Kill her! Kill her! Kill her! Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!\" All their loathing and overwhelming bloodlust were concentrated on one dark-haired girl. She was hovering in front of them, dressed in a straitjacket. Hundreds of chains hung from the gallows, binding her hands and feet while keeping her suspended in midair. She resembled a butterfly caught in a spiderweb. She looked up from her fluttering black locks. Her face was terrifying in its beauty, and her striking crimson eyes turned to Kaito. He gasped. It was clear from her expression that she was no victim. She was looking past Kaito at the raging, bloodthirsty crowd. Her pointed gaze was devoid of fear. Upon her immaculate face was a smile rife with cruelty and wickedness. \"Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!\" The mob continued their chant, and she laughed as she bathed in their murderous rage. She laughed at it all in a manner both beautiful and sinister. \u00e2\u20ac\u201dUntil the day of your death, try to do some good at least. And then, with a firm crack, Kaito Sena's neck was snapped. Kaito Sena, the boy who should be dead, opened his eyes once more. The light of a bonfire filled his gaze. He appeared to be in a dimly lit stone room. Although he was sure that he'd been killed, this didn't quite strike him as the land of the dead. Standing in front of the confused Kaito was the black-haired girl from before. She was no longer being restrained, although in a sense, she still appeared bound. Covering her slender body was a black bondage dress, and the part over her chest was composed almost entirely of leather belts. Her well-formed breasts, bound beneath the interlacing belts, were over half-visible. Her waist was concealed by black cloth, and past her short skirt extended a pair of gorgeous legs wrapped in what looked like stockings. The inside of her dress was dyed scarlet, and the length of the back flowed like a cape. It was quite the erotic outfit, yet somehow it did not give off a flirty impression. The way she wore the indecent bondage-style dress was akin to a queen in her finest regalia. Her elegant, flowing black hair suited her face, which was more refined than any Kaito had seen before. Yet, a demonic cruelty flickered in her ruby eyes. At once, the peerless beauty parted her thin lips. Her gaze locked on to Kaito, and she spoke at last. \"O Sinless Soul, stricken down in a manner most foul. From this day forth, you shall be my loyal servant.\" Although it made little sense to demand the servitude of a dead man, her tone left no room for refusal. Belatedly, Kaito realized that he was breathing, and as he let slip a small chuckle of confusion, the girl before him made a dignified proclamation. \"I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow.\" 1 The Fourteen Demons The castle stood atop a desolate hill, surrounded on all sides by dense forest. It was constructed wholly from frigid stone and, as such, resembled a fortress more than it did a castle. It gave off an oppressive air, and most anyone who spent more than three days inside it would be plagued by nightmares of being crushed by stones. Its corridors were labyrinthine, and if one got lost in them, there was a greater chance of starving to death before finding a way out. It wasn't built with the comfort of its inhabitants in mind; in fact, it seemed to reject the idea of being inhabited altogether. Its kitchen was no different. The layout was abysmal, and its atmosphere evoked the claustrophobic sense of being locked in a dungeon. Not to mention the nature of the ingredients that had been forced upon him. Kaito Sena wore a cotton shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a butcher's apron. His arms were crossed and he bore a sullen expression. Before him lay a towering mound of organs. The varied bits of flesh were all soft and glistening and gave off a strong, peculiar odor. He sighed and, with a sharp knife, began cutting the intestines lengthwise. He then removed the white bits from the heart. As he was dressing the vast quantity of meat with sage-like stoicism, the kitchen shook violently. Kaito ignored this, acting as though nothing had happened. Even if the castle was to collapse and his life was to end, it was of little concern to him. He took the expensive-looking bottle he'd randomly grabbed from the wine cellar, opened it, and poured its contents into a silver fruit bowl. At once, he began dumping the organ meat into the bowl along with some herbs he couldn't identify. His face stern, he continued cooking even as the entire castle shook again. Once more, he ignored it. Even if half the castle was blown away, Kaito would still be fine, so he paid no attention to the tremors. His world was at peace. However, a wicked voice rang out and shattered that tranquility. \"Butler! Buuutler!\" His name was in fact Kaito and not Butler. Thus, he decided the voice couldn't possibly be calling for him. Under that justification, he continued ignoring it, but then the manner in which he was being called changed. \"Kaaaiiito!\" \"All right, all right! I'm coming right now, so pipe down!\" His life was at risk if he continued playing deaf. He slammed the liver he was flouring onto the counter, then took off down the corridor. Thanks to the poor excuses for stained-glass clerestory windows, the corridor was less claustrophobic than the kitchen. At the same time, the patterns of light they cast on the floor were ominous enough to be annoying. He ran atop the patterns, climbed a spiral staircase, and finally threw open a massive pair of double doors. A violent gust of wind blew in Kaito's face. The throne room, as the name would suggest, was adorned with a magnificent throne atop a pedestal, and the array of antique tapestries served to accentuate the room's grandeur. However, a quarter of the room had been destroyed, and the pale-blue sky peeked through a huge hole in the wall. It seemed there was a serious chance that half the castle had been blown away. Standing above the wreckage, an arrogant girl awaited Kaito, her arms folded and her perfectly sculpted legs perched atop the rubble. Her heels clicked as she turned to face him. Her dark hair fluttered around her as she pierced him with her crimson gaze. Her face, a well of inhuman beauty, was punctuated by a smile dripping with unfettered delight. It was truly unpleasant. Her nails were painted black, and they glimmered as she pointed outside. She spoke in a whisper, her voice as sweet as birdsong with the tone of a cat that had just eaten its fill. \"Behold, Kaito.\" Kaito obeyed and peered through the hole. The bright-blue sky and vivid-green forest would have been picturesque were it not for the sticky red that stained the landscape, accompanied by the stench of rust. The once-beautiful setting was now a sickening sight to behold. A nightmarish hellscape stretched as far as the eye could see. Dozens of iron stakes jutted out of the ground, impaling a strange creature. Kaito scrunched up his face as much as he could, but he could still make out the grizzly, bloodied corpses. \"Well, Kaito? Have you any impressions?\" \"Impressions...? It's revolting.\" \"A fitting appraisal, truly. What's more, it lacks the requisite vocabulary and wit to entertain its master. What a boring creature.\" The girl shrugged. The dying beast was a horrifying patchwork of human corpses. It was a bizarre creature, its skin a collage of human faces with their cheeks and scalps melted together and stretched to the absolute limit. Each face joined its voice in a chorus of agony. A row of human arms along its back served as a mane, and a large number of breasts hung from its fat belly. The girl laughed at the blasphemous abomination, her voice full of scorn. \"The time has come, Kaito. The Knight has issued a declaration of war. Or would it be more fitting to consider this mere harassment?\" She seemed quite pleased. Watching her lick her garnet lips, Kaito thought she looked less like a panther or a wolf and more like a ferocious, hungry lion. Suppressing his urge to vomit, he looked away from the beast's corpse and gave his announcement through a sigh. \"Not that I really care, but food'll be ready in an hour. Save your fighting or torturing or whatever for later.\" This was the absurd arrangement Kaito Sena had been forced into after he was killed. \"As you have yet to reply, I shall say it another way. Devote yourself to me.\" \"Hard pass.\" When he registered the blunt demand of the girl who called herself Elisabeth, Kaito immediately refused. Naturally, he was confused at being ordered to do some strange girl's bidding immediately after he'd"}, {"text": "been killed. But he was sure of his answer after seeing that disturbing pile of corpses. Then there were the bloodthirsty chants that had been directed at her, plus Elisabeth's sadistic smile, but most of all, it was that she addressed herself as the \"Torture Princess.\" He was afraid he'd made her angry, but for some reason, she nodded as if impressed. \"A prompt decision, I see. Did you perchance stumble across a stray memory or two of mine when you were summoned? Even so, I did not expect such a swift reply.\" \"Okay, forget the whole 'serving you' thing for a sec. When you say 'summoned'... Hey wait, where are we? What am I doing here? Didn't I...die?\" \"Yes, without a doubt! You are well and truly dead. Your murder was as meaningless as a worm getting stepped on\u00e2\u20ac\u201da death most pitiful, unseemly, cruel, and gruesome! Yet, I summoned your soul here into a puppet body and granted you new life. A rare blessing, is it not? Go on, then: Rejoice to your heart's content.\" \"...A puppet?\" As he listened to Elisabeth's bizarre explanation, Kaito patted himself all over. For a puppet, his skin felt surprisingly human. He didn't have a mirror, so he couldn't inspect his face, but noting the lack of discrepancies in his field of view, he suspected that his height was more or less the same as it had always been. He plucked out one of his hairs, which he normally kept tied behind his head, but it was the same old pale brown. As Kaito inspected his body with a dubious expression, Elisabeth spoke again, exasperated. \"Now listen here, you. The body housing your soul is a golem of my own creation. It isn't one of those lumps of dirt that will die simply from having part of the word on its forehead erased. It is a superlative piece of work, for I am both a master sorcerer and a skilled artisan. It's thanks to my handiwork that you're hearing me in the language of your land, too. And the frame is unquestionably robust. It has organs and blood, true, but so long as it remains at least fifty percent intact, you can consider it immortal. Ah well, the blood coursing through your veins has been mixed with my own, so I suppose that if the body bleeds out, your soul will dissipate.\" \"But my build, my hair color, all of it's the same.\" \"It seems your idiocy is beyond help. I already spoke of my skill, did I not? Do not lump my masterpiece in with bargain-shop refuse. If you put a soul in a container that differs too greatly from the form of its previous life, the dissonance can cause madness. The body is designed to transform according to the inhabiting soul. It automatically eliminates wounds and disease, but the appearance and build are the same as yours, from the face that reflects your impoverished nature to your gaunt, brittle frame. Feel free to weep at my compassion.\" It was then that Kaito noticed the major change in his body. Looking at his arm, he realized that the scarring and lacerations that had once been etched into it were now gone without a trace. The pain, previously his lifelong companion, had completely vanished. Huh... That's a surprise. This really isn't my body after all. Kaito finally accepted it. There was no way this agony-free body could be his. Not being in pain for the first time in a while was certainly pleasant, but at the same time, it made him feel uneasy, like he was a plastic doll or something. As Kaito cradled his arm in amazement, Elisabeth carried on. \"I summoned a Sinless Soul to use as a servant. The Church would punish me if they found out I invoked anything evil, even if only to use it as a maid, you see. You fit the criteria, as your death was far crueler than your sins in life would warrant, but... Heh, there was some odd resistance during the summoning, but to think that you would hail from another world... I wonder whether pulling you in from a parallel dimension is the height of fortune or misfortune? Ah, I suppose it matters little who you once were. From here on, you need only serve me with wholehearted devotion.\" \"Hard pass.\" \"Oh-ho.\" Elisabeth narrowed her crimson eyes, apparently pleased by his response. Her long, slender finger resembled a blade as she raised Kaito's chin. Licking her lips, she whispered in a voice that was sweet nectar. \"You were killed. Your murder was as meaningless as a worm getting stepped on\u00e2\u20ac\u201da death most pitiful, unseemly, cruel, and gruesome. Even your hollow little brain understands that much, yes? Your death was far crueler than your sins in life would warrant, fulfilling the requirement to become a Sinless Soul, yet you wear the face of a man about to descend into Hell. Even so, you would give up this second life? You would choose to die, crushed like a worm?\" \"Oh yeah, for sure. I've had enough abuse for one lifetime. I endured and persisted, sure, but surviving isn't really the same as living. I'm done.\" Kaito gave his response. Without even needing to think about it, he could say that it had been a terrible life. He'd attended school for a couple of years. Afterward, he'd been forced to move from place to place and help his father with his illegal work. When that had taken a turn south and his manpower was no longer needed, his father began beating him to let off steam. All in all, it was a sickening way to live. Kaito didn't even remember what his mother looked like. But he suspected that her brain had been addled by pain and malnutrition, robbing her of the willpower to flee, and eventually she'd been killed much like himself. He was thankful for his new pain-free body, but he'd be damned if he let himself be used by anyone else again. If his shitty life was prolonged, all that meant was that he would have to endure even more shit. \"I've had enough. I'm throwing in the towel. Go find someone else to be your servant.\" \"I see. Well, like it or not, I'll make a butler out of you yet.\" Once again, Kaito's reply was completely ignored. His frown deepened as Elisabeth shrugged. \"Summoning more servants would result in the Church casting their bothersome gaze my way. And crafting another puppet would take time. What sense is there in creating more chores for the sake of a servant, whose role it is to do my chores for me? I cannot think of a greater waste of time. At any rate, of\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Suddenly, there was a roar as the door behind Elisabeth burst off its hinges. The way in which the thick, heavy door spun through the air before finally crashing beside her was almost comical. A splinter grazed her cheek, yet she didn't even turn to look. Kaito's eyes widened in fear as he gawked at the entrance. There in the doorway\u00e2\u20ac\u201dminus one door\u00e2\u20ac\u201dstood a colossal horse and its rider. For reins, the rider held a sinister thorned chain, and the saddle it was mounted on was made of bone. But strangest of all were the bodies. Neither the horse nor the rider had any skin. They looked like anatomical models, their muscles bare and their bodies lined with blood vessels. With their flesh pink and glistening, they were hideous enough that the mind refused to parse them out of self-preservation. Finally turning toward the entrance, Elisabeth began speaking with an air of leisure. \"At any rate, of the fourteen ranked demons\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Knight, the Governor, the Grand Governor, the Earl, the Grand Earl, the Duke, the Grand Duke, the Marquis, the Grand Marquis, the Monarch, the Grand Monarch, the King, the Grand King, and the Kaiser\u00e2\u20ac\u201dleaving out the Kaiser, who's already been captured, I have thirteen demons and their contractors I need to slaughter.\" The horse let out a whinny, and the rider roared again. Their mouths were simply hollow gaps in their flesh, and from them came the grating noise of a storm passing through a broken wind instrument. As the shriek of hatred rang in his eardrums, Kaito suddenly understood something and was certain of it. Demon was the only fitting word to describe this horrifying creature. \"Hey, what's up with that guy? Is he the 'Knight' you just mentioned?\" \"For an imbecile who died a worm's death, you seem surprisingly calm.\" \"As long as my brain isn't atrophied, I can at least make sound decisions.\" \"Well, you were close. That there is a servant of the Knight. He didn't form a contract with a demon himself but became the underling of one who did. By choice. A weakling, in other words. Both he and the Knight used to be human, though.\" Listening to Elisabeth's explanation, Kaito felt his gaze wander over to the horse and rider again. He couldn't believe that the rider used to be human, nor did he want to. Only a lunatic would willingly become something like that. Guessing Kaito's thought process from the look on his face, Elisabeth snickered. \"Your reaction is understandable. Quite unsavory, no? Selling one's soul to a demon and abandoning one's form, all in the pursuit of inhuman power, is rather pitiful, is it not? You may laugh. I shall allow it. 'Tis his wish, no doubt\u00e2\u20ac\u201dafter all, buffoonery is buffoonery precisely because it inspires laughter, wouldn't you agree?\" Even as provocation, her words were raw. The rider let out another, more piercing roar. The rage in his voice was so high-pitched that Kaito had to cover his ears for fear of his eardrums rupturing. The rider yanked the reins and kicked the horse's flank. The horse accelerated to its top speed in an instant, cracking the stone floor as it charged toward Elisabeth in an attempt to trample her. \"Lowborn dirt. My blade is too good for the likes of you\u00e2\u20ac\u201dIron Maiden.\" Elisabeth mouthed something and extended her hand. Darkness and bloodred flower petals flowed from her fingertips and swirled through the air. There was a loud gong and then a life-size puppet sprang up from the ground and cut through the darkness. The puppet, which Elisabeth had called Iron Maiden, looked far kinder than the name would suggest. Golden thread that served as hair hung down its back, and the jewels that adorned its face in place of eyes glittered blue. Its lips curled into a warm, loving smile. As it opened its arms in welcome, the rider bore down upon it, consumed by fury. It was right when Kaito thought the horse would trample over the Maiden's kind embrace that it happened. In concert with the clicking sound of shifting gears, the puppet opened its eyes wide. The blue jewels flipped over, now burning scarlet. Its affection forgotten, its expression turned to hatred, and its stomach opened with a click. A pair of iron arms shot out from the inside, each equipped with long, vicious claws. Scrabbling forth, they swooped down on the horse and its rider, smashing arms and legs with a cold malevolence and mechanical efficiency. The desperate cries of the horse and rider fell on deaf ears as the arms mashed their victims' extremities into caterpillar-like lumps of flesh. The horse and rider were unable to put up any sort of resistance, and after being sculpted into a grotesque form resembling a meatball with a head, they were carried into the Maiden's stomach. As if to symbolize its chastity, its womb was lined with countless needles. *** Ignoring the screams of pain, the Maiden's chest clicked closed. As its expression became affectionate once more, the Maiden lovingly embraced her belly. The crazed screams coming from inside it begged for release. Just listening to them made Kaito feel like he was going mad, too."}, {"text": "\"Once one enters Iron Maiden, death does not come quickly.\" Elisabeth spoke over the horrifying screams, clearly unbothered. Turning toward Kaito, she offered a suggestive smile. \"If you insist on dying again, then there's no helping it. I am nothing if not generous, after all, so I will grant your wish. But I will not simply return you to a state of death. If you desire death so badly, you will have it by way of my methods. So. What path will you choose? Will you become my butler, or will you become meat?\" \"Butler, please.\" \"Well, that was fast.\" That was how Kaito came to serve the Torture Princess. Which brings us to the present. \"This! Is! Vile!\" In tandem with this spirited protest, the heart roast with potherb garnish and fruit vinegar sauce Kaito had made went flying through the air, accompanied by plate and fork. A dangerous rain of food and cutlery pelted the antique tablecloth. Continuing her tirade, Elisabeth planted a foot on the table with a stomp. \"Wh-what is this? It's absolutely repulsive. It looks palatable, yet the meat is undercooked, and it has the texture of rubber. The sauce somehow takes on the organ's peculiar odor, and the odd sweet and sour flavors create a horrific harmony that lingers on the tongue. It's almost impressive, in a way.\" \"Your description is what's impressive.\" With dead eyes, Kaito yanked the fork out of the wall it had impaled. He wondered where she found the nerve to give such harsh criticism. A few days had passed since he'd been strong-armed into becoming her butler. Such outbursts had scared him at first, but given that he'd lived his whole life a hairbreadth from death anyway, he quickly got used to it. Still clad in his unflattering butler uniform, Kaito heaved a sigh. \"Like I keep saying, you don't need to throw it at me. What are you, some abusive husband from the sixties?\" \"I know not of any sixty abusive husbands, but food that vile deserves to be thrown! What do you call this?! It is so unpalatable even pig fodder would be preferable! How is it that all your dishes are this vile?!\" \"You kept complaining about the odor, so I thought I'd try using wine this time to offset it.\" \"...Hold on. Do you mean to tell me that you used my prized wine to create this filth?\" Kaito decided that silence was golden. Not needing an answer, Elisabeth waved her hand. A chair sprang up beneath Kaito's feet with a gong. He looked almost like a character in a cartoon as it scooped up his rear, then fastened him in place with belts. When he looked, it was clear that the seat and armrests were lined with holes made for needles, pins, and spikes. Abandoning his cool demeanor, he kicked his legs in a panic. \"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Let's talk this over. Think about it. I've never cooked anything before, and you're asking me to cook organs?\" \"Save your excuses. As an aside, is that any way to talk to me, the Torture Princess? You have some nerve. Perhaps you'll have time to reflect on your arrogance as you're being riddled with holes, hmm?\" \"I'm sorry! Look, ever since I got killed, it's been kind of hard to register feelings like fear or danger! I'm sorry, okay? Can we just skip the torture?\" \"Very well. I shall grant you mercy...or so I would like to say, but do you mean to tell me that you only respect me out of fear?\" \"Well, uh, that's not...not true...\" \"What, no excuse, then, Kaaaito?\" As he shouted that he wanted to take it back, Kaito's fate dawned on him. He was going to become a human pincushion. However, Elisabeth seemed to reconsider, and as she snorted, the Iron Chair vanished. \"Very well. In my infinite generosity, I shall grant you one last chance\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI demand pudding.\" \"...Pudding?\" Her comical order was placed with a straight face, and Kaito cocked his head in puzzlement. Elisabeth nodded, then crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, her face full of conviction. \"I have my doubts as to whether a fool who can't even cook will be able to handle confectionery, you see. But perhaps you'll have a knack for sweets. It won't hurt to try. And if even that is beyond you, then, like anything that does naught but produce trash, you will simply be disposed of.\" \"Please don't talk about disposing of people. It hits a little too close to home. Pudding, right? I think I know what you're talking about... Though where I'm from, it sounds more like purin.\" \"Purin? I know not of this dish, but from the sound of the name, there should at least be a vague similarity, no?\" Kaito nodded at her half-hearted answer. As a matter of fact, he had strong memories associated with that dish. Long ago, the woman living with his father at the time had served it for young Kaito. He'd been overjoyed, and she met his glee with a forced smile. The next day, she was gone. Thinking back on it, he realized that it had probably been meant as atonement for leaving him behind and escaping on her own. Even now, the memory of that rare moment of happiness was vivid. And he more or less remembered how she'd made it. He could re-create it with the ingredients available in the kitchen, but the cookware was lacking. He returned to Elisabeth. \"Hey, Elisabeth. You can make golems out of mud, so do you think you could make an earthenware pot?\" \"Is that something you would ask of the person considering disposing of you? What a frightening fellow you are. Very well. What is this ursine-wear pot you speak of?\" With his limited linguistic talents, Kaito tried explaining what an earthenware pot was. Elisabeth snapped her fingers, a perplexed expression on her face. A moment later, soft footsteps echoed through the corridor. The door to the dining room creaked open. Behind it was a small golem, composed of rectangular lumps of earth. It waved good-bye, then suddenly collapsed, leaving behind a pile of mud. \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? Hey wait, Elisabeth; what did you just do? Don't you feel bad for it?\" \"Do not pity it. Contrary to what you may think, it possessed no will. Now, a pot, was it?\" The mud squirmed, eventually settling into the shape of a pot. Kaito followed up on his explanation, saying how it needed to be shorter and rounder and how it needed a hole to let out steam. The mud shifted again, and after a period of trial and error, it finally reached a shape Kaito recognized. \"That mud is quite heat tolerant. While I'm still unsure of what you intend to do with it, use it as you please.\" \"Thanks. That's a big help.\" Taking great care not to drop it, Kaito returned to the kitchen with the pot. He filled it with water, then added the wheat and put it on the fire. By doing so, he could plug up the fine holes that had formed in the pot. Next, he heated some milk in a saucepan and melted sugar into it. Once it cooled, he added one whisked egg, then he stirred gently to avoid making bubbles. He greased the earthenware pot with butter, then scraped the egg mixture in with a clean towel. But this was where it got tricky. He had to put the lid on, then let it simmer for ten to fifteen minutes. He placed a net over the stove and laid the pot on top of it, but he had no faith in his ability to regulate the fire. \"So how am I going to...? Huh? Wait, this works?\" It appeared that the earthenware pot Elisabeth had made was incredibly heat tolerant. Even though the stove was blazing hot, the amount of heat the pot was receiving was the exact right temperature to simmer the mixture. The rest was up to luck. Soon, a sweet aroma began wafting through the kitchen. To cool the pot down, Kaito carried it to the ice-spirit fridge. He let it cool for ten minutes, then brought it to the dining room. To his surprise, Elisabeth was waiting for him patiently. She must not have had anything better to do. \"Hmm? Well, this is a surprise. I thought you'd make a run for it.\" \"Well, thanks to you, it turned out all right. See for yourself.\" Kaito placed the earthenware pot before her. Elisabeth craned her neck inquisitively. She seemed to be waiting for him to remove the lid. Kaito grabbed the handle and did so, causing a sweet aroma to waft through the air. Upon seeing the pale-yellow substance contained within, Elisabeth cocked her head to the side. \"What is this? This is not pudding.\" \"Huh, they really were different, then. This here is purin. It's the version of 'pudding' I'm familiar with.\" \"Purin, you say. Hmm.\" Parroting his word back at him, Elisabeth took a spoon and scooped out a mouthful. She frowned dubiously at it as it jiggled back and forth, then she put the spoon in her mouth. After a moment of silence, she took another spoonful. \"This is quite strange...or rather... Yes...it's so very...wobbly...and syrupy.\" Elisabeth brought spoonful after spoonful to her mouth, eating with relentless vigor. In no time at all, the earthenware pot was empty. Her spoon clattered on the table. \"I approve!\" \"I've been approved.\" Elisabeth smiled, her expression gleaming with satisfaction, as if to tell him that he was capable of anything he set his mind to. For a moment, Kaito envisioned a pair of cat ears flopping atop her luxurious black hair. For someone who's liable to torture others at the drop of a hat, she's surprisingly straightforward. Just as those words creeped into Kaito's mind, Elisabeth snapped her fingers. Afraid that she'd seen through his thoughts, he braced himself for the Iron Chair to appear. A chessboard made of red light glowed before him, no doubt magically conjured by Elisabeth. Seeing Kaito's eyes widen in surprise, Elisabeth spoke. \"It seems you're not entirely useless. In light of this, I shall impart unto you some information about your current situation.\" Elisabeth waved a pale hand. The chessboard began spinning toward Kaito. As he leaned back, the board stopped, and her voice adopted a singsong tone. \"Rejoice, for knowledge is power. 'Tis the fate of ants and the ignorant to have their lives played with. 'Tis by obtaining knowledge that men surpass insects and become beasts, then become humans, and at times surpass even God.\" Two large pieces appeared above the chessboard, one black, the other white. Both were adorned with wings. As they floated, Elisabeth pointed at them. \"In this world, God and Diablo are both very real. They exist in a higher realm, where human eyes cannot reach, but their existence has been proved by theologists, scholars, and mages. Of course, God and Diablo are no more than names we assigned them for the sake of convenience. We call the entity who created the world 'God' and that which destroys it 'Diablo.' Hence Diablo can only interfere with the world of man once God has abandoned it. But there is an exception. If Diablo has a contractor, all bets are off.\" \"A contractor?\" \"Those who use their bodies as intermediaries to summon Diablo into our dimension, where it cannot normally exist, and form a contract with it. Diablo then fuses with them and corrupts their form, but in return they obtain power they can use as they wish. But summoning Diablo, who possesses enough power to destroy the entire world, is no small feat, and there is no one vessel that can contain it, so it has yet to manifest. However, even its fragments possess great power, and those exist in our world today.\" The black"}, {"text": "piece shattered and began raining down upon the chessboard. It then changed into fourteen pieces, all lined up. Amid the crowd of pieces shaped like beasts and men, one wore a crown and was bound by chains. \"Fourteen people have formed contracts with fourteen demons. They are ranked\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Knight, the Governor, the Grand Governor, the Earl, the Grand Earl, the Duke, the Grand Duke, the Marquis, the Grand Marquis, the Monarch, the Grand Monarch, the King, the Grand King, and the Kaiser\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand when people say 'demon,' they refer to these fourteen as well as their contractors. There are also their servants: those who pledge allegiance to them in exchange for a portion of their power.\" In front of the fourteen strange-looking pieces now stood a row of pawns. As the fourteen placed their hands on the pawns' foreheads, the pawns, too, transformed into hideous monsters. Elisabeth grabbed one of them. \"The skinless knight you saw was a servant of the Knight. Calling them 'demon's contractor's servants' is a mouthful, so we call them 'underlings.'\" Elisabeth placed the piece back on the board. The fourteen pieces and the grotesque pawns began marching. \"Demons derive their power from the lamentations of God's creations\u00e2\u20ac\u201despecially from the suffering of humans. As such, the demons and their followers are responsible for no small number of disasters.\" All at once, the chess pieces opened their mouths, which were filled with ugly, misshapen teeth. As a new row of pawns materialized, the pieces ran them down and consumed them. Elisabeth snapped her fingers. A piece shaped like a woman appeared on the board. \"The Church\u00e2\u20ac\u201da religious organization that worships an image of God that mankind once relied upon, a framework that guides people in accordance with God's will, and an institution created to preserve our world's long peace\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhas tasked me with hunting the thirteen demons excluding the Kaiser, who has already been captured. At the moment, my foe is the Knight.\" Kaito watched as a piece astride a horse advanced in front of the rest. The twisted suit of armor atop a red piece charged toward him. The female piece turned to face it, wielding a glowing red sword. \"The Knight is the weakest of the fourteen. Yet, to a normal person, he would seem like a nightmare made flesh.\" As she was speaking, the floor shook. Before the sword could reach the Knight, the board and pieces vanished. Thud. Thud. The castle shook once more. Elisabeth rose to her feet, ever graceful. She ignored the baffled Kaito in her advance, her dress swaying with every step. Flustered, Kaito followed after her. Elisabeth left the dining room and continued down the corridor. When she reached the door to the throne room, she cast it wide open. The stench of blood and flesh hit them like a truck. They could hear the barbaric sound of something gorging itself on meat. After a brief hesitation, Kaito gazed through the hole in the wall. Atop the corpse of the skewered patchwork beast stood a new creature. It was gorging itself on the carrion, tearing away large chunks of flesh with its massive mouth. Embedded in its flank were human faces, each weeping as they ripped apart any meat they could reach. Kaito could hardly find his breath as he was absorbed in the horror of the spectacle. Elisabeth turned and spoke with a wicked grin. \"This, too, is the work of a demon. I expected as much, but it seems a second has appeared.\" \"I can't believe you expected something like this...\" \"The beast made it here without decomposing, so its materials likely came from the neighboring village. When a demon attacks a village, he leaves few survivors. But even if as many as a fifth of the villagers escaped, the first beast seemed much too small to be made of the remaining four-fifths. It's only natural to assume that another was forthcoming.\" How can she make a prediction like that so calmly? Kaito's head swam as he pondered that insanity. As he was thinking, the beast let out a scream. *** Then it leaped, its rows of breasts swaying this way and that. It dug its claws into the side of the castle. The entire castle shuddered, and dust fell from the ceiling. The beast turned its murderous eyes toward Elisabeth. Looking up at the beast, whose head was protruding through the hole, Elisabeth sighed. \"Heavens. Even considering you all were dragged into this, it is a pitiable sight indeed.\" *** \"I shall grant you reprieve. Be at peace.\" Elisabeth snapped her fingers. The ground shattered. Countless iron stakes ripped through the earth and stretched forward. One after another, they pierced the beast's chest. Even with its body torn to shreds, the beast still lunged forward, trying to catch Elisabeth in its maw. But its charge was impeded by over one thousand cold iron stakes. In concert with the sound of stakes piercing their target again and again, a cloud of dust mixed with crimson flower petals billowed forth like a tempest. Once it cleared, the corpses of the two beasts lay side by side. Dark blood began pooling on the ground. Elisabeth turned to face Kaito. A drop of blood painted her cheek, but she barely seemed to notice as she spoke. \"There may yet be traces of the Knight in that village. We're leaving. Attend to me.\" Her dress fluttering, Elisabeth took off. Reining in his trembling legs, Kaito followed after her. Elisabeth descended the stairs to the underground. Mysterious groans echoed throughout the corridor, evoking the sense of a labyrinth containing a monster. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if there really was a monster down here. She continued at an even pace, finally reaching a door at the end of a hall and kicking it open. Kaito stood beside Elisabeth as he glanced inside. The room had no furniture or windows, and a massive magic circle was painted on the floor. As he looked closely, he realized how intricate the design was. The air was thick with the rusting-iron scent of shed uterine lining. He then realized that the magic circle was painted in blood. \"A teleportation circle, etched in my own blood. It takes me wherever I please, as long as I can remember being there.\" \"Not a huge fan of the medium, but that does seem pretty convenient. We didn't have these back where I come from.\" \"Ah yes, you come from a world of machines. You would do well not to make light of magic. As my servant, even you could use your blood to summon something to your side.\" \"What, you want me to shed this much blood?\" \"You should try it sometime.\" \"I humbly decline.\" Kaito nervously stood next to Elisabeth atop the magic circle. She clicked her heels. With a sound like a flare, crimson flower petals began dancing along the outer circumference of the circle. As they spun, so did their surroundings. The motes of red then melted together, eventually forming thick cylindrical walls. The smell of iron assailed Kaito's nostrils once more. In an instant, the flower petals had transformed into blood. Elisabeth clicked her heels a second time and the walls of blood collapsed to the ground like stage curtains. The scenery the walls had been concealing came into view. They stood over the remains of a battlefield. That was the only way Kaito could describe the scene before him. There was fire stretching as far as the eye could see, and countless corpses dotted the ground among the burning buildings. The only thing Kaito could think to compare it to was a photograph of a battlefield in a far-off country he'd seen long ago. Two hours had passed between the creation of the first beast and Kaito and Elisabeth's arrival, but the flames showed no signs of abating. As he glanced over the burning corpses, Kaito could feel sweat trickling down his forehead while the stench of charred flesh filled his nostrils and the heat radiated across his skin. There was a man whose top half was fully carbonized. An old woman with not only her head but her entire spine ripped out. A woman with her breasts cut off. A young boy whose face had been torn clean off. A half-dead child with their arms severed who had likely been trying to crawl away. None of them retained so much as a shred of human dignity. All their deaths were gruesome. Unlike the beast, their corpses were comprehendible. That was precisely why the spectacle was so horrific, why the cruelty of it sank into one's brain. The urge to retch welled up in Kaito's throat before he finally managed to swallow it down. There was no mistaking it. This was Hell. This was a place filled with the worst things one could imagine. \"I mentioned it before, but this is a demon's doing.\" Beside Kaito, who had lost the will to speak, Elisabeth whispered. She stepped forward, then turned to face him, the fire at her back and her black hair dancing against the blazing breeze. \"Demons draw their power from the suffering of men, from the discord in their souls that suffering brings. This is the result. The methods used here are...cute, I suppose. Even now, much darker horrors are being produced elsewhere.\" Kaito was taken aback by her words. He was used to pain and suffering. He was all too familiar with fear and with the unbelievable tragedies that occasionally befell people. But there was no way he could be okay with a spectacle as ghastly as this, with people being killed in a manner that lacked mercy or meaning. \"You call this cute? Quit screwing with me! No matter how you look at it, this is Hell!\" \"Even Hell has its layers. And this is a shallow one. As far as I'm concerned, this might as well be a field of flowers. Demons give birth to much crueler tragedies than this... 'Tis why the Church left dealing with pigs like them to a sow such as myself.\" *** She was cut off by a furious scream. At that signal, a group of villagers emerged from behind a half-caved-in animal pen. The nervous men, clothes stained with soot, brandished farming implements as they surrounded Kaito and Elisabeth. An armored knight atop a horse strode up beside them. Kaito froze when he saw him. However, the knight appeared to be a legitimate member of this world's armed forces. He wore a plumed helmet, and his horse and silver armor were adorned with a coat of arms in the shape of a lily. There was a metallic schwing as the knight unsheathed his sword. Elisabeth sighed. \"Well, if it isn't a Royal Knight. I strung up those useless colossi, so what business have you with me?\" \"Don't play dumb with me! I was dispatched to this village from the Capital, and I've been keeping an eye on you up in your castle. But now you finally show your true nature! I've known what you were all along. This horrible affair, all of it is your doing!\" \"Are you dull? You gaze upon the Knight's work. Then again, I suppose those who've not witnessed it firsthand may have difficulty understanding it as such. Regardless, take care not to foist your incompetence on my shoulders. The Church has tasked me with hunting demons. I am not in a position to kill humans...for now.\" \"Silence your lying tongue! Who would believe such a tale?!\" The knight's voice grew harsh, and Kaito cringed. The knight pointed his sword at Elisabeth and spoke, his voice quivering with rage. \"Don't think that I've forgotten what you've done.\" Elisabeth simply stood there, her face the picture of apathy, and made no attempt to refute the accusation. Her demeanor caused the knight to lose what little patience he had left. He fired off a frenzied account of her past deeds. \"You tortured"}, {"text": "the entire population of your fiefdom! You dismembered their bodies, ripped out their still-beating hearts, stitched every orifice in their bodies shut, carved into their bones, melted their flesh, gouged out their eyes, severed their tongues, and when you ran out of ideas, you killed parents and children, the elderly, and men and women alike! In the end, your sins reached even the nobles! Torture Princess! Elisabeth Le Fanu! Who would believe anything that came out of your filthy mouth?!\" Hearing those words, Kaito was reminded of the reality that had been thrust before his eyes a few days prior. He recalled the scene he had witnessed as he died. He recalled the mountain of corpses, each without so much as a shred of human dignity. He recalled the bloodlust of the angry horde and the smile of the restrained girl. Elisabeth was smiling even now, listening to the knight's tirade as one might listen to a small bird chirping. \"And I certainly haven't forgotten what I saw you do to my fellow knights at the Plain of Skewers! Do you have any idea how many sleepless nights I endured in the Kingdom after surviving that?\" The knight's sword hand trembled. However, he suddenly stopped talking and looked at Kaito. His armor clanged as he spoke to Kaito in a voice filled with confusion and sympathy. \"Why do you stand with such a demoness? I'd heard that Elisabeth was looking for a servant, but if she's holding you against your will, you can come to me. I'll protect you.\" Kaito turned to look at Elisabeth. She crossed her arms and remained silent. It was true that Kaito had been brought back to life against his will and made to serve her. And he'd personally witnessed her cruel deeds. In truth, he would like nothing more than to live a simple life of peace in this strange new world. Now was his chance to get away. But just as he was about to step forward, Kaito stopped. \"Come on, then. Hurry.\" \"Your offer sounds like a dream come true, but can I ask you a question first?\" \"What is it?\" \"Why do you look at me with the eyes of someone who's just found their next meal?\" After this question, an uncomfortable silence descended among them. The men, still clutching their farming implements, turned toward the knight. Some of them looked worried now. But the knight said nothing. Looking straight at the knight, Kaito continued. \"Back when I was alive, I met plenty of guys who would actually pass up a warm meal if it meant getting to beat up a kid. And you've got the same look in your eyes that they all did.\" He received no answer. But beside Kaito, Elisabeth's shoulders began trembling. She broke out into laughter. She looked truly bizarre, her body twisting as she clutched her sides in amusement. \"Of course, of course. It makes perfect sense. Ah, but I didn't expect you to be a member of the Knight Corps. How laughable\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsay, would you allow me one question, proud sir?\" Her laugh was sweet. Some might even say it was innocent. Her crimson eyes glittering with glee, she spoke in a soft, gentle voice. \"I slaughtered those five hundred men upon the Plain of Skewers. I slew them, annihilated them, exterminated them. And I certainly don't recall allowing a single one to escape.\" Her smile vanished. Her eyes were full of contempt, and her question came in a voice as cold as ice. \"So why are you still alive?\" At that moment, the heads of the men wielding farm implements were blown off. The heads fell to the ground, their lips half-open in surprise. Swarms of flies poured out of their gaping neck holes. The flies then set to work dragging the bodies together with their tiny legs. They gnawed through flesh with their tiny mouths, binding the bodies' skin together with mucus and crafting a miniature version of the creature Kaito had seen from the castle. Kaito stepped back, the bizarre spectacle once again robbing him of his breath. At the same time, the knight's entire body was wreathed in sapphire flames. His horse's skin paled under the light of the brilliant-blue blaze, and the rider himself swelled in size. In order to accommodate its wearer's unnatural growth, the rider's armor inflated like a water balloon. Long gray hair and a beard spilled out from the openings in the enlarged armor. The knight had grown old and hideous. In the face of the imposing, demonic Knight, Elisabeth clicked her tongue, ever fearless. \"I know not if you were trying to lower my guard or simply consume my servant before my eyes, but in either case, you are a fool. If you had intended to transform all along, you could have done so from the beginning and spared us the childish farce. Your experience contracting with a demon and surviving the Plain of Skewers has taught you nothing, it seems.\" Elisabeth heaved a sigh, then nodded in satisfaction. \"But perhaps that is why you failed to merge with any but the lowest rank, the Knight.\" The Knight let out a furious roar. His pale horse broke into a sprint at a speed much faster than even that of his skinless underling. Fire and lightning billowed forth from around the Knight. He grabbed the blue lightning in his hand and transformed it into a massive lance, then he charged at Elisabeth. She didn't dodge the blow, and the lance ran her through. Kaito stifled a scream. The massive weapon gave off a thrumming noise as it speared through Elisabeth's chest. Red blood began dripping from the wound it made. The Knight then jerked the lance free and sent Elisabeth tumbling to the ground. A memory flashed through Kaito's mind. It was a recollection of himself, battered and thrown against the wall, then collapsing to the floor like garbage. \"Elisabe\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Kaito ran toward her, then stopped. She was laughing. She twisted her stomach as she sat in a pool of her own blood and laughed, as if it was all so funny that she just couldn't help herself. \"Heh-heh, ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, ahhh\u00e2\u20ac\u201dha-ha-ha-ha-ha...ha.\" She grimaced in pain and rose to her feet. Kaito could see clear through the cavity in her chest. Some of her entrails sagged from the hole, but she simply wrapped the loose ends around her arm and wrenched them all the way out. Bleeding profusely now, she cast her guts aside. \"I see... So damage of this magnitude is about as mild as an itch. A far cry from having one's soul set ablaze. Now then, pay close attention. This is what true agony feels like.\" Elisabeth lifted a hand in the air. A great cloud of darkness and scarlet flower petals spiraled around it. They then mantled her body, masking the hole with fresh black cloth. She grabbed something from within the huge spiral of crimson and shadow. \"Rejoice, half-wit. I draw this blade for thee.\" She drew out a long sword. Its blade was bloodred, and it flickered with a sinister glint. \"Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal!\" She spoke its name, and the runes etched onto the sword sparked to life. As the light reached Kaito's eyes, he could feel the meanings of the runes forcing their way into his brain until the complete phrase made perfect sense. You are free to act as you will. But pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. \"Come, let us enjoy ourselves to the fullest!\" Elisabeth swung the sword through empty space, as if she was tracing both her foes' arms. Silver chains flew through the air in tune with her slashes, wrapping around the Knight's forearms and wrenching him from his mount. He hung in the air, helpless to resist. A moment later, he snapped his fingers, and the beast drew up from behind Elisabeth. Without turning, she swung her blade again. Chains wrapped around the beast, binding it firmly. There was a loud ripping noise as flesh was torn asunder. The shackles twined around its collapsing form and reinforced it as it took on the shape of a horse. They wrapped around the pale horse as well, acting as a pair of reins. Elisabeth raised her blade to the heavens, and the tips of the infinite chains rattled as they spiraled toward the Knight. Once they were finished, the Knight's arms and legs were bound, and at the opposite ends of those tethers stood four horses, his own included. He called his steed, but the horse paid him no mind. \"Now, then...let's see how you like being Drawn and Quartered.\" She swung her sword, and the horses set off in unison. The Knight's limbs screeched, and his joints made popping noises as they were pulled out of place. His flesh, stretched to its limit, began to tear. Blood poured from the gaps in his armor. But the horses did not stop. The Knight cried out in pain and rage. *** His voice was brimming with agony and hatred. The Knight drew near Elisabeth. Kaito, too, approached her from behind, then he gasped. The eyes beneath the helmet were human once more. They were different from when they'd been focused on Kaito and were now the purest blue. They glared at Elisabeth. The Knight's contractor was quite young. Looking down at the man's noble eyes, Elisabeth murmured tenderly. \"A survivor of the Plain of Skewers, hmm? It must have been painful. No doubt you detest me.\" *** \"...My apologies, good sir. But the cries of a demon are as unpleasant as the squeals of a swine.\" There was venom in her smile. The Knight roared, a sound rich with malice and bloodlust. *** The next moment, with the sound of meat being shredded, the Knight's limbs were ripped from his torso. The appendages bounced along the ground as they traveled, still tied to the horses. The fissure ran all the way up his abdomen, and his organs came spilling out in a gentle cascade. Beneath the helmet, the Knight vomited mouthful after mouthful of blood before breathing his last. Then his body erupted into silent blue flames. \"Let us return home. That purin of yours was delectable but made for poor sustenance. I'm famished.\" Her sword transformed into a cloud of crimson petals, and Elisabeth walked off. Kaito couldn't help but stare. He thought back to the scene he'd witnessed when he was first summoned. That and the Knight's accusation. If he pried too deeply, he would invite nothing but pain. Still, he had to know. \"Hey, is everything he said true? Did you torture and kill all your subjects, then turn on the nobles?\" \"Yes indeed. He spoke no falsehoods nor held any misunderstandings. Understand who it is you serve. I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. I have caused more pain and death than any before me. I was apprehended by the Church. And I am now tasked with slaughtering thirteen demons.\" She answered without an ounce of hesitation. She was as ruthless and tactless as a demon, perhaps even more so. Recalling her feline smile from when she'd eaten the purin, Kaito almost felt betrayed. She was someone who hurt people, someone who took from others, and he made no effort to conceal the displeasure on his face. But Elisabeth followed her confession of guilt with something wholly unexpected. \"And once I've executed them all, I, too, shall be put to the stake.\" Her statement was resolute. Kaito's eyes widened. Elisabeth stared straight back at him, her crimson eyes as clear as rubies. Her calm countenance gave no sign that she was lying. A line from earlier echoed in Kaito's mind. Until the day of your death, try to do some good at least. So that's it. Kaito remained silent, perplexed, unsure of how"}, {"text": "to react to this revelation. Elisabeth paid Kaito a \"humph\" as she stepped onto the center of the teleportation circle. \"Once we return, do something about dinner. If you can prepare sweets of that caliber, surely you can craft a proper meal. And if you fail to make something decent, it's the Ducking Stool for you.\" Kaito followed her but stopped for a moment and looked back. The scene painted before him was an unmistakable hellscape. A scream rang out from far off, and the animal pen collapsed. The flames grew stronger yet. Thinking back on the Knight's bizarre form, he muttered to himself. \"...Twelve more of those, huh?\" Kaito lined up next to Elisabeth. She clicked her heels. As the two of them vanished, the Knight's lance burst into blue flame, crumbled to ash, and scattered on the wind. 2 A Hellish Game Having acclimated to his new world and strange situation, Kaito came to a number of realizations. In order to maintain his soul's stability, the golem body Elisabeth had created for him automatically translated things into words he was familiar with. As a result, not only could he read and speak this world's language, but he could understand most of it as well. However, the translation didn't always follow strict rules. Sometimes Elisabeth referred to things not by their names in this world's common tongue but in an archaic dialect. When Kaito heard this, his ears picked it up as a foreign language. Furthermore, there were many objects that had the same name as something he was familiar with yet were completely different. For example, besides salt, pepper, and sugar, most of the spices in this world had completely different flavors and intensities than their counterparts from his world. When he'd tried to use them in the same fashion, the results had been disastrous. \"...and that's why my cooking is so bad.\" \"Ah, but that can hardly be the only reason. Your technique, too, is wretched.\" Kaito made his appeal while his wrists were strung up in chains from the dining room ceiling like a prisoner. Elisabeth sat in an antique chair, the legs of which ended in clawed feet clutching orbs, shaking her head from side to side as if to say that Kaito was still at fault. The remains of his grilled pork kidney with garden-fresh salad lay on the floor, skewered by a single sharp spike. If the chains holding him up lowered even a little, Kaito's right foot would meet the same fate. It was a simple form of torture yet effective nonetheless. Kaito squirmed as he shouted his displeasure. \"Don't go giving me that disappointed face, dammit! You're the asshole who decides if I live or die! Cut it out, please; I'll do anything!\" \"I can never tell if you're being rebellious or subservient... And you're far too useless. Your purin is the sole reason your torture is this light; if not for that, I'd have disposed of you a long time ago.\" \"Wait, you mean my purin's the only thing keeping me alive?\" \"Indeed. Give thanks to purin.\" This news caused the color to drain from Kaito's face. Elisabeth nodded once she was sure Kaito understood his position. It was then that Kaito realized. Even at the best of times, Elisabeth's attire functioned on a razor's edge. The leather belts wrapped around her breasts left little to the imagination. The height and angle from which he currently hung only exacerbated that fact. From his current position, he had a clear view of the valley between them. \"Elisabeth\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Er...um...Miss Elisabeth. I couldn't help but notice your outfit is a bit...risqu\u00c3\u00a9.\" \"Hmm? What are you saying? I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Oh...I see. Prepare to die!\" \"You're the one practically showing off the goods! Blaming me for pointing that out is tyranny! Tyranny, I say! And hey, as far as my cooking is concerned, you said the dish I made after we got back from the village with the Knight was good, too, didn't you? You know, the grilled liver, the one I cut up and skewered and added salt and pepper to!\" \"In your mind, does that fall under the purview of 'cooking'?\" \"Does it not?\" \"No.\" Elisabeth moved to snap her fingers. Kaito made puppy dog eyes, frantically trying to supplicate her, but she just laughed in his face. He braced for impact. \"Hmm? Well, if it isn't the Butcher.\" \"Hwah!\" Suddenly, Elisabeth released the chains binding Kaito's hands. Rather than pain, he had been prepared for death, but the spike vanished from his landing point. As he rubbed his back, Elisabeth rose elegantly and went to greet someone. Kaito turned toward the entrance and was startled by what he saw. A man stood there, covered head to toe in black cloth and carrying a bloodstained sack. From the swaying openings in the man's outfit, Kaito could make out clawed hands and scaled legs. Elisabeth cast her arms wide as she presented the man to Kaito, who had finally risen to his feet. \"'Tis poor form to discipline a servant in the presence of a guest. Give the Butcher your thanks, Kaito. Butcher, this is my dim-witted servant, the man who continues to disrespect your lovely meat.\" \"A pleasure, Mr. Dim-Witted Servant. I am your humble Butcher, friend of gourmands and vagabonds alike. I am grateful for Madam Elisabeth's continued patronage. I can procure any meat you desire, so long as it is 'meat.' I await your instruction.\" \"Ah... Uh, nice to meet you, too.\" Kaito replied in kind, his face stiffening slightly. The Butcher's tone of voice was as unsettling as his appearance. Guessing at Kaito's thoughts, the Butcher scratched his cloth-laden cheek. \"Ah, well, it is true that I'm a bit mixed even for a demi-human and that my appearance makes it hard to tell what my primary lineage is. But I'm not that different from the fine demi-humans you're familiar with, so there's no need to be quite so alarmed.\" \"Demi-human... Uh, you mean like...the races from video games and stuff?\" \"Ah, so your world didn't have demi-humans. Pay him no mind, Butcher. He hails from a different world. His soul is as lost as a soul can be. 'Tis best to leave lost children to their own devices.\" \"Understood. Then you may make the usual confirmation of the wares at your leisure.\" The Butcher nodded, and as Elisabeth turned to face him, he pulled an assortment of fresh organs from his sack. He showed each to Elisabeth in succession and then returned them to the sack. \"Chicken and pigeon livers, pig intestines, as well as cow tongues and hearts. Assuming they meet your requirements, I can carry them to your ice-spirit fridge for you.\" \"Yes, good work. I leave it to you.\" \"So like you said, you really don't eat people, huh?\" \"Perish the thought. Human flesh tastes terrible. Why should I pay exorbitant prices for something that isn't even worth eating?\" \"Ah, so your hang-ups are logistical.\" Kaito let out a sigh. The fact that human meat could be bought and sold in the first place was unsettling. But upon hearing his remark, the Butcher hopped up and down as he made his appeal. \"It is true that human meat is quite bitter and also true that it is an acquired taste, but there are many who find it quite enjoyable, you know. If you would like to try some, Sir Butler, it's relatively cheap at the moment. Perhaps it would open a new culinary door for you.\" \"Pretty sure that's not a door I should be opening.\" \"Oh, but are you certain?\" \"Very.\" \"Very?\" \"Hmm? Cheap, you say? I'd not heard of any battles in this region, so from where are you sourcing your corpses?\" \"Ah, you see, there's a territory with a village graveyard and a castle-side river, both overflowing with human corpses. It pains me as a butcher to say that some bodies are recovered with the choice cuts already missing, but as for the rest, the acquisition is quite painless. Would you care for some? The ribs make succulent roasts.\" Upon hearing this, Kaito and Elisabeth turned to look at each other. With a large number of partial corpses showing up, the two could easily deduce the culprit. \"Say, Butcher, does this not reek of a demon's doing?\" \"Ah, well, I am but a butcher, so I care little but for the quality of the meat.\" \"I get it. You were so devoted to your interests that you ended up neglecting everything else. I met people like that when I was alive, too.\" Kaito's eyes were half-closed as he spoke, and for some reason, the Butcher scratched his face like he was embarrassed. In any case, after asking the Butcher the name of the territory, Kaito and Elisabeth set off. \"To think that I would remember a town as remote as this. Marvel at my mental prowess!\" \"More than anything, I'm surprised you had enough self-awareness to realize how out of place your usual outfit would be.\" They'd teleported to a back alley of the aforementioned castle town, and Elisabeth held her hands at her sides as she praised herself. To Kaito's surprise, her outfit had transformed into a conventional dress. Her slim waist was fixed in a corset, and her draping skirt was fashioned with a number of flamboyant ribbons. She wore her hair up and had even added a flower to complete the look. Kaito almost wanted to call the combination of the snow-white dress and the only-pleasant-on-the-outside face a scam. Elisabeth, who now presented the image of a lovely young lady, stuck out her chest proudly. \"Indeed, I am most sensible. As the demon has not made his appearance yet, I understand full well the necessity of an outfit that blends in with the common folk. Yet, for all the effort I have made to style myself as the innocent daughter of a nobleman, your butler uniform makes you look like quite the hoodlum. Hee-hee.\" \"Oh, shut up! If it's such a problem, just give me something better to wear... Hey, Elisabeth!\" Ignoring Kaito's complaints, Elisabeth walked on, heading out of the dark alleyway and nearing the main thoroughfare. Kaito hurried after her. Before long, he was struck by the wall of sound that was the unmistakable hustle and bustle of people going about their business, complete with barking merchants. As he stepped out of the alley, Kaito found himself in the town of a foreign country. While it was technically a foreign world, the vivid spectacle, the voices of the crowd, and the diverse aromas all reminded Kaito of the exotic land he'd once felt from the other side of a television screen long ago. Turning to face the dumbfounded Kaito, Elisabeth twirled her decorative flower and grinned. \"And now, the line you've been waiting for. 'Welcome...to another world.'\" The people walking by had all manner of hair and eye colors: gold and blue, black and gray, red and green. A man wearing a shirt and a pair of suspenders passed a woman wearing a loose shawl. A girl wearing a dirndl was selling flowers, and a man wearing a frock coat smoked a pipe. Lined up in the shops and stalls were various goods for sale, some familiar to Kaito but many unfamiliar. There was a semitranslucent potion vial with an artistic shape. A pink leaf with a saccharine aroma, packed with what looked like tobacco. An egg-shaped fruit being sold beside some apples. A massive gong rang out, and a black-haired youth with lizard arms began ladling fried rice with pale-red lumps of meat to his line of hungry customers. While it looked tasty, it gave off a pungent odor, and most of the customers standing around eating it had dog ears and tails. \"Wait, lizard arms and dog ears?\" \"Demi-human\u00e2\u20ac\u201cbeastfolk crossbreeds. Not an uncommon sight, particularly with the influx of various races in low-class towns. They make up about"}, {"text": "thirty percent of slum dwellers, and in the north, it exceeds forty percent. Visibly pure-blooded demi-humans and beastfolk are generally in the nobility, though, so they're rarely seen in human settlements. Get used to it already. 'Tis a bother for you to gawk at every little thing.\" \"Man...this really is another world, huh?\" \"Oh, and the fruit samples aren't free, so do avoid taking them carelessly.\" Flustered, Kaito drew back from the honey-pickled grape an old lady was offering to him. Elisabeth, on the other hand, plucked a juicy-looking berry and popped it in her mouth. She flipped a copper coin to the vendor. She then continued making her way through the crowd. Amid the throng of hawkers calling out to passersby, customers haggling like their lives depended on it, and scraggly dogs and rats scurrying about underfoot, her luxurious snow-white dress stood out like the lone star against a midnight sky. But she seemed to pay that fact little mind. The crowd, too, passed her by. \"Hey, Elisabeth, where are you going?\" \"You need not worry about it. Just keep quiet and follow me.\" Kaito continued after her obediently. Just as he began worrying that she was wandering aimlessly, the nature of the buildings around them began to change. There were no more shops, nor were there stand-up food carts or large-roofed stalls. What surrounded them now were shabby little huts. The nature of the products being sold became more illicit. It seemed that this area, far off from the main stretch, was where you could buy spoiled goods, illegal drugs, and weapons of various sorts. Upon seeing a group of people slurping up some soup of dubious make between stone warehouses, Elisabeth stopped. When she did, Kaito overheard their comments. \"They say the Bloody Marquis is looking for employees again.\" With a start, Kaito turned to look at the old gray-haired woman. She was talking with a group of friends, a box of medicinal herbs she'd no doubt been hawking sitting beside her. \"There isn't anyone who'd sell him kids anymore, right? They say a cannibal owns that castle.\" \"I hear Anna over from the corner did. Sold her fourth son for a silver coin, they say.\" \"Sounds like she drove a hard bargain, but even so, to sell your own child like that... Well, that's a whore for you. Betcha she gets a gold coin for her fifth.\" \"Better than tossing them in the brothel, I say. Word is that Marquis fella is even buying up the kids of bankrupt aristocrats to use as servants. I'll pass on being eaten, but if it's just changing bedpans, I could get behind that if it meant getting to drink warm soup for a change.\" \"The lady in charge of collecting people is supposed to come around in her carriage today. Heh, if only I were a bit younger...\" \"You've got the looks of a monster, and you probably taste like one, too. Who'd pay any kind of coin for you?\" The younger of the two women laughed raucously, her long ears swaying and her yellowed teeth on full display. Elisabeth nodded, then set off again. Hearing the sound of her high heels, the women looked her way with a start. Their gazes pierced Elisabeth like they were looking at something monstrous. Sensing their hostility, Kaito quickly chased after her white form. \"Wait up, Elisabeth. I wanna know where you're going.\" \"The corpses have been piling up, yet the town is not in a panic. In short, the poor must comprise the bulk of the victims. After all, they have a tendency to drop dead on their own, be it from freezing, drowning, starving, or sickness. A few dozen of them going missing would hardly be grounds for a panic.\" \"You don't mince words, do you...?\" \"Ha. Whether I mince them or spit them out, it changes nothing. I came to this district in search of information, and just as I suspected, a rather juicy tidbit came and landed on my plate. Though it would be convenient to have something more substantial... Ah.\" Elisabeth stopped at the corner of the road. In front of the row of brick houses stood a black carriage. A well-dressed old woman who appeared to be its owner was grabbing the arm of another woman accompanied by a young girl and fervently arguing with her. The second woman wrenched her arm free, climbed a short set of stairs, and took refuge past the door at the top. The old woman clicked her tongue and walked back toward the carriage. Before Kaito could stop Elisabeth, she dashed out in front of the old woman. Kaito had no idea what she was thinking. \"This is Lord Marquis's carriage, right? Oh, thank goodness! My name is Flora. I came from the main road because I heard you were looking for maids. I got into a fight with my father, who's a wealthy landowner, so I'm here in secret for a bit of fun. But I never thought I'd get this lucky! I want to live like a real lady. Would you be so kind as to take me and my servant to see the lord marquis?\" Kaito's eyes widened at the stupidity of it all. But Elisabeth just tilted her head to the side, her expression so pure that it made him want to ask who the hell she was and what she'd done with Elisabeth. The old woman responded with a hard, skeptical gaze. Elisabeth then gave a beautiful smile and continued without a care. \"Oh, I almost forgot. Back on the main road, Miss Anna told me to tell you that she was the one who sent me. She's awfully nice.\" Upon hearing this, the old woman smiled broadly and nodded. After asking Elisabeth the landowner's full name and whether or not her absence had gone noted, she cast open the carriage's door eagerly. As she stood beside the sneering old lady, an even wickeder sneer found Elisabeth's face. After leaving the town, the carriage passed a wheat field on its right before making its way along a riverside road. As it continued on, a castle came into view beside the narrow shore. The castle was built out of an uneven mixture of gray stone and yellow sandstone and enclosed by black ramparts. The thick, heavy walls were supported by cylindrical steeples and stretched out far from east to west. The shadow it cast on the water was the very image of a massive crow, gazing into the river with its wings spread wide. The carriage traversed the deep moat with the aid of a drawbridge, then it arrived at the castle proper. And so Kaito and Elisabeth reached the Bloody Marquis's castle. Perhaps corresponding to the tastes of its current lord, the castle's resplendent interior stood in stark contrast to its simple, ominous exterior. Chandeliers sparkled over the main hall's grand stairwell, and vast carpets of gold and silver thread lay across its floor. It was clear that each of the etched handrails on the stairs and plaster grapevines on the walls took no small amount of artistic prowess to create. Every element of the house looked both elaborate and expensive. Rich-people houses really are something else, thought Kaito with a squint. Following Elisabeth, he made his way across the hall and tried to cut through to the passage on his right. When he did, a large man forcefully grabbed his shoulder. \"You don't look like a noble. Servants go this way.\" \"Wait, hold up, Elisa\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Mistress Flora!\" Kaito shouted as he was being dragged off. Elisabeth turned and gave him a thumbs-up. In other words, Figure it out yourself. You're immortal, so do your best and don't lose. You're a clever boy, after all, or something along those lines. Though he hated to admit it, Kaito was used to her attitude by now. At this point, he didn't have much choice. His expression stiffened as he gave up and followed the man. Upon reaching the end of the passage on the left, the man raised a large flag with a coat of arms on it. The hidden door behind it opened, and the man prodded Kaito down a set of stairs leading underground. A sense of foreboding welled up within him. The feeling only got worse as he continued down the flame-lit stone corridor. Finally, the man stopped before what was most definitely a prison. \"Get in.\" \"What, you're just gonna treat me like a prisoner out of nowhere?\" Kaito had been hoping for the ruse to last a bit longer. Unfortunately, his complaints were in vain as the man kicked him into the cell. A small scream could be heard coming from deeper inside. As he looked around the surprisingly spacious prison, he saw a crowd of young boys and girls, human and demi-human and beastfolk alike. Their ages, genders, and races were varied, but the fear on each of their faces was evident. The scene was one of bitter nostalgia for Kaito, and he wasn't sure how to react. After agonizing over his options for a moment, he waved a hand to try to calm them down. \"H-hey, guys.\" \"Eep!\" Suddenly, a new prisoner was kicked into the prison. A young girl wearing a poppy-red dress bumped into Kaito and fell over. His quick reflexes allowed him to catch her before she hit the ground. Her chestnut eyes paired well with her curly brown hair, and they gazed up at Kaito in fear. Hers was a modest beauty, her plain features standing out against the diversity of the demi-human and beastfolk captives. Her cheeks reddened when she realized that Kaito was holding her, and she straightened herself out. \"My... My deepest apologies. My name is Melanie Eskrow, daughter of Earl Eskrow. Where...is this? My aunt sent me here to become a proper lady.\" \"I'm Kaito Sena... This is gonna sound kinda rude, but by any chance did your dad pass away and leave you in your aunt's care recently?\" \"My, how did you know? Might you be an acquaintance of my aunt's, Sir Kaito?\" \"Um, well, that's\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Okay, y'know what? It feels mean to tell you this, but you're better off knowing. The situation we're in right now is super dangerous. I think you should prepare yourself to make a run for it if you see an opening. There's no telling what kind of horrible stuff is about to happen.\" \"Whatever do you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? Might I ask what's going on? What's going to happen to us and these children?\" \"Beats me. I really don't know, but when people go into shock, they tend to freeze up. You should emotionally brace\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Get out there. You're being called.\" Someone cut Kaito off, and the door swung open. A group of men led Kaito and the scared, sobbing children out of the prison. In order to keep them from resisting, they held a blade to Kaito's neck. A red-haired boy about his age and one of the younger kids received the same treatment. Kaito himself was immortal, but if he wasn't careful, the other two might wind up becoming victims. He clicked his tongue in frustration, then continued on without putting up a fight. Eventually, the door at the end of the underground hallway came into view. It was made of wood marked with carved images of spiders and crows and lit on each side by a flaming brazier. The wood design featured the crows circling overhead as the spiders weaved webs to catch them underneath. It was in rather poor taste. The men threw open the double doors and kicked Kaito and the rest inside. Kaito expected the men to follow them in, but they simply stayed put and closed the door. \"Good luck.\" Why do we need luck? As Kaito contemplated the ominous words of encouragement, he heard the click of the door locking. When he turned around, his heart stopped in his throat."}, {"text": "Within the room, a bizarre spectacle spread out before him. The ceiling was extremely high and domed like a cathedral. Its center was decorated with a floral piece of stained glass. But the intricate, kaleidoscopic light it cast was marred by the barbed wire lining the ceiling. The unsettling effect was exacerbated by the murder of crows perched on the wire. The crows watched over Kaito and the others in silent vigil. What's the deal with all these crows? ...I've got a bad feeling about this. Disgust and anxiety welling up within him, Kaito looked at the ground. The marble floor was cracked and missing pieces. Soil peeked out from the holes, and from the soil, massive trees grew. Among other things, the room appeared to house a miniature forest. This, too, was an enigma. Suppressing his unease, Kaito directed his attention to the middle of the room. Atop a circular stage lay a rotund, snoring man dressed in a tailcoat. He awoke with a start, gradually rising to his feet as he scratched his plump behind. He looked at Kaito and the children. When he saw the man's face, Kaito was startled. Covering the man's face was a bone-like white crow mask. \"Weeeeeeeeeeeelcome, boys and girls, to your very own Grand Guignol!\" The man's grating voice cracked as he shouted with over-the-top enthusiasm. Kaito broke out in a cold sweat. The man was cheerful, eerie, and revolting. Every instinct in Kaito's body screamed in fear, calling to his attention one fact. This man was probably a demon. There was no way Kaito could deal with him alone. But unfortunately, Elisabeth wasn't here. \"Whoa, hold up... You didn't tell me I'd get stuck with the real deal, Elisabeth.\" \"You all are the audience, you all are the scriptwriters, and you all are the actors. So I imploooore you: Enjoy yourselves to your heart's content. You may try to escape this annex, if you so desire. But only the last one standing will be saved, you seeEEeeeEee. Until then, I don't even mind if you all thin out the numbers on your owwwWwwwWWwn.\" His voice cracked even more. Once he finished speaking, he fell back and collapsed. But before they'd had time to think about the meaning of his words, a single crow descended from the wire. Kaito's eyes widened. The crow spread its wings as it swooped down, revealing a wingspan about the length of an adult man. It flew down to meet them. The wind pressure created by its wings was considerable, and, unable to endure it, Kaito had to close his eyes. When he did, he heard a scream from close by. \"No, no, n\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039!\" The boy in front of Kaito had been snatched up. Clutching the boy in its talons, the crow carried him up toward the roof. It then approached the arches at the sides of the ceiling. Focusing on the arches, Kaito could see spears sticking out of the wall. But...why? As if to answer Kaito's question, the crow impaled the boy on a spike. Like a shrike skewering its prey, the bird gored the boy through the stomach and left him to hang from the ceiling. After letting out a gut-wrenching shriek, his body bent backward at a sharp angle and resembled a curled shrimp. He then started convulsing and coughing up a huge amount of foamy blood. All the while, his chest continued heaving. Kaito lost his voice in shock. He hadn't noticed them at first due to being distracted by the crows, but a number of children decorated the ceiling like lab specimens. They'd long since lost the will to scream. They simply writhed in agony, skewered alive in ceaseless torment. Kaito felt a bead of sweat travel across his forehead. My immortality means nothing here. If he got trapped up there, he was done for. A mass of crows took flight. The children froze in terror. Kaito screamed. \"Everyone! R\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039n\u00e2\u20ac\u2039!\u00e2\u20ac\u2039\" As if his voice had broken a spell, the children all began moving at once. Kaito knew that, like it or not, the curtain had risen on a fresh hell. Some of the children were wrestling with the door to the underground passage. But it was locked firmly. \"That's not going to work; just give it up and run!\" Kaito called out to the boy who was pounding on the door and sobbing, then he took off running with the rest of the children. Someone pushed Melanie, and she fell over. Amid the chaos, Kaito grabbed her pale hand. \"Melanie, this way!\" \"Sir Kaito!\" \"No, help! I want my mommy. I want my m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039y\u00e2\u20ac\u2039!\" A crow had seized the demi-human girl in front of Kaito by the shoulder. Acting fast, Kaito grabbed her leg as it dangled in midair. Her body stretched, and she waved her arms helplessly as snot and tears streamed from her face. \"Help, help, get it off me, it hurts, get it off me, don't let go, I want my mommy, I want my mommy!\" \"Just hang in there!\" Kaito swung the girl's leg from side to side as hard as he could. The crow dug its talons in deep, and the girl let out a high-pitched scream. Then the crow collided with one of its neighbors, and just as Kaito had hoped, it released its hold on her. \"Rgh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Kaito barely managed to catch the falling demi-human girl, then he took off at a run alongside Melanie. His shoulder grew wet with the girl's tears. Around them, children were being snatched up one by one. Fluttering black feathers filled his vision, and heartrending wails assaulted his ears. Droplets of blood rained from the ceiling to add to the chaos. No matter how hard the children cried and screamed, nobody came to save them. They were left to drown in their hopelessness. His stomach churned, and Kaito felt like he was going to vomit. He spat a single word from the bottom of his heart. *** With Melanie and the demi-human in tow, Kaito slipped into the forest's shade. Beneath the patchwork of trees, the branches afforded them temporary reprieve from the crows' line of sight. It seemed the demon had placed the trees there to prolong the game. Revolting as it was, Kaito was thankful for that particular gimmick. After inspecting the wound on the sobbing demi-human girl's shoulder, Kaito turned to Melanie, who was sitting beside him, and ripped the hem of her dress with as much force as he could muster. \"I'm sorry, Melanie, but I'm going to need this!\" \"S-sir Kaito, what exactly are you doing?\" \"Bind her arm, would you? From here to here. I'm counting on you!\" \"Ah, I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI see. I understand. I can do it!\" Clenching her fist, Melanie clumsily stopped the girl's bleeding. As she worked, Kaito peered among the gaps in the tree line to check on the crows. It seemed they hadn't noticed them yet. However, a group of crows grabbed another boy who was cutting through the middle of the room and carried him up to the spikes. \"Dammit...\" Averting his eyes from the horrifying spectacle, Kaito noticed something odd. Stuck in the trees were an ax and a sword, each with a cutesy ribbon tied around them. After a moment, he understood why they were there, and he felt the blood drain from his face. \"Only the last one standing will be saved, you see. Until then, I don't even mind if you all thin out the numbers on your own,\" the demon had said. In other words, the demon wanted them to kill one another. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...This is so fucked up.\" Kaito whispered to himself, his heart full of rage. At the same time, he felt as though a switch inside him had been flipped. What he felt now was the same as the peak anger, hatred, and fear he had felt at times in life, and they acted as a trigger to return him to a state of lucidity. He looked at the weapons again and realized there was no need to let things play out the way the organizer had intended. With these, he might even be able to turn this hopeless situation on its head. \"Hey, Melanie, can I ask you something?\" He called out to Melanie. When she turned to him, her eyes suddenly widened as her attention was captured by something behind him. A chill ran down Kaito's spine. Trusting his intuition, he dived forward. As he did, he heard something slice through the air behind him. \"Hey, you're\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" *** When Kaito turned around, he found himself staring at the red-haired boy his age, one of the other two who'd been at sword-point a bit earlier. The boy was trembling, and he was clutching a long sword in both hands. There was no telling what he'd do. Kaito raised his hands in a gesture of peace, then slowly began talking to the boy. \"C'mon, settle down. Don't fall for the demon's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dour enemy's plan that easily. Why would you believe what the bad guys tell you in a messed-up situation like this?\" \"...Sniff... Hic.\" \"Is there any proof they'll actually rescue you if you're the last one left? Don't focus on killing the rest of us\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfocus on figuring out how to escape and call for help.\" \"Shut up! Nobody's coming to save us!\" The boy suddenly cried out in anger. He waved the sharp sword. Kaito raised his hands again and tried to pacify the boy. \"Settle down, okay? Settle down. Just take a deep breath. What makes you think that?\" \"O-of course nobody's going to save us! My mom told me I should just go die! She told me to die for the rest of the family's sake. She begged me to die. So why would anyone come to help me? Who the hell's going to save us?! And if that's the case... If that's the case, what other choice do I have?!\" \"I see... So that's what's been driving you.\" The boy was on the verge of tears as he spoke, and when Kaito heard his reasoning, he understood. When a person believed there was only one path to survival, they'd take it by any means necessary. Unfortunately, such a path was often paved with regret. After deciding not to think and simply going along with the dirty work thrust upon him, Kaito had ended up getting strangled to death. He didn't think the boy would listen if he tried explaining that now, though. Inching toward the weapons he'd seen earlier, Kaito forced himself to keep talking. \"So you've made up your mind and decided to kill me. But do I really look like I'd go down without a fight?\" \"Shut up! With those fancy clothes you've got there, I bet you've been living on easy street up till now! Can't you just do me a favor and die? Consider it charity!\" \"What kind of idiot would die for someone out of sympathy?! And if I'd been living on easy street, why the hell would I end up here?\" A little farther, and he'd be able to reach the weapon. But the boy had drawn near as well, and he brandished the sword with a warped look on his face. Just as the words Oh no passed through Kaito's mind, he heard the beating of wings. \u00e2\u20ac\u201dCaw! A crow had seen them from the ceiling, and it swooped down. The boy let out a strange squeal and began waving his sword in a panic. Kaito slid past him, well aware of the danger, and grabbed the ax. Glancing between Kaito and the bird, the boy let out a scream of despair. The crow swooped toward the boy. Kaito raised his ax. And with a thunk, Kaito cleaved the crow's head in two. The crow fell to the ground. Kaito brought down the ax again and again. His foe was no normal crow. He had to make sure it was"}, {"text": "dead. If he didn't, he was likely to end up dead himself. He hacked at its guts, knowing full well that it was overkill. Once finished, he turned to the boy, who was cowering in fear on the ground, and raised the bloody ax high. \"See, this is how we should be using these weapons.\" The boy's face scrunched up, and tears began leaking from his eyes. Seeing that he was scaring the boy, Kaito quickly shook his head and lowered the ax. \"The thing is, uh, if we use this ax, we might be able to smash the lock on that door. And the underground passage is narrow, so the crows shouldn't be able to follow us easily. If we make it that far, we have a pretty decent shot at getting out alive. Leaving us these weapons in hopes that we'd kill one another was a big mistake. Let's show 'em that.\" \"...B-but I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Well, don't just stay there all day quivering. Come on; get up. I'm not mad or anything.\" After all, Kaito had already been killed once before. He could overlook a half-hearted attempt. He extended his hand and motioned for the boy to get up. At his lighthearted gesture, the boy finally stopped shaking. Extending a tentative hand, the boy accepted Kaito's help. And then, Kaito and the rest began their counterattack. Grabbing the arm of a beastfolk boy who had been hiding in the forest, a crow gave its wings a strong flap. Kaito sidled up behind the crow, and as he jumped out in front of it, he hacked horizontally at its black wings in a single motion. The crow fell to the ground with a muted thud, and the red-haired boy stabbed it a few times with his sword. Melanie hugged the crying beastfolk boy. Kaito wiped some sweat off his chin and looked over his shoulder. \"Is that everyone?\" Behind him stood the eight children they'd managed to gather while dashing from thicket to thicket. Kaito was disappointed at how few had survived. But he had no time to waste on shock. The group had remained hidden by the shade of the trees and killed each of the crows with a single attack, so the main group of crows hadn't noticed anything unusual yet. Thinking their hunt over, the rest of the crows simply rested on the wire. Now was the group's chance to escape. Kaito pulled a fresh ax and short sword from beneath a tree. The short sword looked easy to handle, so he gave it to the beastfolk boy before crouching down. He looked the rest of the group in the eyes, then whispered his instructions. \"Listen, we're going to make a run for the door. If the crows come after us, just stick to the plan and swing your weapons around like crazy. You don't have to kill them. Just make sure to keep yourselves safe. We're going to survive this. Now go!\" The children in tow, Kaito broke into a dash. The floor they had to cross held no cover, and it felt like it stretched on for eternity. Somehow they managed to cross it and finally closed the gap to the door. Looking behind them, they saw the crows were in hot pursuit. Kaito swung his ax at the door. \"Remember, just do what he said. Spread out from there to there!\" The children fanned out in accordance with the red-haired boy's orders, then began swinging their weapons at the crows. Kaito knew this wouldn't buy much time. Ignoring the pain of the talons scratching at his shoulder, he repeatedly struck the doorknob with his ax. The lock went flying. Surrounded by a torrent of bird cries, he kicked open the door. \"It's open! We can\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Just then, a scream rang out from behind him. He turned to look and saw a scimitar-wielding boy drop his weapon as a crow pecked at his eyes. The crow then grabbed the boy from behind and carried him up high. But the crow's sharp talons caused the boy's shirt to tear, and he fell. His tiny head burst like a melon as it collided with the ground. He died instantly. His vision dyed red with rage, Kaito moved. Sparing no concern for his ragged arm muscles, he hefted his ax and threw it with all his might. The crow had moved on from the boy and made for the other children, but the ax caught it clean in the chest. It slammed into another crow and began spiraling to the ground. Kaito shouted: \"Run!\" The children responded to Kaito's scream and stampeded for the door. The red-haired boy followed after them. As Kaito picked up the scimitar, he sunk the blade deep into another crow's head, then flung its corpse at the rest of the throng. They ascended to avoid the body, and Kaito used that opening to bolt through the door. He then grabbed the brazier from beside the door and threw it at the dead body. The flame spread easily. That should buy them a little more time. The crows flapped their wings to evade the smoke, and Kaito returned through the door. Melanie and the children had already gone ahead. For some reason, though, the red-haired boy was waiting for him. Kaito blinked, then raised his voice. \"Hey, what are you waiting around for? Get a move on!\" \"R-right!\" The red-haired boy started running alongside Kaito. The sound of crows cawing became distant. It seemed the fire had served as a potent deterrent. Kaito prayed that the crows would stay away. The dark corridor was silent save for the echo of their footsteps. The red-haired boy spoke through the aftershocks of the event. \"My... My name is Neue. What's yours, mister?\" \"I'm Kaito. Kaito Sena.\" \"Kaito Sena... I'm sorry, Kaito.\" \"What for?\" \"I tried to kill you. I said that you'd been living on easy street.\" \"Don't worry about it. Anything I heard in that messed-up situation is already a distant memory.\" \"But you were so much calmer than the rest of us, and you saved us by killing those crows. You're amazing. How were you so bra\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" Neue was suddenly silent. The two of them looked over their shoulders. They could feel some kind of hideous presence behind them. There was a strange rustling noise, and they could see a black shape squirming around. A vertical line of insect eyes emitted a sinister glow. Eight thick legs scratched at the rocky walls. A massive spider was standing behind them. Upon closer inspection, it was blanketed by a thick coat of crow feathers, and its mouth extended into a sharp beak. Kaito realized why the crows had stopped chasing them. Being naive enough to think the fire served as any sort of diversion could very well have gotten them killed. The crows had understood how disadvantaged they were in the narrow underground corridor and so coalesced, then they mutated into the spider now bearing down on them. The spider spat out a thread. Kaito reflexively blocked with his scimitar. The very next moment, the scimitar went flying backward. It slammed into the spider, but the blade found no hold and simply slid along its thick feathers. The spider let out a frustrated roar and shot out more thread. Neue was right in the line of fire, and his face contorted in fear. Kaito saw some of his old self in that expression. The boy in front of him had been ordered to die by his own parent, then cast into a desperate situation without an ounce of hope. Unable to help himself, Kaito gave in. With a sigh, he thrust out his left arm. The spider's thread wrapped around his wrist. Kaito immediately snatched Neue's sword from him. Based on its texture, the thread was likely as strong as steel. Giving up on cutting it, Kaito elected to instead lop off his own hand. With a dissatisfied cry, the spider reeled in the thread and began feasting on the hand with eerily non-insect movements. The pain fired sparks through his brain. But Kaito was more than familiar with pain, and on top of that, his body was immortal. He could deal with this much. After all, if he didn't, he would die. He returned the sword to Neue, then firmly applied pressure to his wrist as he started running again. Tears welled up in Neue's eyes as he ran beside him. \"Why would you do something like that? Why?! What reason did you have?!\" \"Don't worry about it. I'm already dead.\" \"What?! Are you stupid or something?\" \"Wow, rude. The thing is, I'm not originally from this world.\" \"What are you talking about?\" \"Don't worry about it\u00e2\u20ac\u201djust listen. My dad worked me to the bone back in my old world, and eventually he murdered me like I was little more than garbage. It was a pretty shitty life. Just when I thought it was all over, the Tortur\u00e2\u20ac\u201der, I guess you'd call her a sorcerer\u00e2\u20ac\u201d She summoned me and shoved my soul into this fake body.\" His tongue oddly loosened, Kaito found himself oversharing. The spider had finished eating Kaito's hand, bones and all, and it began shooting thread again. Neue brought the sword to his chest to protect himself. But this caused the sword to be wrapped in thread and snatched away by the spider. Seeing his face stiffen, Kaito sighed and made a decision. He didn't want to do this. But if it was the only card he had left to play, then he would play it. He took a deep breath, then gave Neue an order. \"I'm just some random dead guy. The next time the spider shoots its thread, you need to escape while it eats me.\" \"Again, what are you talking about?! You really are an idiot!\" \"Again, rude. Sure, I'll die if it eats me completely, but it's not like I even wanted to be brought back to life in the first place. This is the end for me. If only one of us can survive, it should be the guy who hasn't died yet, right?\" Kaito looked at Neue, who suddenly seemed to him rather young. Neue looked back at him, his eyes watery with tears. This was the way to go. Kaito was satisfied that he was making the right choice. Crying children didn't deserve to be in a place like this. And Kaito hadn't shed a single tear. \"You haven't died yet, so the world is your oyster. Good luck.\" Kaito made his cheerful declaration. As the spider let out a hideous cry, Kaito bit his lip. He really was afraid to die a second time. The fear he'd lost bubbled back up inside him. The pain of his desire to cling to life was unbearable. But he had no other choice. He exhaled softly. He was going to die saving someone who reminded him of his old self. And in doing so, he would become the kind of hero he had always hoped would save him. If he thought about it that way, at least the absurd bonus chapter of his life would have a meaningful conclusion. As Kaito reflected on his decision with satisfaction, the spider shot its thread. He made no attempt to dodge. And then it happened. \"...Huh?\" Neue shoved Kaito aside with a thud. The thread wrapped its way around Neue's slim back. Kaito looked up from the ground, dumbfounded. He stretched his hand out to Neue as a stupid question made its way across his lips. \"Wh-why?\" \"Huh, I wonder.\" Neue himself was unsure, and his voice was pure confusion. The spider reeled in the thread. The next moment, Neue's face froze up as he whispered. \"I guess...I was just hoping you could find happiness in this world.\" Kaito swore under his breath. Neue gave a pained smile, and then he was taken. A horrible scream rang out. Kaito scrambled"}, {"text": "to his feet. The spider could be heard tearing into something ravenously. Not wanting to understand what those sounds meant, Kaito charged at the spider. But as he heard the crunch of a collarbone being snapped, his thoughts were painted over with rage and hatred, returning him to a strange state of lucidity. He stopped, then muttered in a monotone. \"Ah......... I guess there's no use trying to save a dead man.\" The next instant, he turned on his heel and ran. He was calm enough that it surprised even himself. His face was expressionless. But the fire in his eyes gradually roared to life. He voiced a single thought again and again, almost in a groan. \"I'm gonna kill that thing. I'm gonna kill that thing. I'm gonna crush it. I'm gonna kill it, kill it, kill it, kill it.\" His voice dripping with bloodlust, he continued his retreat. If the spider caught him here, Neue's sacrifice would have been for nothing. He wouldn't let Neue die in vain. That was the sole thought that propelled him as he ran. The door at the other end of the passage eventually came into view. He'd expected the hidden door to be locked as well, so he'd given one of the older children an ax. After this much time had passed, they should have been able to break it down. Kaito narrowed his eyes. The door was completely unmarred. Maybe it hadn't been locked after all. As doubts crossed his mind, the door swung open, and from it, a poppy-red dress appeared. Beyond the door stood Melanie. Calling in a sweet voice, she ran to him as fast as her legs could carry her. \"Sir Kaito!\" \"Melanie?! Wait, don't come this way! You have to run!\" Ignoring his warnings, Melanie wrapped him in an embrace. She twined her soft arms around his neck. Her pink lips hung alongside his ear, and she let out a sweet breath as she started to whisper. Before she could, though, the door burst open once more. A vivid color ran across Kaito's field of vision. It was a dress far redder than Melanie's, a dress that had once been snow-white. \"Oh, if it isn't Kaito!\" The voice that rang out was so indifferent to the situation, it seemed out of place. There stood Elisabeth, drenched in blood and energetically waving at him. \"Why, I was just thinking of coming to meet you, so this turn of events is rather convenient. Quite sensible of you to come on your own... Oh? You're covered in blood, I see... And on the verge of dying from blood loss, by the looks of it. You seem to have dropped your hand somewhere. Was it the removable type? At any rate, I'd best bind the wound with chains...... Is that a bug? Ahhh! It most certainly is a bug! I despise bugs! Spiders are most unpleasant!\" Elisabeth jumped a little as she peered behind Kaito. As she landed, the ground around her feet burst with darkness and crimson flower petals. They spiraled toward the ceiling, then formed a large hole over the spider's head. A massive, thorn-laden weight appeared from the hole. The weight whirred as it fell and then slammed down on the spider, crushing it. \"Squish it!\" Elisabeth raised a fist. Her attack was so ludicrous, it almost made Kaito want to complain. She'd squished that terrifying spider as easily as one might squish a cockroach with a slipper. His wrist was now bound by a chain\u00e2\u20ac\u201da rather crude way to stop the blood loss\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand he opened his mouth wide. Melanie clutched at his jacket as though in terror. A heavy silence fell among them, which Elisabeth broke while tilting her head. \"So what happened here?\" At that moment, Kaito felt something inside him release. Elisabeth's overwhelming strength, as well as her almost nostalgic carefree demeanor, allowed him to finally relax his nerves, which had been pushed to the limit. He rattled off to Elisabeth everything that had happened. \"Oh, Elisabeth. There was a demon in the annex, and he was like, 'Welcome, boys and girls, to your very own Grand Guignol! You all are the audience, you all are the scriptwriters, and you all are the actors. So I implore you: Enjoy yourselves to your heart's content.' And then there were these crows...\" \"Is that so, I see, ah, mm-hmm, is that so, oh.\" Kaito was in a tizzy, and the words spilled from his mouth like a flood. He ended up including a number of unnecessary details. He couldn't tell if she was listening, as she simply nodded along with a dodgy expression and began walking before he'd even finished speaking. She held both hands behind her head as she walked through the doorway. Passing through the hall, she headed for the right-hand corridor. She then continued unabated, entering a passage marked for servants. Embracing Melanie's quivering arms, Kaito followed after her. \"Elisabeth, are you listening to me? I said, the demon's in the ann\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Behold, Kaito!\" Elisabeth stopped in front of an open door. Looking inside, Kaito saw a kitchen. Atop a cutting board was a noble-looking girl, her dainty dress stained in blood and her ribs savagely removed. Beside her lay a man with a bull's head wearing a chef's coat, his groin split in half by a saw. A demon's underling disguised as a chef. His death was no doubt Elisabeth's handiwork. \"Just as the Butcher said, the dead girl's body is missing some bits. Apparently, those of noble bearing taste better than common folk. They dine on the nobles and play with the commoners. After playing with you and the rest of the common children, no doubt he intended to enjoy dinner up here in the main building. Ah, how luxurious.\" Elisabeth nodded approvingly. Kaito clenched his fists. The rage and bloodlust within him had been validated once more. Oblivious to his fury, Elisabeth turned to Kaito and shrugged. \"The fools tried to eat me, and though killing them and making them divulge the location of that hidden door was entertaining, there were so many that some of them were able to flee into the courtyard. Chasing them down was quite the affair.\" \"Elisabeth, I understand why it took you so long to get to me. But I don't give a shit about that. We have to get to the annex. I need you to kill that demon for me.\" \"Oh-ho, well, aren't you fired up? Your wrist... Those who don't fear pain are few and far between. But Kaito...why is it that you possess the resolve to sever your own wrist and the experience of walking through that bloodbath, yet you are blind to the truth right before your very eyes?\" \"What do you mean?\" Instead of responding to his question, Elisabeth began walking. She left the kitchen, made her way down the corridor, and stopped in the center of the main hall. All the nonunderling staff must have fled, because the castle was deathly silent. Her dark hair swayed beneath the glimmering chandelier light as she looked back over her shoulder. \"It seems the demon here torments people not simply for power but because he enjoys it even more than our friend the Knight did. He takes pleasure in their pain and their screams. But aside from the Grand Guignol, it seems his interests run even deeper. So think. What is the most elaborate form of despair, the form that a twisted man like him would find the most delightful?\" Kaito had no idea what Elisabeth was talking about. But he suddenly recalled the time when his father was strangling him. He'd kept Kaito in a state of dehydration, then given him water. And just when Kaito thought he'd been saved, his father killed him. The deepest form of despair was to think you'd found salvation only to have your hopes crushed right in front of you. \"...He gives people hope, and just when they think they've been saved, he snatches it away.\" \"Precisely! Once there are two left, and the only one left to kill before becoming the 'last one standing' is a frail little girl, any child would think that survival was well within their grasp\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand naught could be more invigorating than killing them right then and there! Of course, your actions posed a flaw in that plan, but I imagine the demon had a good deal of fun nonetheless. Nary a single child managed to escape, after all.\" Understanding her answer, Kaito closed his eyes. The hall was silent. No children could be heard anywhere. Shaking his head, Kaito took a few steps away from Melanie, the sole survivor. When they'd fled from that deadly game, what monster's mouth had the children disappeared into? \"And on that note, I doubt you enjoyed assuming such a frail form, even if only temporarily, however...\" Elisabeth smiled affectionately as she gazed as Melanie's face. But when she questioned the trembling girl, her voice was rife with contempt. \"...Why would an earl's daughter be selected as a plaything and not as an ingredient?\" At that, the poppy-red dress swelled up like a sarcoma. The sweet little girl's insides transformed into a mass of meat and cloth, and as her skin tore, it began leaking out like pus. From within appeared a naked man with spider legs and strange white skin, his body covered in crow feathers. The fat, bald man clacked his crow beak. After looking at the grotesque colossus and clucking her tongue at his spider legs, Elisabeth stroked her chin. \"The man downstairs is no doubt an underling or an imitator of some sort. So having lost your human form, you can even transform into a young girl, eh...? Although given that young boys were to be killed as well, perhaps you simply enjoy wearing girls' clothes. Ah, how unpleasant. And though you possess the human title of 'marquis,' the demon you fused with is none other than the Earl. And here I'd come expecting a decent fight.\" \"Who cares? Just kill that thing already.\" \"What's this, now? You've been acting rather oddly, haven't you? What, do you have a grudge or some such?\" \"You're damn right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI'll do anything you ask. Just make his death as painful as possible.\" Kaito repeated himself. Bloodlust bubbled up from deep within his heart. His being the sole survivor was too cruel of a joke for him to handle. The Earl had killed the rest of the children. Kaito couldn't allow him to live. Even though he'd just been rescued, he wouldn't mind throwing his life away if it meant a chance to kill the Earl. He couldn't bear letting him live. \"...Ha.\" In place of a response, Elisabeth laughed. The next moment, she kicked him, and when he fell over, she planted a foot firmly on his back. There was so much force in her foot, he was afraid his spine would snap. \"Rgh!\" \"Do not think for a moment that you can give orders to your master, you cur. Your words do not change the fact that this man is my prey. With or without your request, I aim to make his life my plaything.\" Elisabeth spoke coldly, then sent Kaito flying with a brutal kick to his stomach. As he landed near the wall, he spewed up a mixture of blood and vomit. Elisabeth turned to face the Earl. \"My servant's manners are lacking. But now, we can proceed without interruption.\" She raised her arms majestically. The darkness and crimson petals swirled through the air, enveloping her body. After the darkness dispersed and the petals fluttered to the floor, she was clad in her usual black bondage dress. Her slender fingers grasped the handle of the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. Placing a hand over her half-exposed chest, she gave the Earl a noble bow and offered her own announcement. \"Welcome to my very own Grand Guignol. For I am the"}, {"text": "audience, I am the scriptwriter, and I am the actor. I have no intention of letting you enjoy yourself in the slightest. I shall make you squeal like a pig and writhe like a caterpillar.\" After making her grandiose declaration, she swung her sword. Chains appeared out of thin air and traveled to savage the place the Earl had been a moment prior. But the Earl's eight spider legs allowed him to dodge them easily. He leaped back, felling chandeliers in his wake. He exerted his pale, naked body, and crow feathers began shooting forth from it. At the same time, he shot spider thread out of his mouth. Countless attacks rained down on Elisabeth. \"Ha! Too weak; too slow!\" Elisabeth ran about, nimbly avoiding the projectiles. The ceiling and floor became riddled with holes, but Elisabeth didn't have so much as a scratch on her. Even so, she didn't seem to have any openings to launch a counterattack. No new chains were summoned. Noticing this, the Earl laughed with a sneer, and his attacks surged like a wave. He had yet to notice the darkness and crimson flower petals coalescing at his feet and above his head. Suddenly, the floor and ceiling made loud gong noises and began squeezing him. Or, to be more specific, the gargantuan, flat stones that burst out from them did. The Earl was pressed between two large stone slabs. A golden rod that looked like a barrel organ's handle protruded from their center. Kaito noticed Elisabeth sitting down by the pole's grip. She turned to the blinking Earl, who had yet to comprehend the situation he was in, and beamed at him. \"The Wheel of Death. I squished your familiar, you know\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut you, perhaps, I'll take my time shaving down.\" Grr, grr, grr. The round stones made an ominous noise as they began rotating. As she spun the handle, the slabs turned like wheels. One turned to the left, and the other turned right. The Earl's body was being audibly scraped away. Feathers tore off in time with the rotating, and his pale, flabby flesh began to chafe. Blood, fat, and flesh began dripping onto the floor. The Earl let out a bloodcurdling scream. His beak went flying across the room, and the human mouth it had been covering quivered in pain and fear. His earlobes tore, and his temporal muscles began being flattened. He cried out in desperation. *** \"What is it, O Earl? Ah, your voice is as unpleasant as a pig's squeal. Can you not retain a little of your dignity and have the decency to caw like a crow?\" \"I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI can make you a deal! I can make you a deeeeeeal!\" \"H\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039m\u00e2\u20ac\u2039?\u00e2\u20ac\u2039\" The wheels clicked as they came to a stop. Kaito's eyes burned fiercely, and his voice was low. \"...We're not going to take any deal you have to offer.\" \"I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI heard that when you finish hunting the thirteen demonsh, y-you'll be burned at the shtake. I-if you leave m-me alive, you, you won't have to die, either. Am I wrong? Our goalsh are in alignment. P-pleash don't kill me.\" His face was caught by the sides, and the Earl's vertical mouth drooled spit and blood as he made his plea. Elisabeth muttered \"I see\" to herself, then she hopped down from the handle. She smiled sweetly to the unseemly creature between the wheels. Shivering in fear, the Earl pitifully returned her smile. \"You imbecile!\" Grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind, grind. With a sharp roar, the wheels began turning again. Waving his limbs frantically, the Earl let out an incomprehensible scream. But those arms were plucked from his sides, and his shoulders were shaved flat. He was crushed like a nut. The blood pooling on the ground grew more and more viscous. Her eyes glowed with absolute coldness, and Elisabeth looked down at the man. \"Despots are killed, tyrants are hung, and slaughterers are slaughtered. Such is the way of the world. The demise of torturers should be garnished with their own screams as they sink to Hell with no chance for salvation. Only at such a time is a torturer's life truly complete. Yet, you tortured, not understanding that in the slightest? You embarrass yourself, Earl.\" Elisabeth's voice was thick with hate and indignation. Kaito had never seen her display such bald-faced rage. With a loud gong, the two wheels finally lay on top of each other. Blood oozed from the crack between them. They'd finished crushing the Earl, and Elisabeth placed a foot on them as she murmured. \"You and I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwe are fated to die, forsaken by all of creation.\" She softly lifted her foot. As she did, the pool of blood transformed into black feathers. They whirled into the air, stopped for a moment, then drifted to the floor. They fell silently and beautifully, like so many black snowflakes, and Kaito clenched his fists as he watched them. \"...Hey, what about the kids up on the spikes in the rafters? Weren't some of them still alive?\" \"If they were, the Earl was merely keeping them alive with magic. They would have died along with him.\" \"...I see...\" \"What's the matter? 'Tis much more preferable than an eternity of suffering.\" Elisabeth sighed, seeming bored. Kaito looked at her in a daze. Once, Elisabeth had carried out the same atrocities the demons were conducting now. Yet, somehow, she seemed fundamentally different from them. At the very least, Kaito saw a large gulf between the two. He stood up, ignoring the pain, and called out to her. \"Thanks for that, Elisabeth.\" \"Why thank me? I merely did with him as I pleased. To thank me for such an act surpasses buffoonery and strays into the realm of misunderstanding, does it not?\" \"You're going to die after you kill the thirteen demons, right? But you killed him anyway.\" \"I care little about that. And I certainly didn't do it for you. After I've tormented the thirteen demons, or, in short, the last thirteen victims the Church has officially permitted me to torture, I shall think little of death. The people suffered many casualties to capture me, so if they desire my death, then burning alive is my duty.\" She clicked her heels, then began walking. Her black dress fluttered as she spoke. \"Having lived the cruel and haughty life of a wolf, I shall die like a lowly sow.\" Elisabeth grew distant. She muttered in a low voice. \"...For that is the choice I made.\" Kaito, left alone, stared off into space. The black feathers caressed his face, as if grieving. He thought of Neue and of the other dead children. He'd been the only one to survive. The end of their prison break was so tragic, it was almost laughable. But no matter how much he lamented it, reality cruelly refused to change. Because he'd survived, he supposed there was something he needed to do. Recalling Neue's last words, he spoke quietly to himself. \"Don't know how much luck I'm gonna have finding happiness in this world, though.\" But he would do everything he could. Clutching the stump of his wrist, he strode forth. As he did, one of the falling feathers burst into blue flame. One by one, the rest of the feathers followed suit. Eventually, the blue flames took to the castle as well. That place had been home to countless deaths. As the flames lapped at the stone walls, it almost seemed as though they were in mourning. 3 Treasury Hunt The wild deer liver saut\u00c3\u00a9 with raisin marinade went flying across the room. Kaito held up a silver tray to protect himself from the rain of food. He then skillfully blocked the knife that followed after it. It made a clang as it bounced off the tray. \"I. Keep. Telling you. Stop throwing the food!\" This manner of exchange had been going on for about two weeks now. He was more than used to it. It alarmed him how acclimated he was. At any rate, he finished blocking the attacks and fastened his gaze on the culprit. Elisabeth. She had planted one foot on the table, and she was pressing down on her trembling brow with her index finger. The wineglass beside her that he'd so faithfully prepared was on its side. Magnificent tears welled up in her eyes as she shouted. \"It's vile! The sweetness and sourness of the raisin marinade... The liver that manages to fill the mouth with the taste of blood despite being dry as a bone... Both flavors combine so poorly, I'm convinced you have a gift for vile cuisine!\" \"It is with great honor that I accept your compliment.\" \"That was no compliment!\" She threw her fork at him. In an impressive show of aim, the fork flew just a few inches above the tray and buried itself in Kaito's forehead. He yanked it out. Blood spurted from the wound. \"Miss Elisabeth, O Miss Elisabeth. I appear to be bleeding.\" \"Why should I care?! A servant of mine should be able to plug a hole of that severity with willpower alone.\" \"Not sure how far willpower's gonna get me.\" Kaito pressed down on his wound and sighed. In truth, wounds of this caliber no longer fazed him. He'd been used to pain from the get-go, after all, and after having his lost hand replaced and reattached, he didn't sweat the little things anymore. People really could get used to anything. Yet even so, his cooking refused to improve. When it came to food, Kaito's specialties were borderline nonexistent. Because of this, he simply couldn't come to terms with Elisabeth's incessant anger in the slightest. At this point, he had more or less given up on trying to improve. Yet for some reason, Elisabeth still had expectations of him, and her disappointment seemed to grow by the day. \"I no longer harbor hope for your cooking. As such, you need not make dinner tonight.\" It was after she'd sampled his second attempt at a salted, grilled heart that she'd moved to the throne room and finally given up on him. The clear blue sky peered through the crudely fashioned hole behind her. The Knight's beast had smashed one of the walls, and she'd seen fit to simply leave it that way. Yet, she seemed to favor the room nonetheless, continuing to use it despite the damage. She had repositioned the throne, though, and she rested her cheeks in her hands as she sat upon it. Her expression looked like she was harboring a headache as she turned to the waiting Kaito. She pointed to a door he was unfamiliar with. \"In exchange, I order you to spend today hunting through the Treasury.\" \"The Treasury?\" As Kaito parroted her words, Elisabeth stomped on the stone floor. In the middle of the room, a spiral of darkness and crimson flower petals flared up like a bonfire. It converged on a single point, engraving a blazing rectangle in the stone as it disappeared. It left behind a black door. The door swung open from inside like clockwork. Beyond the door lay a spiral staircase. Considering the layout of the castle, it seemed odd for a spiral staircase to be below the throne room, but given that he'd just seen a door appear out of thin air, he realized that voicing that particular thought would be rather foolish. He decided to be impressed. \"Huh, I didn't know the castle had a place like this.\" \"Indeed it does. A thought crossed my mind after the affair with the Earl the other day. Your cooking is worse than pig feed, but your purin is rather tasty, and your ability to stay rational under pressure and the fearlessness you regard me with are not without value. And when you air the sheets, your face flushes with amusing displeasure. In following, I have decided to grant you a weapon to use in"}, {"text": "the event you find yourself facing off against a demon on your own. You may select one item from the Treasury\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhatever you deem useful. No matter what it may be, I shall grant it to you.\" \"Er... I guess I should say that I'm happy and grateful?\" \"As an aside, the place I call the Treasury is, in truth, a magical space. I took everything that once resided in the castle in my hometown, moved it all here, and tossed it in. The objects down there have been steeped in hatred and bitter memories, so mind what you touch. Some of them will kill you.\" \"Wait, this is just another form of harassment!\" \"Silence! Cease your whining and be off already!\" The kick that followed was both precise and accurate, and Kaito went flying like a toy ball. He was, once again, the very image of a cartoon character as he rolled through the door. With exquisite timing, the door slammed shut behind him. He tried pulling and pushing on it, but as he suspected, it didn't budge. His path of retreat had been cut off. Surely even cruelty had to have its limits. At the moment, the spiral staircase in front of him seemed to be commanding him to advance. The rectangular steps hung floating at fixed intervals, gently curving their way below through the dim light. He looked down, but all he could see were steps going on seemingly forever. A tepid wind blew up from the depths. He couldn't even tell whether or not there was a floor beyond all those stairs. \"...You've gotta be kidding me.\" Kaito reflexively grumbled as he peered down the series of stairs that had no railing to speak of. Despair began creeping into his heart. But he shook his head and reevaluated his situation. Well, it's true that Elisabeth usually has a point to the things she says. He would need a weapon if he was going to fight more demons. If he'd had one before, he might have been able to manage a better fight against the crows and the spider. And there was no guarantee he wouldn't end up in a similar situation again. He didn't want to make the same mistake a second time around. Never again. And if that meant hunting through this magical space, then so be it. \"I guess I don't have a choice.\" Kaito faced the stairs, which could very well lead to the depths of Hell, and steeled himself. He spread his arms wide for balance. The clack, clack of his footsteps echoed against the darkness below as he began his descent. He'd expected the darkness surrounding him to continue on forever and was surprised to find that not to be the case. As he walked, rubbish gradually began appearing beside the stairs. A massive birdcage and iron maiden appeared in the gloom, followed by a hanging rack and a wooden horse with no sense of rhyme or reason to their order. As the torture devices glowed faintly in the dark, it became apparent that each bore grisly traces of use. The iron maiden's chest was caked with dried blood, and the spikes sticking out of the birdcage were discolored with chunks of meat and fat. Kaito realized something as he looked at the rusty tools. Unlike their magical counterparts that Elisabeth summoned, these were real. The ones Elisabeth conjured up were always unused. No doubt she had the ability to summon them without limit, each free of rust or fat. So why is this place full of their mundane counterparts? \"Beats me.\" Tilting his head in confusion, Kaito continued on. He suddenly found that the stairs had disappeared and his path was flat again. As this space was throwing off his sense of balance, he had no idea when the change had occurred. The stone floor just looked like a larger step, and he continued down its seemingly endless span. The items around him became even more disorganized. There was a gem the size of his fist, a round pot covered in three-dimensional bee ornaments, and a barrel of vintage rum. There was a tiger's pelt. There was ivory. A broken chandelier. Some kind of small mummy. There was a bronze ax, an iron sword, and a silver spear. He pulled out the splendid-looking sword from the vase it rested in, then found himself stumbling backward. \"This one's no good; it's too heavy... And it looks like the ax and the spear are, too.\" It seemed that the weapons the Earl had prepared were chosen such that children could easily wield them. However, the weapons in the Treasury were designed for hardened soldiers and knights. They didn't seem to offer any sort of magical assistance, either. As Kaito had never undergone any manner of training, he doubted he'd be able to use them to any degree of effectiveness. He heaved the sword aside. It landed with a clang, then sunk into a pile of gold coins that resembled an ant-lion pit. Turning his eyes from the riches, he continued walking forward. But the farther he walked, the less weapon-like the objects around him became. A comfortable-looking rocking chair. A sewed piece of embroidery. A painting of a deep forest. \"...Huh?\" Suddenly, Kaito's shoe hit something soft. He looked down and saw a teddy bear with cotton protruding from its chest. As he examined the space, he realized he was surrounded by children's toys. Apparently, he'd reached the stratum containing items Elisabeth had owned in her early childhood. As evidence that they'd been hers, the stuffed animals' chests were ripped open, and the dolls were all beheaded. The cross sections of wood, porcelain, and cotton were pitiful to look at. \"I guess she's been into that kinda thing for a while, huh.\" Kaito muttered dejectedly. They say that people never change, but this wasn't adorable in the slightest. He almost flung the teddy bear away in his annoyance but, feeling sorry for it, gently set it back on its table. As he was about to resume walking, a hollow voice rang out from far away. \"Elisa......beth... Eli...sa...beth...... Sa......beth...\" \"Who's there?\" Kaito froze in his tracks. The next moment, a man's deep voice coiled around him like a serpent. \"Elisabeth... Elisabeth... My darling daughter... Elisabeth... My\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" The voice was incredibly creepy. It had the hollow quality of wind blowing through trees yet at the same time seemed almost hot as it coiled around his skin. Kaito felt that if he listened for too long, his eardrums\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand eventually his brain\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwould dissolve. \"What...is that?\" Driven by an intense, visceral disgust, Kaito took a step back. The voice grew louder, as though it were pursuing him. Kaito broke into a run, instinctively trying to shake off the voice. But as if refusing to let him escape, the voice pursued him with strange tenacity. \"Elisabeth... Elisabeth... My darling daughter... Elisabeth... My\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Hey, what the hell is going on?\" No matter how far he got, the voice kept coming. He looked around for a way to escape, then spotted something. Behind the pile of broken toys, reminiscent of a mountain of corpses, was a door. It looked almost as though the toys were soldiers, protecting it. Willing to try anything, Kaito grabbed the knob and turned. The door swung open, but behind it was not light but an even deeper darkness. After he passed through the door, Kaito felt his eyes widen. He was standing in the middle of an unfamiliar room. \"...Huh?\" Dumbfounded, Kaito surveyed his surroundings. This was clearly a child's room. The rectangular walls were covered with wallpaper adorned with a dull yellow floral design, and beside the window were cute confectionary-like plaster sculptures. The furniture was all white, and atop a beautiful chest of drawers with metal handles sat a group of dolls and stuffed animals. There was a four-poster bed, too, with pearl-gray sheets and a heavy mattress no doubt stuffed with down. Sitting on the bed was a young girl wearing a negligee atop a pile of blankets. Her chest was stained in the sticky red shade of blood. She struck a gaunt figure, her wispy veins visible beneath her pale skin. Her long hair was no doubt once beautiful, but at the moment it was devoid of luster and the tips were all tangled together. While her round eyes and shapely nose seemed almost sculpted, those hollow eyes lacked anything resembling vitality. And her thin lips were stained with the ghastly remains of what appeared to be bloody vomit. Upon seeing that familiar face darkened by the specter of death, Kaito gulped. There was no mistaking it. This girl was Elisabeth's younger self. Oh man... I definitely wasn't supposed to see this. Realizing that, Kaito began backing away slowly. He continued doing so until he crossed the threshold of the door he had entered. Once he'd passed through completely, the scene in front of him shimmered like a bowl of still water that had been disturbed, and then it vanished. All that remained were the mountain of broken toys and the door in their midst. It seemed that he had managed to escape the Nursery. Kaito looked around and breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the Treasury. But the haunting voice returned to assault his ears again. No time to process what he'd just seen, Kaito spun around and made a run for it. He ran with no rhyme or reason, desperately trying to flee from the phantom Elisabeth and the male voice incessantly calling for her. Cut it out; cut it out... I didn't want to know about any of this! Kaito had no desire to learn about that playful yet proud woman's past. And these were memories she'd likely rather not share, giving him all the more reason not to go peeking. He held little affection for her, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he was committing an act of betrayal. Elisabeth Le Fanu was both a proud wolf and a lowly sow. The unflinching woman who'd introduced herself as such seemed completely different from that frail little girl. Seeing her like that was not something for Kaito, as her servant, to do unbidden. After running with that sole thought in mind, Kaito found himself in a new location, one with an entirely different ambiance. \"Huff...huff, huff... Where am I?\" Blocking Kaito's path was a tall stone wall. As he inspected it, he discovered that it was constructed rather oddly\u00e2\u20ac\u201dout of tightly packed stone cubes. The wall stretched out in both directions. It seemed endless, as though he'd reached the edge of the world. Then Kaito noticed something. \"Wh-what's that?\" For some reason, a circular section of the wall was illuminated. Kaito approached it warily. Iron shackles stuck out of the wall at the lit-up section. Bound by them, like merchandise in a shop display, was a naked woman. \"What the hell?\" Kaito stood, stupefied. He had to look a few times to be certain of it. But sure enough, there was a beautiful silver-haired girl bound to the wall by her wrists. Her chest was ample, and her proportions were well balanced. Yet, she had been heartlessly cast aside. For some reason, when Kaito looked at her, he felt like something was out of place. But in any case, he couldn't exactly keep staring at a naked woman. He would just as soon avoid being taken for a lecher. Ignoring his conflicting feelings, Kaito looked away. He resorted to timid sidelong glances to confirm her condition. The silver-haired girl just sat there, unmoving, her head cast down. \"Hey, are you okay? Hello? Hey, you.\" He tried talking to her, but she didn't reply. He had no way of knowing why she was imprisoned, and as such was at an impasse as to what to do. But given Elisabeth's personality, it seemed unlikely for her to take a demon prisoner. Kaito found it unlikely that this girl was"}, {"text": "an enemy. And even if she was an enemy, at least he'd be the only one to fall victim. Also, if he left, there was no guarantee he would ever be able to find his way back here. He would rather regret having saved her than regret not being able to. With all that in mind, Kaito decided to undo her restraints. He checked nearby, but he didn't see anything that looked handy for that purpose. He did, however, notice a small leather bag tied around her ankle. Her arms were bound, so she herself was unable to reach it. What a cruel placement. Kaito took the bag and looked inside. He flipped it over, and out fell a key and a piece of parchment. Taking the key, he undid her handcuffs. Her arms slumped feebly to her sides. Even with her freedom restored, she didn't seem to have any intention of moving. As Kaito looked around for something to cover her with, his eyes chanced on the parchment still lying on the floor. Large red letters were written on its front. *** As his golem functionalities deciphered the script, Kaito tilted his head. Suddenly considering a possibility, Kaito looked more closely at the girl's body. As he did, he finally realized where his conflicting feelings had been coming from. Upon closer inspection, he'd realized that the silver-haired girl's slender limbs were connected by spherical joints. And her straight silver hair wasn't, strictly speaking, hair but was made out of glittering silver thread. She was a doll. She was probably just one more object being stored in the Treasury. The next moment, the girl's head went clack, clack, clack as it began bobbing up and down. Her head swung to look at Kaito. Her eyes were made of emeralds, and they glinted ominously. Kaito was struck by fear as he returned her gaze. Her face was as beautiful as a painting, but it bore no expression. And its surface was as rigid as a mask. The girl's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor, rather, the automaton's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlimbs began turning, each ball joint rotating in a different direction. Alarmed by the abnormality, Kaito ran his gaze over the parchment. After reading the words in red, his eyes widened, and he started running. Be careful, as it may attack humans during start-up. Kaito fled with all his might. From behind him, the sound of the doll rapidly crawling across the ground pursued him. Kaito ran, the Treasury acting as an obstacle course. He leaped over a chair, slipped between two chests of drawers, and slid down a mountain of gold coins. Finally, he reached his target. The doll didn't appear to understand how to dodge, simply barreling in a straight line. As such, it took time for it to destroy things when it needed to clear its path. Taking advantage of this, Kaito created distance between the two of them as he fled. But he knew that if he so much as stumbled, he, too, would join the destroyed objects' ranks. Hold up! C'mon! You can't be serious! His leg muscles stretched near the point of snapping, he dashed up the final set of stairs. He ignored the pain, driving his body with sheer willpower. If he turned around, he was done for. He was out of objects to defend himself with. Swallowing his fear, he somehow managed to reach the black door. But it was still sealed shut. He banged on the door, screaming in desperation. \"Elisabeth, open up! Open the door!\" \"What now, Kaito? Have you finally learned your lesson? Henceforth, I hope you'll properly sample your cooking first.\" \"I knew you were trying to punish me! Forget that\u00e2\u20ac\u201djust hurry!\" Suddenly, Kaito felt a chill, as though his heart had been pierced by a needle. Trusting his instincts, he threw himself to the ground. The doll's leg pierced the air above his head. She struck like a serpent, attacking from a bizarre angle, and the tips of her toes demolished the thick door. Elisabeth's voice rang out in confusion. \"Wh-what now? What is that infernal racket?\" As he listened, Kaito dashed headfirst through the torrent of splinters. He was covered in wounds as he rolled into the throne room, but he was able to distance himself from the entrance to the Treasury. The doll staggered forth. Her gait and pale skin made her the very image of a revenant. It seemed Elisabeth had gotten herself some wine, as she did a spit take. She wore a rare expression as her voice was alight with flustered fury. \"You worm! Just how far down did you slither?! That thing is an automaton, made in poor taste by my foster father! In the absence of orders, it simply destroys everything in its path! Why would you activate such a thing?!\" \"I mean, I'm sorry for just turning it on, but how was I supposed to know?! I only took off its shackles, and it turned on by itself!\" \"Taking off its shackles is how you turn it on, you imbecile!\" Elisabeth tossed aside her wineglass, as well as the round side table she'd taken out to pair with it. It seemed she'd been treating herself to a little rest and relaxation, but that tranquility had long been shattered. \"Ah, how vexing! To think that I should have to busy myself over a mere doll!\" She rose from her throne, irritated, and rapped her heel twice on the floor. Darkness and crimson petals billowed across the floor like mist. A mass of thorns shot up from within it. But the doll's reflexes were superb, and her jumping power was like that of a beast. She leaped over the thorns, cleanly evading them. By clasping a thorn between her palms and the soles of her feet, she managed a landing that avoided injury entirely. \"My... To think you would dodge that.\" Murmuring in admiration, Elisabeth held her hands behind her, then swung them forward. An iron ax made specially for decapitations launched from the darkness, flying over the thorns and aimed for the doll's neck. The doll's head, however, swung down, almost as though it had been dislocated, and just barely managed to evade the ax's blade. Elisabeth's eyes widened in surprise. The doll's legs clicked as they bent, and she leaped again, this time landing directly before the throne. She closed in on Elisabeth. Elisabeth seemed to be timing her movements, though, and she snapped her fingers. \"Ducking Stool!\" A chair sprouted from the floor and cleanly scooped up the doll's behind. Leather belts strapped her into place. The Ducking Stool resembled the Iron Chair Kaito had once been made to sit in. However, its seat had no spike holes. In their place, long chains were affixed to the chair's back. Suddenly, a rectangular section of floor around the doll disappeared. The space beneath her was filled to the brim with water, crimson flower petals floating on its surface. With a grand splash, the doll was plunged underwater. Perhaps the doll was struggling, because the water's surface bubbled and frothed. But after a period, she stopped moving. The chains rattled as they dragged the chair out of the water. The doll was still. Water dripped from her silver hair. Elisabeth breathed a sigh of relief. \"Good heavens, at last it's quiet again. However, this thing can pump water off its body. No doubt it will resume function shortly. Perhaps it would be best to destroy it before it gets its gears turning again.\" \"Hey, wait a minute. Do you really have to destroy it?\" \"I thought this was obvious, but failing to destroy it would be incredibly dangerous! Unless it was your intent that I spend the rest of my days evading a homicidal doll, that is. In that case, would you like to serve as my shield? Hmm?\" \"No, I mean, it was my fault in the first place that it got turned on, after all... I would feel really bad if you had to destroy something so well made... Can't you just turn it off, like it was before?\" Kaito attempted to pacify Elisabeth. As terrifying as the automaton had been, he was to blame for turning her on in the first place. And he was reluctant to destroy something that had been so elaborately crafted to appear human. Not to mention how expensive the doll looked. He doubted his ability to make financial reparations. \"Hmm? One moment. As you say, it would be something of a waste. Perhaps we can make use of it after all.\" As Elisabeth pondered, the doll began trembling before her. An unpleasant squeaking noise rang out as the doll's head shook at an impossible angle. Ominous light returned to her emerald eyes. Elisabeth then spoke quietly, almost in song. \"Halt, O gears, for thou art eternally fair.\" The doll suddenly froze. The next moment, her entire body visibly relaxed. Seeing the doll transform at a few words, when Elisabeth had had so much trouble restraining her, startled Kaito quite a bit. \"Wh-what'd you just do?\" \"An incantation to make it register a new master. Heh. For it to have worked means the doll's old settings have all been overwritten. I should be able to set a new master for it now. In doing so, the new master's orders will take top priority. That should make it stop attacking people haphazardly. Now, then...\" Elisabeth made to open her mouth again. Before she could, the doll clicked her head into motion. Clack, clack, clack. Distorting her neck, the doll looked at Kaito. He gave a small hop in surprise. However, the doll did nothing more but silently train her emerald-green eyes on him. Kaito looked back in bewilderment. Her gaze seemed almost entreating. Elisabeth gave a short whistle in admiration. \"Well, well, well... It seems to have made the choice for me. Count yourself fortunate. Apparently, after being saved by you twice over, it has taken a liking to you. Very well, then. You shall be its master. One problem remains, however.\" \"Me, its master? Wait, and there's a problem, too?\" \"Upon becoming this thing's master, a 'relationship' must be established. Its creator had an unfortunate fondness for putting people on the spot, you see. Of the four relationships, namely: 'parent and child,' 'siblings,' 'master and servant,' and 'lovers'\u00e2\u20ac\u201donly one is correct. Should one select incorrectly, the automaton will turn on its master and try to kill them. A trivial matter for me, but you would most certainly perish.\" \"One in four is pretty harsh odds. What should I do?\" \"Oh heavens, I haven't the faintest idea. 'Twould be quickest simply to destroy it, but you seem to find that option distasteful. Ah, well, here... Among 'parent and child,' 'siblings,' 'master and servant,' and 'lovers,' select the one least likely to betray you.\" Elisabeth smiled a devious smile, then resumed her position on the throne as if her work here was done. Picking up her wineglass and side table, she leisurely turned around. Apparently, she planned on observing this as a detached spectator. Elisabeth seemed to be set on simply enjoying herself. Kaito frantically racked his brain. After all, his life was on the line. He knew he would rather die than pick \"parent.\" He didn't know much about siblings, but his memories of the one time he'd met a guy he was related to were thoroughly unpleasant. And after looking at Elisabeth and considering his relationship with her, \"master and servant\" was definitely out. Only one option remained. \"I guess I'll pick 'lovers.'\" \"Well, there's a virgin for you.\" A rude assertion. But before Kaito could protest Elisabeth's verbal abuse, the doll began shaking more violently than ever. Unable to withstand the convulsions, the belts restraining her popped off. Hot steam burst out of the openings in her ball joints. Her response had been so severe that Kaito, despite himself, was more worried for the doll than for himself. \"Hey, uh, are you sure"}, {"text": "it's not broken?\" As he peered tentatively at the doll, her eyes snapped open. She tore off the Ducking Stool's leather belts, then leaped over the water tank and landed in front of Kaito. Kaito braced himself for death, and the doll acted. The doll knelt in front of Kaito, sinking to one knee. \"Huh?\" \"I apologize for keeping you waiting. O my dearest, my darling, my destined one, my master! My one true love! O my eternal companion!\" The doll shouted, overcome with emotion. It was the first time he'd heard her voice, but it was oddly pleasant. She clasped his hand in hers and looked up at him. Her face was surrounded by silken silver hair, and it wore the first expression Kaito had seen out of her. Her emerald-green eyes drooped, becoming soft and viscous, and her white skin grew flush with blood. Her features were clean yet somehow amorous, and the expression on her sweet face was nothing short of enraptured. She stroked Kaito's palm with her cheek in a deeply human display of affection. Her smooth skin was as warm and as soft as a human's. With an expression of absolute bliss, she whispered ecstatically. \"Henceforth, until the moment these limbs are plucked from me, and my head is removed, and my steel heart stops beating, I shall be your companion and your lover. I shall live only for your sake, and I shall break only for your sake. For whether you wish to love me or destroy me, both privileges are now yours and yours alone.\" She looked up into Kaito's eyes, then gave a small, bashful smile. \"By your own will, would you please cherish me until the end of time?\" Her words piled up like roaring waves, and Kaito and Elisabeth were as stiff as boards. Unconcerned with their reactions, the doll continued stroking Kaito's palm with her cheek. Her adorable actions were like those of a fawning puppy. Eventually, Elisabeth whispered quietly. \"Um... Well, you seem to have pulled it off successfully. Are you...pleased?\" \"...I dunno. This is a little...\" He felt that this was somewhat troublesome in its own way. But after looking at the doll's blissful smile, he swallowed his words. 4 An Envoy from the Church \"This is delicious!\" Fork and knife in hand, Elisabeth burst into a smile. It was the first time Kaito had seen her smile without even a shred of malice. The situation was so abnormal, he was getting goose bumps. It wasn't just her, either. It was the entire table. The long table had been furnished with a stately arabesque tablecloth, and the empty seats were decorated with colorful flowers. The line of alternating gold and silver candlesticks was all lit, gently illuminating the silverware. And the aroma of a number of elaborate dishes wafted up from the plates. There was hog's-head jelly with brioche. There was a delectably sour salad with intestines, a bowl of lamb tripe minestrone, and a golden-brown kidney pie. And the main course was finished off with some foie gras terrine. Finally, for dessert, there was a tart, topped with thin apple slices in the shape of a flower. Elisabeth stuffed her cheeks with the freshly prepared dishes one after another. Large, exaggerated tears of joy welled up in her eyes. \"This is delicious, I say\u00e2\u20ac\u201dtruly sublime! True delicacies! You have my praise, doll!\" \"For it to have met your tastes is an honor, Lady Elisabeth, master of Master Kaito.\" The automaton stood at the ready by Elisabeth's side. Her emerald-green eyes gleamed kindly, and a gentle smile appeared on her face. Between her long, classical maid uniform and her adorable little maid cap, she gave the impression of having served in this castle for many years. It was hard to believe that she was the same person who had been going on a rampage the day prior. Although he was still somewhat afraid of her, Kaito asked her a question. \"So you don't just fight, but you can cook, too?\" \"Indeed. In addition to combat data, my Self-Recording Device contains thousands of recipes, as well as many other useful skills. From cooking and cleaning to playing games and accompanying you at night, I can fulfill any of your desires, Master Kaito.\" \"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, you don't need to go that far. I don't need that kind of extra service.\" Kaito waved his hands from side to side. Whenever he interacted with this doll, he often found himself at a loss. And whenever he did, the doll hung her shoulders with such dejection that he could practically see dog ears and a tail drooping from her head and waist. \"Is that so? Well, should you ever change your mind, please do not hesitate to instruct me as you see fit. I exist solely for your sake, Master Kaito, so no matter the time or place, doing whatever you want with me is my ultimate pleasure.\" \"Wait... 'No matter the place'...? You mean, like, outside?\" \"Of course\u00e2\u20ac\u201doutside is fine, too!\" \"What in the world might you two be going on about?\" Munching on a huge slice of pie, Elisabeth raised her voice in exasperation. After enjoying the delicate blend of the sweet, crunchy crust and the gaminess of the meat, she finished eating. She courteously wiped her mouth with her napkin, then turned to the doll as if to praise her. \"See, when my irredeemable butler booted you up, I thought I'd have little choice but to destroy the two of you together. But your aptitude for cooking proved quite splendid. Every cloud has its silver lining, they say. My congratulations, Kaito. Your life may yet continue.\" \"Geez, I had no idea I was on the verge of death for such a stupid reason.\" \"In short, you are saying that I was of use to Master Kaito? My deepest thanks. I can think of no greater honor, no greater joy!\" \"But enough of that. You are a servant of mine. Nay, in respect to your desires, I wish to welcome you once more as a servant of my servant, but... Hey, Kaito. Give this thing a name.\" \"A name?\" \"You would do well to stop being befuddled by contrivance. All things need names. And it is most inconvenient to be unable to call for your possessions.\" \"I mean... I wouldn't call her my possession. Even if she's a doll, she's still a girl.\" Kaito shook his head vigorously. Owning something that was practically human was too big a responsibility for him. But the doll stepped forward, her fists balled up and her cheeks puffed out. Curling her lovely lips into a pout, she pleaded with him. \"While it may be imprudent of me to say, I am most certainly your possession. Ever since the fateful moment you chose me as your lover, I have been your eternal lover, your faithful companion, your soldier, your weapon, your love outlet, and your sex doll. Come what may, I shall forever remain yours and yours alone. I beg you to remember that always.\" \"A-all right, I get it. Just try not to say stuff like that. But yeah, either way, it would be nice if you had a name. Uh...\" Kaito scrunched up his forehead as he thought it over. He fumbled through his memories for something to use as a reference. But he'd never so much as named an animal before. Also, he hadn't been allowed much social interaction. He could recall the names of a few of the women who had spent time with his father, but none who he had any desire to use as references. Even the woman who had made him purin had left in the end. It was then Kaito recalled a soft, nuzzling sensation. ...Oh yeah...her. There was that one time. There was someone who loved me unconditionally. A snow-white puppy floated up from the depths of his memories. She had belonged to one of his neighbors. She had become attached to him, and every time he visited, she would wag her tail and lick the tears off his face. He had been able to play with her for only a short period before he had to move again, but Kaito felt that was for the best. If his father had found out about his affection for the dog, he would have likely tried to kidnap and kill her. She had been a good, kind girl. And her large, droopy eyes slightly resembled the doll's. Despite some reservations, Kaito recalled the dog's name and spoke it aloud. \"'Hina'... How does 'Hina' sound?\" \"It sounds incredibly arbitrary, much like you plucked it from a hat.\" \"Hey, I put a lot of thought into that!\" \"You're brilliant, Master Kaito! It's the finest name in all of heaven and earth, surpassing that of any human, demi-human, beastfolk, mythical beast, or god! My deepest thanks! From now on, I shall bear the name Hina. Hina... Hina. I am Hina. The name that Master Kaito blessed me with... Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee.\" Hina's shoulders began quivering oddly. She seemed to be happy, but her reaction was a bit frightening. Just as Hina's christening was complete, the Butcher made his appearance. Elisabeth purchased a large quantity of organs from him, then handed it all to Hina. While she dealt with that, Kaito began piling the plates from the table into his arms. Apparently, having a good cook around loosened Elisabeth's tongue. After bowing to Elisabeth, who was engaged in a lively conversation with the Butcher, Kaito and Hina headed for the kitchen. Once they reached the kitchen, Kaito carried the dirty dishes to the sink. Hina, using the meat she'd received from the Butcher, began making preliminary preparations for dinner. Watching her line up with utter certainty the jars of seasoning she would need, Kaito called out to her. \"So wait, you can tell which ones are which flavors?\" \"Oh yes, I have registrations for most of the seasonings that exist in this world. I can also use their scent to analyze whether or not they've degraded over time and the minor changes in flavor resulting from the manufacturing process, so I can adjust the quantities I use as necessary.\" \"Wow. That's really impressive, Hina.\" Kaito nodded in earnest admiration. Hina's cheeks went flush with embarrassment. \"I receive your praise with great honor. On a related note, um, Master Kaito, what kinds of dishes do you like?\" \"...Uhhh, I don't really have preferences when it comes to food. As long as it's not rotten or poisoned, I'm pretty fine with whatever.\" His eating habits in his previous life were more survival based, after all. He'd simply been grateful whenever he got his hands on something edible. Hina nodded earnestly in response to Kaito's half-hearted answer. \"I understand. Then I will give it my all to cook something you find delicious, Master Kaito. And then, perhaps\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand this would be terribly august\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwere you to possibly find my cooking to your liking, Master Kaito... Ah, my heart would be so full with honor and pride that I would surely die!\" \"Settle down there, Hina. Please don't die over something like that.\" \"Understood! Then I will live forever!\" Hina nodded, her cheeks still red. Vaguely muttering something to the effect of \"by your side forever\" and \"Master Kaito,\" her body swayed from side to side. As he watched her plump breasts bob up and down, Kaito felt somewhat embarrassed. But he'd spent so much time alone in this claustrophobic dungeon of a kitchen, and now... It really is nice to have someone to talk to. Nodding, Kaito turned on the sink's faucet. The castle's water supply was linked to a reservoir full of undines. He was glad for the limitless source of water, even if it was sometimes annoying that it didn't come hot. As he washed the dishes with cold water, Hina stood beside him, preparing the offal, her knife constantly moving. In the blink"}, {"text": "of an eye, the unnecessary sections were removed and the meat was cut to the perfect dimensions. As if to ensure that the meat not suffer more damage than necessary, the cuts were all clean and precise. Kaito unwittingly stopped moving as he watched her masterful knife work. It was at that moment that Elisabeth's voice rang out. \"Butler! Oh, Butler!\" *** \"Kaito!\" \"I heard you. What do you want?\" Abandoning the wet dishes and leaving the rest to Hina, Kaito broke into a run. He had expected her to be waiting in the throne room, but she was still in the dining room. He opened the door and saw her sitting on her ball-and-claw chair, tipping a wineglass back and forth. She wore a sullen expression, and her legs were crossed. A new visitor sat before her, occupying the same seat the Butcher had been in when Kaito had left. \"Apparently, this unpleasant man has some matter he wishes to discuss with you.\" \"Ah, pleased to meet you... Young Kaito Sena, correct?\" The blond man's face was chiseled, and he wore a black cassock. He evoked the image of a goat, and his eyes seemed gentle as he smiled. Yet, his face gave off a somewhat suspicious impression, and looking at him gave Kaito goose bumps on his back and an unpleasant feeling in his stomach. He also noticed that the man's pronunciation of his Japanese name had been smooth and more correct than he'd heard in some time. Showing no signs as to whether or not he'd deduced Kaito's unease, the man opened his mouth with dignity. \"My name is Clueless Ray Faund. I come as an envoy from the Church, looking to conduct a personal interview with you.\" \"...............Huh?\" \"He truly is your servant, Elisabeth. His manner resembles yours.\" The man spoke in a tone that made it impossible to tell if he was truly impressed or if he was being sarcastic. Kaito took another good long look at Clueless, the man from the Church. Kaito didn't know much about this world's Church. But based on the fact that they'd been able to suspend Elisabeth's execution and order her on her demon hunt, he could tell they wielded substantial influence. In the face of such power, Kaito's first reaction was the desire to flee. But if he fled now, it would look highly suspicious. Suppressing his automatic response, which was to turn around, Kaito focused his gaze on the man, silently inquiring as to what questions he wanted to ask. Clueless stood from his chair, stretched, and offered a rather unexpected proposal. \"Well then, shall we make our way to the Church? I'd rather not hear you out in a place as gloomy as this castle.\" \"Huh? Well-I'm-Lady-Elisabeth's-butler-you-see. I can't just come and go as I please.\" \"Insolent cur... So you'll admit to being my servant when it's convenient for you, I see. Nevertheless, he speaks the truth, Clueless. Do not simply carry off my servants with you. I made that one myself. The core component may be worthless, but it comes attached to a rather splendid golem, so he ends up being somewhat useful. You shan't take him without my permission.\" \"You say that, Elisabeth. But you're the one who failed to report having summoned the soul of someone from another world, aren't you?\" At Clueless's declaration, Elisabeth twisted her lips. He seemed to have hit the mark. Kaito was fairly surprised that the fact that he was from another world had been exposed. Laying his large hands one on top of the other, Clueless continued. \"However, I have no intention of reporting that fact to my superiors. I can say that I simply wanted to check on the specifics of how you defeated the Knight and the Earl, and besides, this little visit was off the books in the first place. Don't you think that rather than dealing with formalities and punishments, it would be more constructive to quietly resolve this matter together? To that end, I would like to speak with the young man. How does that sound?\" \"Bah, enough with the farce. At any rate, you intend to blather on and grumble until I relinquish him to you, am I wrong? Fine, then. What a bother. You have my permission. If you fail to return him, however, I shall have your head.\" \"There's a good girl, Elisabeth. A most sensible choice indeed.\" Watching their exchange, Kaito couldn't help but be surprised. He hadn't thought there was a person alive who could stand up to Elisabeth the way Clueless just did. Nodding to Kaito, Clueless began walking. From the way the conversation had gone, Kaito guessed he was supposed to follow. Neither party seemed to have the slightest interest in how he felt. Half-desperate, Kaito obediently followed after the cassock-clad man. He accompanied Clueless down an underground passage, and they arrived at Elisabeth's teleportation circle. Kaito, having thought they'd been heading outside, knit his brows. Clueless stood in front of the circle and turned to look at Kaito. \"Now then, young Kaito, shall we be off? Do mind the vertigo.\" Clueless reached inside his cassock and pulled out a heavy-looking silver pendant. At the end of its thick chain hung an upside-down sculpture of a veiled woman. The intricately carved veil defied gravity in its obstinate quest to conceal the woman's face. \"Guide me down the path of righteousness.\" He held it over the center of the circle, and the bloody runes blurred. Crimson drops began pouring into the air. They then glowed blue and began orbiting like little planets. When the rotations reached their peak speed, the blue lights froze. They then fell to the floor as one. When the blue rain had cleared up, a basement with a notably different ambience to the one they were in before spread out before them. \"This place is...\" Apparently, they'd reached a place separate from Elisabeth's basement. The walls were made of bare packed earth, giving off a completely different sense of claustrophobia than stone. The cool air had a damp odor, announcing loud and clear that they were underground. \"Come now, young Kaito\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfollow me. We're going this way.\" Placing his pendant back in his cassock, Clueless left through the single door. Outside the room, long, tunnel-like wooden passages extended to both sides. Old magical lanterns hung from the low ceiling and lit the path. It felt almost like a passage built for mining. As he walked through the corridor rich in smells of soil and rotting wood, Clueless spoke quietly. \"These are the hidden passageways that extend beneath the Church. They connect to my private chamber. Follow me.\" Obeying the instructions, Kaito turned halfway through the passage and made his way up a narrow staircase. Beyond it was a surprisingly small room. Its wooden interior was barren, save for a stately desk and a filing cabinet. One wall, however, was adorned with an image of the same inverted, veiled woman Kaito had just seen. Upon closer inspection, he saw a single red tear running down the woman's cheek. Ignoring Kaito, Clueless knelt and offered a heartfelt prayer to the woman. After a few moments, he stood back up. \"Forgive me for the wait. And please make yourself comfortable.\" \"Ah, thanks.\" Kaito, being offered the chair at the desk, took it. While he did, Clueless busied himself with the porcelain tea set that had been left on the desk. He poured a pinkish liquid into a cup. A surprisingly refreshing minty aroma wafted up from it. \"I'm quite a fan of this tea, you see. I buy it up every time I'm at my favorite shop.\" \"Uh... Ah, well, that seems like a pleasant hobby.\" \"Ha-ha, I wonder. I'm glad you think so, at least. My subordinates often scold me for buying too much.\" Clueless winked. It was a very human gesture, but for whatever reason, it made Kaito tense up. Something about the way the man talked seemed uncanny, almost superficial. Clueless moved his own chair such that he was facing Kaito from across the desk. Kaito noted that the arrangement resembled an interrogation. Clueless took a sip of his tea, then began the conversation in earnest. \"I must say, I never imagined Elisabeth would drag someone from another world into her demon hunt, even if only as a servant.\" \"Uh, not that Elisabeth really talks about it much, but I got the vibe that it wasn't really a big deal. Are you saying it's uncommon for people to get summoned from other worlds?\" \"Wait, she hasn't bothered explaining anything? Well, she's never been much of a responsible one. Uncommon would be putting it lightly. It's beyond rare. I'd heard the two of you had shared some memories during the summons, but you and Elisabeth must really be on the same wavelength. That, or perhaps you have similar natures.\" \"You're saying I'm similar to that woman?\" Kaito immediately frowned. He would hardly describe himself as similar to that proud, haughty, devil-may-care woman. Taking another sip of tea, Clueless shook his head. \"I'm sorry; that was rude of me. I certainly don't find the two of you similar. After all, I've heard that Elisabeth Le Fanu's cruelty started quite early on in her childhood.\" The statement caused Kaito to start. The image of the young girl he'd seen a few days prior flashed through his mind. She'd just sat on her bed, her body thin and frail and her eyes hollow. Kaito shook his head to dispel the vision. Ignoring Kaito's unrest, Clueless continued on. \"She was born as the only child of the distinguished Le Fanu family. She was a feeble child who broke toys and delighted at the deaths of animals, but she didn't truly bloom until she turned sixteen. It was at that point that she began torturing people, gaining significant magical ability from their pain. And with those wicked powers, she killed even more. As she committed her many, many atrocities, no entity, living or dead, could inspire fear in her any longer, least of all God.\" Clueless's hand squeezed down on his porcelain cup. A stern light burned in his azure eyes, and Kaito could tell that his voice was full of needle-sharp hostility. Clueless had been chatting merrily with Elisabeth just a moment ago, but his words were now steeped in hatred. Squinting in the face of the severity of Clueless's reaction, a seed of doubt took root in Kaito's mind. Obtaining power from the pain of others\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat was exactly what the demons did. But Elisabeth Le Fanu was no demon; she was the Torture Princess. \"I thought Elisabeth wasn't one of the fourteen demons, though?\" \"True, she isn't. She accomplished that all by herself, not contracting with anyone or anything. She shouldn't be able to use the powers of demons, and none but the High Priest has been able to discern the mechanism by which she's able to turn people's pain into her own power. But the facts are the facts. She is an evil woman, with powers surpassing those of the demons. Her very existence is blasphemous.\" Clueless spat these words. Perhaps he was right, but Kaito wasn't sure how to respond. It was true that Elisabeth was a torturer, a despot, and a tyrant. But now, she was fighting the demons. And the number of people in this world who could stand up to those hell-birthing monsters probably wasn't high. And for now, Kaito was assisting her. While he still lashed back at her at times, ever since the incident with the Earl, he'd stopped having qualms about serving her. He even kind of liked the innocent side she occasionally revealed. Maybe it was a warped way to live, but it worked for him. In his hesitation, Kaito had grown silent. But Clueless nodded, seeming to understand Kaito's position, and heaved a heavy sigh. \"Forgive me. It appears I have gotten rather heated. But I thought"}, {"text": "that you, after spending some time with her, would find such things obvious. Now then, would you mind if I asked a few questions about your world? I hear that your world is where machines have progressed further than magic has; is that correct?\" \"Huh? Oh, yeah. Or rather, magic doesn't really exist in my world at all... At least as far as I know.\" Kaito matter-of-factly answered Clueless's questions. But on top of the fact that his knowledge of his previous world was strongly biased, he knew nothing about the workings of many of the industrial technologies he had benefitted from in life. But even though their exchange touched only on broad generalities, Clueless appeared enraptured. He finished his tea, then gently shook his head. \"Thank you. I learned quite a bit. And you have my condolences. The battle against the demons will no doubt grow fiercer from here. I find it difficult to imagine you continuing to serve Elisabeth once she finishes killing all thirteen demons.\" \"Is... Is that so? I mean, this body is immortal, but I expect it'll get pretty rough from here.\" \"Quite. And even on the off chance you do survive, all that awaits you is an inquisition by the Church.\" \"Wait, what?\" Kaito raised his voice in surprise. Clueless was unbothered by his rudeness. As he stared at Kaito, something resembling sentimentality welled up in his blue eyes. However, it wasn't the gaze of one looking at another human but of one looking down at a worm. \"Why so surprised? It's a natural measure to take, no? The Church can't exactly allow one of Elisabeth's puppets to roam free after she completes her task. The stake awaits you both. At best, you'll be confined, but not before being thoroughly tortured.\" \"That's... Okay, I'm gonna be honest with you. I'd rather pass. I got sucked into this mess against my will. You guys are the ones in charge of the torture, right? Can't you do something about that?\" \"It just so happens that I have a proposal for you.\" Clueless leaned forward in his seat. As he did, Kaito felt as though a piece of the incongruous puzzle he'd been a part of had finally slid into place. All the talk leading up to this had been a mere prelude. Clueless appeared attentive, but Kaito got the sense that it had all gone in one ear and out the other. \"Think about this. I consider Elisabeth dangerous enough that I've been unofficially monitoring her as well as occasionally dropping by to check up on her. After the Church captured her, we bound her in such a way that she could not resist us or try to escape. But if she was to form a contract with one of the thirteen demons, her power would grow, and those shackles would be insufficient to restrain her. In fact, if her unique power was to synergize with the demon's, it would be quite terrifying indeed.\" \"Are you sure you should be making someone like that fight for you?\" \"She swore she wouldn't forge a contract with a demon, and the head of the Church, Godot Deus, told us to believe in that promise. He also said that should the time come when she breaks that promise, he would sacrifice his life and soul to seal her away... But while he likely possesses the power to make good on his word, we would still be losing the most distinguished member of our clergy. Having anticipated such a calamity, I cannot, in good faith, sit idly by and allow the birth of a demon that will surpass all demons.\" Clueless reached inside his cassock and once more withdrew the pendant with the upside-down suffering woman. He carefully opened its hidden compartment and pulled out a vial. He tilted it over Kaito's cup, and a single tear-like drop of clear, colorless liquid made ripples in his tea. As it did, it briefly stained the pinkish tea deep purple. The tea quickly returned to its original color. \"If you make Elisabeth drink this poison, I can promise you a painless death.\" \"You're promising me death?\" \"That I am. Your existence is an affront to God, and I cannot permit it to continue. Although from what I heard, upon being summoned, you wished to die anyway, correct? Having served under her, you know how terrifying pain can be. Do you understand what I'm offering you? I myself think the terms are rather fair.\" Clueless smiled. Remembering the uncomfortable feeling he'd initially been getting from the man, Kaito felt validated once more. Clueless was arrogant. He seemed to be looking down on Kaito from so high up that he didn't even realize he was being arrogant. Clueless no doubt thought he was being earnestly merciful. Kaito swallowed his retorts. He decided to speak as little as possible until he returned safely to the castle. Not receiving an affirmative response, Clueless tilted his head in dissatisfaction. \"You seem displeased... Very well. In order to demonstrate to you the validity of my proposal, allow me to offer you the privilege of observing the heretics under my jurisdiction. Come along.\" Clueless went back down the staircase, Kaito in tow. He strode along the dark corridor with vigor in his gait. They met no other clergymen on their journey. As he continued after Clueless, Kaito thought this rather strange. Clueless eventually reached a new staircase and ascended it. At the top of the stairs was a door with cloth stuffed under it for soundproofing. Clueless turned the knob. \"Look, listen, and learn.\" He pushed the door open. The second he did, a bloodcurdling scream rang out. People were groaning, screaming, writhing, and begging for death. The wide, square inquisition room beyond the door was rank with the thick stench of blood and split down the middle by a set of iron bars. On the other side of the bars lay a small-scale hellscape. There were people chained to walls, each completely devoid of hair. Their pasty skin had rivets driven into them. Their bald heads were full of screws, and even as Kaito watched, more were being wound in by people dressed in all white. One woman was tied to an operating table, convulsing as she was slowly sawed apart. An old man pleaded for death, his feet strapped to a white-hot iron plate. A young boy hung from a hook by his tongue, which was also covered in horsehair. The boy wept as he waited for his tongue to dry out completely and tear, dropping him to the floor. There was also a number of people writhing on the ground. Kaito was unsure how any of them was still alive, and his eyes widened. He staggered backward a step, but even so, he burned the hellish scene into his eyes. While simultaneously being assailed by terror, he calmly surveilled the scene. What a merciful proposal the prospect of a painless death now seemed. Kaito realized how serious Clueless had been. \"I look forward to a favorable response.\" Clueless smiled kindly as he pressed the vial of poison into Kaito's hand. The blue rain fell away, and Kaito's vision cleared. After using the teleportation circle to return to Elisabeth's castle alone, Kaito immediately fell to his knees. \"...Rgh... Blargh...\" He was assaulted by nausea and vertigo. Neither had happened when Elisabeth had been the one activating the circle. Though perhaps his nausea could be attributed to the spectacle he had just been forced to witness, as well as the weight of the choice that had been thrust upon him. \"Shit... That... That was so fucked up...\" After cursing and spitting, he somehow managed to struggle to his feet. He walked through the underground tunnel on unsteady feet. He remembered the way back. He knew from experience that pain jogged his memory, so a little while back, he'd carved a map of the important bits of the tunnel in his flesh and had Elisabeth heal it for him. She'd been shocked and impressed, and it had hurt like hell, but thanks to that, he was able to avoid getting lost and dying like a fool. \"Dammit... I can't remember\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas there something I was supposed to do when I got back?\" Kaito reviewed his remaining duties as he walked. Hina had probably taken care of all the chores for him, and Elisabeth was unlikely to call on him for the rest of the day. She didn't tend to spare much thought for him, so even if she planned on asking him about Clueless, that could be days from now. He had a million things he needed to think about, but for now, all he wanted to do was rest. If he could just forget about the vial of poison in his breast pocket until the following day, that would be wonderful. Kaito staggered into the servants' quarters, then made for his room in the corner. He somehow managed to reach the thin door, and its ancient hinges creaked as he opened it. The instant he did, something soft wrapped around his face. \"Wh-wh-wh-what?\" \"Welcome home, Master Kaito! I have awaited your safe return!\" Hina squeezed Kaito tightly. It was only natural for him to be surprised to see her immediately after opening the door. Hina was on the taller side, so when she leaned over like that, Kaito's face ended up buried right between her breasts. Kaito frantically pulled away, and when he did, Hina's eyes grew wide and sad like a puppy's. The same tactic had gotten him nowhere with Elisabeth, but he was not as immune as she'd been. Kaito, at a loss for words, averted his gaze from Hina. The cramped room had both a bed and a chair, but neither showed signs of use. Kaito tilted his head to the side, and Hina gave a small hop. \"Lady Elisabeth assured me that you would return, and each moment I waited for you felt like an eternity. I'm deeply sorry that I was unable to accompany you. Oh, I'm so glad you returned unharmed. I was so worried for you that I feared my chest would burst and all my gears would come tumbling out.\" \"Hold up, Hina... Did you, by any chance, finish the chores and then just stand here all day waiting for me?\" \"But of course. Why? Is there a problem?\" \"Well, uh... You know, if you really want to wait for me, you can sit down while you wait. It's not like I'm going to get mad at you if you lie down or anything.\" Hearing Kaito's words, Hina swayed on her feet. Her cheeks flushed and she pressed down on her mouth. \"Oh my, to receive permission to sleep on my master's precious bed. That is, um, the special privilege of lovers, nay, of husband and wife. In other words, this is a roundabout solicitation\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"That's not what I meant. Sorry, but I don't have the energy to joke around today...\" Kaito lightly brushed Hina aside and collapsed onto the bed. When he did, he noticed a change. The mattress Elisabeth had given him had been hard, musty, and often damp, but now it was soft and had a pleasant herbal fragrance. Hina had probably carefully washed it, dried it, and scented it for him. But he lacked even the energy to thank her. His mind a mess, Kaito squeezed his eyes closed. No matter how comfortable it became here, he might soon have to leave the castle. As a traitor. As someone who'd slain his own master. And as compensation for that, he'd get to die painlessly. But no matter how hard he tried, Kaito couldn't imagine himself killing Elisabeth. When she dies, it'll be of her own accord. She wasn't the kind of person someone like Kaito could kill. She wasn't the kind of person anyone could kill. But Kaito knew what would become of him if he turned"}, {"text": "down the proposal. Kaito clutched the vial from over his pocket. When he did, the bed creaked. A soft, pleasant aroma drew near him. Kaito could tell what it was without having to open his eyes. Hina was lying down beside him. Kaito sighed, then spoke to her again. \"...C'mon, Hina. I really\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"My apologies, Master Kaito...\" Then she hugged him tight. As she gently cradled his head, her soft hair brushed against his face. Her touch wasn't sexual but sensual: a gesture meant to soothe and comfort. She ran her fingers through his hair. His eyes widened in surprise. She lay by his side, her twinkling emerald-green eyes rich with adoration. She looked like a woman caring for her troubled husband, and Kaito was at a loss for words in the face of such raw affection. \"...But you seem weary, and this is how lovers comfort their beloved.\" Hina gently stroked his hair, running her hands across it again and again. Kaito wondered if this was how children felt when their mothers patted them on the head. Her hands were warm, and their warmth traveled all the way to his heart, transcending reason and language to gently unravel the knots of stress deep inside him. Surrounded by clean sheets and the warmth of skin, Kaito could feel his eyelids growing heavy. \"...Hina, if you keep doing that...I'm going to fall asleep.\" \"Isn't that a good thing? You can rest easy. Everything is going to be okay, Master Kaito. \"No matter what happens, I'll protect you.\" When she whispered those words into his ear, the knot of stress finally came undone. Kaito realized how unnerved he had been, both by the gruesome display he'd been shown and by the fate that had been thrust upon him. Apparently, he had carried that fear of an agonizing, horrific death all the way back with him. Oh... I get it now. I was afraid. He didn't know what would happen now. But here, at least, he was safe. There was no pain here, and if anyone wished ill on him, Hina said she would protect him. Back in his old life, no one had ever protected him. This was the first time since he was born that he had ever felt so at ease. He'd never imagined that something so peaceful awaited him after death. Accompanied by those thoughts, Kaito slowly but surely drifted off to sleep. He dreamed. He dreamed, yet he knew it was a dream. Various images and sensations flashed across his eyes and skin, appearing and disappearing like the light of a revolving lantern. Enduring countless wounds. Stifling innumerable sorrows. The words Remember this, carved into his skin every time he messed up at work. The small, warm tongue that would lick his wounds. The big, round eyes that seemed to suggest they could even love a piece of trash like Kaito. The grief and despair he felt in the moment his windpipe was crushed. Lamenting the fact that he couldn't even scream. The body in the armor. The Knight's eyes. The terrifying spider. Neue's pained smile. The first kindness he'd received. The words Neue had left him. The wish Kaito wanted to grant, no matter how impossible it seemed. The vision of the frail girl, gazing at the outside world. The people, slaughtered without mercy. The wicked, cackling girl. The distant voice he heard. \"But if she was to form a contract with one of the thirteen demons, her power would grow, and those shackles would be insufficient to restrain her. If that happened, she would become far more dangerous than any of the current contractors.\" \"You embarrass yourself, Earl.\" \"You and I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwe are fated to die, forsaken by all of creation.\" \"Having lived the cruel and haughty life of a wolf, I shall die like a lowly sow.\" \"...For that is the choice I made.\" Her long black hair fluttered as she looked over her shoulder. Kaito realized something as he was lost in thought within the dream. Ah, that's right. You aren't going to run, are you? No matter how much pain and despair awaited her, she would take responsibility for her life. She would take full responsibility for her wretched life. As the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu would bear it. It was then that Kaito slowly opened his eyes. Hina held him, still stroking his hair. On her face she wore a peaceful, spellbound smile. She would have been unable to do anything while stroking his hair. Feeling he'd done something wrong, Kaito quickly got up. Hina seemed reluctant to let him go. She looked at him, then tilted her head to the side. \"Were you able to relax? Compared to earlier, you seem much calmer.\" \"Yeah, thanks, Hina. Because of you, I was able to get my thoughts in order.\" Kaito leaped from the bed and immediately went to leave the room. Sensing his newfound resolve, Hina did not rise to follow him. Kaito stopped in his tracks, then turned around. Hina sat on the bed, a contented look on her face as she saw him off. Standing in front of the door, Kaito asked her a question. \"Hey, Hina. Would you be sad if I died?\" \"In the horrible and unlikely event you were to pass away, Master Kaito, I should surely die as well.\" \"No, no, no, no, no. What are you talking about?\" \"Well, you see, I have absolutely no desire to spend so much as a second in a world where you do not exist.\" As if wondering why he would ask such a ridiculous question, Hina looked at him in puzzlement. Kaito, feeling a headache coming on, pressed down on his forehead. Her response had, once again, been over-the-top. Kaito didn't know what was to become of him. He felt he should tell her not to follow him to the grave, but for the moment he simply returned to bed and stroked her silken silver hair. Hina smiled a warm smile and brought her cheek close to his. The way she looked at him with unreserved affection, she really did resemble that puppy from so long ago. Turning her words over in his mind, Kaito muttered as if to confirm his thoughts. \"I see. I guess, if nothing else, I'll have to keep living, then, won't I?\" He made for the hallway. Not long after, he broke off into a run, searching for Elisabeth. He found her in the throne room. She sat alone in front of the caved-in wall, gazing at the full moon. Below, the dark forest rustled. At the place where the beast had been skewered, no traces remained of its corpse. But its bloodstain was etched deep in the earth. Even then, in the dead of night, the ground appeared unsettlingly damp. However, eventually new trees would grow and cover that up as well. \"What happened to that beast's corpse?\" \"It burned together with the Knight. But that matters little. Cast your gaze skyward.\" Not even turning around as she answered, Elisabeth lifted a gaudy wineglass off the table beside her. She raised it overhead and tilted it from side to side, the full-bodied wine swirling within. The red wine reflected the white of the moon. \"'Tis a good moon tonight.\" She gulped down the moon's reflection, then placed her glass back on the table. Kaito retrieved the bottle from a silver bowl packed with spirit-made ice. He poured her another glass of wine, then drew out the vial of poison from his pocket. He poured a drop of the clear liquid into the wine. The beverage briefly changed from a velvety red to a sickening shade of purple before settling back to its original hue. Kaito handed the glass to Elisabeth, who'd been watching the whole process. \"Very interesting. And what might this be?\" \"He told me to poison you.\" \"Oh-ho, and quite the fine poison it is. Even I might not live after imbibing it. Here, 'tis a special occasion, so I shall give it to you. A glass of wine from your master. Accept it with thanks.\" \"I respectfully decline. Such a thing would be wasted on me.\" \"Clueless, eh? And what did he offer you in return? A painless death?\" \"I'm surprised you could guess.\" \"Yes, well. No matter if you live or die, Hell surely awaits you.\" Elisabeth spoke bluntly. It seemed she'd more or less suspected what was in store for him. It probably wasn't the case that she'd been hiding it from him; it was more likely that she simply hadn't cared enough to tell him. She placed the glass back on the table, then gave a large shrug. \"You'd be a fool to take his offer. 'Tis too high a price to pay if death awaits you in the end regardless. But the basic details are half-reasonable. If you were to seek refuge with other members of the Church and avoid being captured by Clueless and his fanatics, the odds that you would be shown mercy and be allowed to keep living are actually quite high.\" \"Really?\" \"You do hail from another world, after all. It would be absurd to accuse you of heresy. True, if you were to survive all thirteen killings, you would likely be treated as one of my possessions, but you still have time remaining. And Hina possesses the knowledge required to link the teleportation circle to the Church. Do as you will.\" \"Wait... Are you saying that it's all right for me to run away from here?\" \"Of course not, fool. You're a puppet of mine. You will remain mine until the moment you break. But unnecessary as it may have been, a servant of mine showed me mercy, and failing to return that mercy would be boorish. Do as you please. But if you intend to flee, you'd best be covert about it. If I catch you deserting, you will face torture.\" Yawning, Elisabeth recrossed her legs. She exhaled softly, then reclined against the throne. Her face, cast in profile by the moonlight, had the sharp beauty of a blade. She said nothing more. Even if Kaito continued waiting, it didn't look like more words would come. He turned to leave without a sound. But before he could, Elisabeth murmured softly. \"A question, though. Why not just slip me the poison?\" \"Hmm?\" \"You've despised demons ever since that affair with the Earl. Do you intend to sit idly by and allow the birth of an even more powerful demon? Surely Clueless warned you of the danger.\" Elisabeth turned. Her crimson eyes glittered in the moonlight as they fixed on Kaito. He pondered her question. He hadn't expected it, not from Elisabeth herself. After thinking for a moment, he responded frankly. \"Just like that important-sounding guy from the Church said, I don't think you're the type to make a contract with a demon.\" \"Oh?\" \"You were going to die alone\u00e2\u20ac\u201dforsaken by everything in creation, right?\" \"Yes, indeed. I shall die with the solitude of a wolf and as pitifully as a sow. All by myself.\" \"So not even a demon will be by your side, then, right?\" That was Kaito's declaration. She probably wouldn't even have a demon by her side when she died. Because she'd tortured innocent people and piled up countless corpses, she would be executed. She herself had chosen that solitary, pitiful death. Her lips twisted into a smirk. Her shoulders shook, and she burst into pleased laughter. She nodded once, and Kaito left. He exited into the hallway, then cast his gaze up at the clerestory windows and the moonlight they were letting in. Trying to avoid looking at the creepy images they were casting on the stone floor, he muttered under his breath. \"...Eleven left, huh?\" He clenched his fists, his face full of determination. The following morning, with Hina's assistance, he fled the castle alone and made for the Church. Kaito passed through the teleportation"}, {"text": "circle, which should have been connected to the front gate of the Church's main building. The crimson walls around him finished their work and poured down as showers of blood. But after the crimson cleared, he found himself in a dark room made of packed earth. Kaito's eyes widened. This was the small room that connected to the Church's hidden passages. He looked around in confusion. When he did, he found the worst possible person waiting for him. \"My, my, did you come seeking the Church's protection?\" Clueless wore a calm smile. Behind him stood a number of his followers, all clad in cylindrical white outfits, their faces covered by hoods. Surrounded by the men in white, Clueless looked like an executioner leading a body disposal crew. He peered at Kaito like he was examining a worm, and when he spoke, his tone was full of disappointment. \"My apologies, but it would be inconvenient for me if word got out about the deal I offered you. Since you seem to have declined, I'm afraid we're going to have to settle this in-house. But be at ease. Since you weren't planning on taking my deal, this would have happened sooner or later.\" Clueless's followers grabbed Kaito's arms and dragged him roughly to his feet. When they did, a sharp pain suddenly ran through his chest, and he let out a low groan. Clueless gazed at him and raised his voice in exasperation. \"Good grief. It would cause no shortage of problems if you were to continue making noises like that this far up. If you keep doing that, you're liable to wreck your throat. Not that I would mind, of course.\" On Clueless's orders, they dragged Kaito away. Based on the direction he was being taken, Kaito discerned that he wasn't going to Clueless's private chamber but to the inquisition room. That was fast. Apparently, Clueless didn't have any more reason to maintain pretenses with him. Clueless beamed from ear to ear as he reached for the handle to the inquisition room. \"Welcome, dear sinner. Here we will receive you, and here we will deny you.\" As he threw it open, the door made a sound like that of the gates of Hell. They carried Kaito to the other side of the iron bars. As cries of pain surrounded him, he was brought helplessly to the wooden pedestal in the center of the room. They bound his hands and feet in shackles to prevent him from fleeing. ...Looks like I got box-seat tickets. Kaito cynically mused on his predicament. He hadn't noticed it the last time he was here, but now that he was about to be tortured, he saw a painting of the suffering woman on the ceiling. She wept crimson tears as she gazed down through her veil at the people being tortured. Kaito wondered why she was grieving. He didn't know the specifics of their belief system. But he doubted that the scene she was gazing on was supposed to be a part of it. Those chosen by God would never wish for such a hellscape. Even Kaito, who was from another world, knew that. \"I mentioned it before, but summoning someone from another world is quite rare. Through dissection, we should be able to figure out how Elisabeth summoned you. And once we've analyzed the spell, we'll be able to put the information to great use in summoning people ourselves. Worry not\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyour death will not be in vain. In fact, this should be far preferable to being judged as Elisabeth's servant. You will be able to serve man and, in doing so, begin atoning for your sins. Ah, I simply cannot wait.\" Clueless looked down at Kaito, barely able to stop himself from drooling. His eyes were blazing, a far cry from when he'd been looking at Kaito like a worm a moment ago. He'd acknowledged Kaito's worth, although much of that worth seemed like it would be present only in the scraps of meat remaining after Kaito was dissected. One of the subordinates drew out a large knife. His neighbor to the right held a pair of bone shears, and the one on the left held a coping saw. They drew near Kaito, who by this point was well and truly afraid. He wanted to scream. His thoughts burning, he opened his mouth. \"When you say 'we,' do you mean you and the demon you contracted with?\" Clueless's smile froze on his face. Kaito felt the familiar sensation of the pieces clicking into place. Clueless was the kind of person who was weak to surprise attacks. In Kaito's past life, one of the people his father had blackmailed was a company president who had been cooking his books, and the president had often worn that exact same expression. Kaito heaved a heavy sigh before continuing on. \"The thing is, I was connected to the Church's front gate, but my intention all along was to come looking for you. Your interference saved me some time. I wanted to run, but I couldn't... After seeing this hell, I couldn't just leave things like this.\" Kaito could move his head a little, and he peered through the iron bars. Even now, a hellscape was unfolding around him. Right next to his pedestal was a man with his chest torn open and his stomach exposed, writhing in agony. There was a mother and her child, bound by thick strings and both coughing up foamy blood. Kaito didn't have a particularly strong sense of justice. Normally, self-sacrifice would be the last thing on his mind. But even he had his limits. He couldn't just let this nauseating spectacle continue. \"When I saw this hell, I realized just how suspicious you seemed. Demons get their power from people's pain, from the discord in their souls that pain causes. And when I saw the torture you were performing in the name of inquisition, I got the same impression I get from demons... After all, it didn't exactly look like you were just torturing people to get them to confess to their heresy.\" The people around him were on the verge of death, writhing in unending agony. The worst things one could imagine were being done to these heretics. This kind of torture could only be the work of demons. \"How could they stay alive with their bodies full of rivets, with their bodies diced to pieces, with their stomachs torn open? Maybe if you were taking serious measures to keep them alive, the facade would be more convincing, but most of them were just left to suffer. When you first showed me this room, I unconsciously burned the image into my mind, so when I thought about it later on, I was sure of it. Their lives were being forcibly extended by a demon's power... Which means that this little party definitely isn't Church approved.\" When they'd gone through Clueless's secret underground passageway, they hadn't run across any other members of the Church. If this torture was official Church business, and similar things were going on elsewhere, then there should have been more people coming and going, people doing things like transporting heretics and cleaning up blood. But no one had been in those passages but Clueless and his men. Kaito hadn't seen a single other person from the Church. Clueless had kept Kaito from meeting any of the other clergymen, obstinately concealing them from him. In other words, his actions were in defiance of the Church. \"I also found it interesting that you resolved to kill Elisabeth all on your own. When the Church came to her for help, I have to imagine they didn't have anywhere else to turn. They were probably at their wits' ends. Imagine. Hiring a sow to deal with the pigs. Yet, in spite of this, a supposed member of the Church came to the castle in secret and tried to get me to kill her. The prevention of the birth of an almighty demon\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit sounds like a reasonable excuse at first, but after you got rid of her, how did you plan on dealing with the remaining demons? There could only be one reason you wanted to get rid of your prize hound after she'd only killed two of the thirteen demons\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou're one of the thirteen.\" Given that there had been a contractor among the Royal Knights, it didn't seem strange for there to be one in the Church as well. And having been tasked with disposing of heretics, he'd found himself in a convenient position to accumulate pain. He'd even tried to use his position to eliminate a potent foe. But he'd done it too hastily and far too sloppily. That was what happened when one failed to keep up appearances while looking down on others. Clueless had treated him like a worm, and Kaito laughed scornfully as he looked up at his face. \"I'm right, aren't I, Clueless? Well, the only reason I was able to notice was because Hina helped me get my thoughts in order, but still.\" \"Is that all you have to say, you doddering little doll?\" Clueless smiled calmly, neither confirming nor denying Kaito's accusations. But Kaito didn't fail to notice the vein slightly bulging on his forehead. If he hadn't been bound, Kaito would have shrugged, but he settled for a nod. \"Yup, that's all for me. I found the demon. I set the snare. Now it's the Torture Princess's turn.\" \"Oh, but the teleportation circle is closed off from this side. You imbecile! You have no cards left to play!\" Clueless laughed. Kaito's eyes grew cold as he wondered if Clueless was an idiot. Kaito had watched Clueless meddle with the teleportation circle before. It was obvious that Kaito had seen this coming. Kaito took a deep breath, then exhaled sharply. And his stomach hurt. \"It only seats one, but I've got a circle right here.\" A puzzled look spread across Clueless's face, but in the next moment, his eyes opened wide. He tore off Kaito's shirt. Several leather belts were wrapped around Kaito's midsection. A crimson teleportation circle glowed beneath the high-quality hide. Clueless frantically removed the belts with his bone shears, then tore off the dressing beneath them. When he saw where the teleportation circle's light was coming from, he gasped. \"...You son of a bitch.\" \"It's real handy, how much blood this body can lose without dying.\" The teleportation circle was carved on Kaito's stomach. The cuts were deep, and blood gushed out of them. Even so much as breathing sent sharp pains rippling through his chest. When Clueless's men had been dragging him a moment ago, he had thought he might die from the pain. But the time he spent gritting his teeth was paying off. \"As my servant, even you could use your blood to summon something to your side.\" Elisabeth had mentioned that once, some time ago. Clueless clutched the shears and tried to add fresh cuts to Kaito's wounds. But he was too late, and the teleportation circle began violently glowing. Crimson flower petals flew through the air, and darkness began to spread. Clueless's eyes widened, and he shouted as he drew back. \"Stay away... Stay away, E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039l\u00e2\u20ac\u2039i\u00e2\u20ac\u2039s\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039b\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039t\u00e2\u20ac\u2039h\u00e2\u20ac\u2039!\" \"Ah, but how could I, after hearing my name called so passionately?\" A voice rife with mockery rang out, and the darkness surged forth. Crimson flower petals fluttered throughout the prison. The petals then turned to raindrops, showering the room in red. Elisabeth, drenched in blood, made her appearance from the teleportation circle. Her elegant black hair and draping dress wafted gently, and her ample bosom bounced. She landed on her heels, right on Kaito's gaping wound. Her smile was sinister, and ignoring Kaito's screams of pain, she snapped her fingers. \"Nothing fancy for the small fry, I think. Death by Hanging.\" Straw ropes dropped from the ceiling and wrapped themselves around the necks of Clueless's men. It was almost comical how quickly"}, {"text": "they got yanked into the air. Their necks made loud popping sounds as their spines snapped, their respiratory tracts collapsed, and their veins burst. The hoods that had been concealing their faces plopped off. Their faces were made of huge, festering sarcomas. They weren't humans. They were underlings. Their corpses dangled from the ceiling. \"This can't... Damn you. Damn you!\" Clueless's hands shook as he grabbed the necklace from his collar. He tried to mutter something. But when he did, steel shackles bound around his wrists. His gaze froze on Elisabeth and her smile. \"It seems you're fond of pain, hmm?\" \"A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039r\u00e2\u20ac\u2039g\u00e2\u20ac\u2039h\u00e2\u20ac\u2039!\u00e2\u20ac\u2039\" The shackles jerked, and his wrists snapped. Fragments of bone pierced his skin from within. He screamed, writhing in agony. But suddenly, his arms slid out of the fetters binding them. His whole body was soon covered in venom. His thick blond hair fell out in clumps, and his cassock burst off. As his limbs continued to swell, he leaped into the air. Now resembling a fleshy meat-frog, he pushed his flesh through the prison's iron bars and fled for the corridor. For some reason, Elisabeth's face contorted in surprise after seeing Clueless's massive, hideous form. \"That man... He possesses an unnatural amount of magical power, but he is no demon! He's a weakling, a mere underling!\" \"Really? That's good news, right? That means you can take him out easily.\" \"Of course it isn't good, you fool! He's a member of the Church! Surely you jest... The only demon a member of the Church would encounter is...\" Elisabeth snapped her fingers. The restraints on Kaito's arms and legs popped open. Crimson petals collected around his wound and forcibly infused it with Elisabeth's blood. The petals also wrapped a fresh leather belt around him. Kaito screamed at the sudden pain of the forcible transfusion and hemostasis. \"Gah! What're you doing? Dammit, Elisabeth, that hurts!\" \"Follow me if you wish. Or stay, but I may return late, or take another route back to the castle altogether. It would be on you to stay alive until you received proper treatment.\" \"Not following you doesn't seem like much of a choice, then, does it?!\" After struggling to his feet, Kaito took off after Elisabeth. He'd only recovered a little from his blood loss. If he could ignore the pain, he'd probably be able to keep up with her. Having cleared the door, the meat-frog was clumsily running through the passage. Elisabeth waved her hand at it. Darkness and crimson petals coalesced, then became a massive spiked wheel. The wheel spun toward it, but it vanished midpath as if repelled by something. For a second, Kaito thought he saw a black dog's tail sticking out of the frog's back. The meat-frog turned and then, with a relieved expression, took off again, even faster than before. \"That reaction... Could it really be him?!\" Elisabeth's voice was tinged with uncharacteristic desperation. Even though her foe was a mere underling, she unsheathed the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. The meat-frog hopped up a larger set of stairs, then smashed through the door at the top. Upon seeing the frog, an old, gentle-looking clergyman carrying a bundle of scrolls screamed and fell on his rear. A group of believers hid behind a young clergyman who'd apparently been leading them around. Kaito hadn't expected the Church to be such an ordinary, upright organization. The path the meat-frog was taking led it into an orderly, neat marble room. It continued to flee, spraying foamy venom as it went. As it made for the worship hall, Elisabeth swung her sword in its direction. \"Gibbet!\" The darkness spiraled in a long, vertical pattern, and a cage barely wide enough to fit a person standing up straight clamped around the meat-frog, wringing massive amounts of venom from it. Chains surrounded the cage. Even if the meat-frog broke out of the cage, the chains would still restrain it. But the next moment, Elisabeth's body quivered and she dropped to her knees. \"Rrrgh... Mm... Ah, my body...\" The cage crumbled, returning to darkness and petals. The chains, too, lost their power, collapsing to the floor and wriggling a few times before vanishing. \"Elisabeth!\" Patterns of scarlet characters snaked across her body. Kaito's golem features tried to decipher their meaning but failed. His knowledge bank told him it was the Word of God, unable to be translated or vocalized. The scripture was etched all over her body like burns. She looked as though she had been branded. So those were the shackles the Church had put on her. But why did they activate just now? \"It burns... Rrrgh... Wh-why...? Who...?\" Even though she was down on her hands and knees, Elisabeth shot a hate-filled glare to her side. Up on the altar was a clergyman, clutching his necklace and waving it side to side as he chanted a prayer. With every verse, the patterns on Elisabeth's skin flared scarlet. She screamed in bloodcurdling rage. \"Not me, you imbecile! That's the one you should be stopping! Fool!\" The meat-frog mowed down worshippers and smashed through pews as it headed deeper into the church. A band of guards had finally assembled, but the meat-frog mercilessly routed them. Pressed beneath its massive belly, their bones shattered in their armor. But even in his confusion, the clergyman never stopped his prayer. Kaito dashed up the short steps, then forcefully stuck out his hand. \"What\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"I'm borrowing this, old man!\" Kaito snatched the necklace off the man's wrinkly neck and threw it. Elisabeth stood, then took off like a newly fired arrow. But she was still covered in serious burn marks. Elisabeth ran, continuing to be tormented by the scripture, and Kaito followed after her. The hallway was littered with the guards' battered corpses, and they only grew more prevalent the farther the two of them got. They seemed to have been guarding an imposing door, but that door was now wide open. An impressive office lay behind it. An old man wearing a diadem and a gold vestment sat dead atop a velvet chair, his body crushed from the waist down. The wall behind the man had been smashed to pieces. Beyond the wall was a hidden passage, covered on all surfaces by the faint glow of the Word of God. With every step the meat-frog took down it, its body frothed violently as its flesh burned. But Elisabeth was no different. The instant she'd dashed into the corridor, the patterns on her body flared up again, and she let out a scream of agony. \"Rrrgh... Aaaaaargh! Ah, ah!\" \"Elisabeth, don't be stupid!\" Hurriedly, Kaito rushed to support Elisabeth. As he propped her up, he endured the pain in his stomach and walked forward. The meat-frog, somehow still alive, reached the end of the passageway. It clung to the wall and pleaded, shedding a flood of tears all the while. \"Oh my Lord. I was mistaken. Hungry for power, I left you sealed away. Had I but believed in you, I never would have done such a thing. But now I offer you my everything. I will free you as a sign of my devotion. So please, save me from that demonic woman.\" The meat-frog vomited something out. From within the mass of phlegm, it retrieved a golden key. After intricately tracing the Words of God and offering up words of prayer, it inserted the key into what appeared to be a featureless wall. A clicking noise rang out, and the wall flashed violently before vanishing. Deep darkness and a sharp chill flowed out from inside. In the center of the persistent darkness sat an Iron Chair. Upon it sat a black-haired man. The man slowly looked up. His dark, tangled hair rustled, and his crimson eyes glittered. From what Kaito could see of his facial features behind the hair, he possessed a certain androgynous beauty. But the instant he looked at the man, his throat swelled up, intimidated, and he understood something. That man was terrifying. Even though he possessed a beautiful human form, he was no human. He was something repulsive. Yet, despite all that, his face looked somehow familiar. Without a sound, the belts holding the man's arms and legs burned to ash. He slowly stood, as though he was rising from a throne. Clad in prison garb, he plucked a needle free from his back, and blood gushed out. Yet, his expression did not change in the slightest. His eyes were vacant, as if he were in a waking dream. Clueless, the meat-frog, crawled toward the man and knelt awkwardly before him with eyes that screamed for mercy. Without even looking at the meat-frog, the man raised a foot. He then brought his bare foot down on its head. The frog's massive eyes popped right out at the impact. \"Ble\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Dark-red blood began spilling forth. The meat-frog's head had been abruptly crushed, and its gray brain tissue oozed out. But even surrounded by blood, the man was still emotionless. He looked back up, as if he'd simply stepped on an ordinary frog that had jumped in his path. It was then that he saw Elisabeth, standing in the entrance, for the first time. His absentminded expression vanished, replaced by an impossibly charming smile. \"Elisabeth.\" His voice, filled with fervent adoration, was the same as the one Kaito had heard in the castle's Treasury. *** Elisabeth howled, shoving Kaito away. He flew into the wall and crumpled without a word. She rushed into the room, waving the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. She slashed at the empty air, and hundreds of chains bore down on the man like a torrent. But the scripture still burned in her flesh, and her chains lacked their usual strength. Even so, they would have been sufficient to shred the Knight they had fought before to pieces, but a canine black tail whipped through the air and blocked every last one. Grrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrrr. Out of nowhere, an enormous black dog squatted by the man's side. It was a first-class hound, with lustrous fur and rippling muscles. The black dog had the stench of a beast, and its mouth and eyes burned with hellfire. While it didn't look hideous in the slightest, every instinct Kaito had screamed out to him that it was more dangerous than any demon they had faced yet. But for whatever reason, he didn't feel an ounce of fear. His mind was unusually numb. Face-to-face with the embodiment of death, his sense of fear had been completely paralyzed. This thing was in an overwhelmingly different realm than the ugly, twisted demons. The black dog stuck out its head. With movement so efficient you could almost call it beautiful, it leaped toward Elisabeth with its sharp fangs. But right before it could clamp down on her slender frame, the man shook his head. The dog stopped, and with a dreamlike gaze, the man vanished. When he did, so did the suffocating pressure that had filled the room. Kaito had seen everything from the passageway. After finally reaching the room, he looked around in a stupor. \"Wait... Where did he go? Or rather, more importantly, who was that?\" \"The Kaiser.\" \"What?\" Elisabeth answered his question in a stiff voice. He tilted his head to the side. Seeing Kaito's poor grasp of the situation, she repeated herself. \"The Kaiser has returned to his homeland.\" 5 The Birthplace of the Torture Princess Elisabeth sat in her usual room, one leg over the other. Atop the ball-and-claw throne, she stared into the gloomy, overcast sky. An orb of pale-blue light hovered in front of her. Kaito hadn't been told the specifics, but as the orb slowly rotated, it projected the image of someone who seemed rather important. However, despite appearing on the front of the orb no matter which way you looked at it, his face was so blurry, it looked like it was encased in a cloud of fog. It was difficult to"}, {"text": "pick out a single distinct feature. The mysterious figure spoke in a low voice, cold as ice. \"We had been discussing transferring the Kaiser to the capital, so his seal was incomplete. Furthermore, Clueless had a talent for currying favor, and as such was able to glean the strictly confidential location where the Kaiser was imprisoned, as well as the method to free him, from the officer in charge of the Kaiser's detainment. Furthermore, much of the Church's leadership, myself included, were heading for the capital to prepare for the festival, leaving the Church's defenses lacking... This incident was brought about by various deficiencies and misfortunes on our part.\" \"Just come out and say it was preventable, you fool. Enough with the public relations\u00e2\u20ac\u201dget on with the more pertinent matters.\" \"The Church formally demands that you, Elisabeth Le Fanu, kill or apprehend the Kaiser.\" Elisabeth sighed a silent victory at the orb's declaration. She recrossed her legs and grinned. \"So it falls to me to clean up your mess yet again. And so it has been, time and time again. Once more does your God sit idle, leaving you to fend for yourselves. All you have to protect you is the authority you wield. You leash dogs in the name of your god, then sit back and crack your whips at them.\" \"We lack the power to contest with those monsters. That is why we are forced to rely on you. But that is in no way contradictory to the fact that God is constantly by our side. He tests us, true, but His blessings are with us as they are for all His children.\" \"Ha! Such fine platitudes you regurgitate, swindler! According to your doctrine, are those men, reduced to grotesque forms by their demonic contracts, not also His creations? Am I, Torture Princess that I am, not a creature of your God? Where are His blessings for us, may I ask? Your words are rife with hypocrisy!\" \"His blessings have always been with you. God is eternally merciful. If only you would realize that, even now, He is surely shedding tears of blood even as He punishes you, hoping that you may atone for your sins. I have known you since you were a child, Elisabeth, daughter of my dear friend...and you have every reason to hate demons.\" Elisabeth's eyebrow twitched. Her expression darkened, and she drew her lips together. From her side, Kaito viewed her expression with caution. But as she turned to glare at him, he quickly straightened his posture. Paying no heed to Elisabeth's silence, the voice continued. \"Take care not to forget the words we inscribed on your sword. 'You are free to act as you will. But pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand.' The Church placed a number of restraints on the Kaiser, as well. We put them all in motion earlier today. They will last seven days, so that is how long you have to hand down his punishment.\" His tone didn't change as he notified her of her time limit. It carried none of the weight of a threat. That fact was precisely what drove fear deep into Kaito's heart. Standing beside Elisabeth, his mind spun. Seven days, huh? Will she even be able to do anything about the Kaiser in that little time? And what'll happen if she can't? What kinds of calamities would befall the world in that event? With nothing left to say, the voice concluded with a final, chilling order. \"Before the day of your death, try to do some good at least.\" The light in the orb faded, and it fell to the ground with a delicate plop. Kaito reached down and picked it up. The orb had been made of thin paper. He had no idea where the light had been coming from. Still confused, he looked up at Elisabeth and asked: \"So what was that about?\" \"Communications from Godot Deus, the head of the Church. Ever the gaudy antique, that one is.\" She shook her head, not saying any more. As she stared off into space, Kaito decided to start by asking her the question that weighed heaviest on his mind. \"So do you have any idea where the Kaiser went?\" \"Indeed.\" Her answer was immediate. At once, Kaito was filled with relief. The difficulty of their task varied immensely depending on whether or not they could pinpoint the Kaiser's location. Elisabeth squinted as she gazed through a hole in the collapsed wall, as if she was looking at something far off in the distance. Before her extended a seemingly infinite expanse of dark trees and faintly glimmering gray clouds. \"The Kaiser has returned home. To my castle, the place of my birth.\" Why had the Kaiser returned to Elisabeth's birthplace? Why had the Kaiser called out her name so affectionately? Kaito waited for her to elaborate. But Elisabeth said nothing more, and Kaito didn't ask. They simply stood, gazing through the hole in the wall. Their silence persisted. Wind blew in from outside, carrying with it the scent of rain. Elisabeth finally breathed in deeply and then exhaled. She clicked her tongue, then stood with enough force to knock over her chair. \"...Let's go.\" \"...Mm-hmm.\" Her voice bristled with ire, and Kaito nodded. The next moment, he felt a sharp kick to his leg. Apparently, his response had been unbecoming of a servant. Elisabeth's hometown lay beyond a high wall. Out of all the territory the noble Le Fanu house had once possessed, this castle town was special. This was where the Torture Princess's bloodstained legend had begun. The town was arranged like a fan, with the splendid white-walled Le Fanu castle at its center and a steep mountain range forming its backdrop. And it made good use of its unique topography. The wall surrounding it formed a summoning platform for mythical beasts and provided a layer of defense for emergencies. But now, that wall served a different purpose. With its gate shut firmly, the wall sealed off the city. If one was to take even a single step beyond that threshold, they would find themselves surrounded by death. That towering barrier now served as a massive gravestone for the town. According to rumor, the Torture Princess herself, Elisabeth Le Fanu, had once sealed that gate, summoned torture devices all around the town, and set them on every last resident. The banquet of slaughter lasted three days and nights, and during that period, ceaseless screams of anguish filled the air like a grand symphony. She'd used the slaughter in this town as an opportunity to surpass the Plain of Skewers and the Dance Macabre in the Village by the Mountains to birth more corpses than ever before. ...The more I learn, the worse it gets. All of this was information Kaito had learned from Elisabeth herself. When he'd asked her about the place they were heading, Elisabeth had tossed him a document the Church had assembled, titled Records of the Torture Princess. Seeing his appalled face after reading the opening anecdote, she gave a \"Humph.\" \"Just who exactly did you think I was? I am Elisabeth Le Fanu, the Torture Princess. \"I may be hunting demons, but I am still the grandest criminal this world possesses, one who not even death can redeem.\" The land where Elisabeth, Kaito, and Hina currently stood was the place from which all those morbid tales originated. A charred ruin extended before them. After the slaughter, those in charge of disposing of the massive quantity of corpses had been at a loss as to what to do, and they eventually settled on simply lighting everything past the walls ablaze. The fire had been left to burn for seven days and seven nights. After the inferno was extinguished, however, no attempt was made to retrieve the bodies. The town was simply marked as \"cursed\" and blockaded. Kaito, upon seeing the mounds of human bones peeking out among the cracks of the carbonized rubble, murmured softly. \"Well, that's not a pretty sight.\" \"Nay, not in the slightest. The Church wrote it off as having been 'abandoned by God.'\" Elisabeth spoke as if it had nothing to do with her, and Kaito gave a curt nod. There was no exaggeration to that wording. The rotting houses, the torture devices, and the innumerable skeletons strewn about the rubble invoked images of religious paintings of Hell. The brick foundations of houses with their roofs burned off formed the background, and the countless skeletons skewered on iron stakes practically looked like offerings to Diablo. In contrast with the morbid scene, the white castle stood tall and radiant. It alone was unmarred by soot or degradation. It looked almost like a toy, placed atop a pile of mud and ash. Elisabeth, the person responsible for the horrid state of this bizarre landscape, briefly clicked her tongue. \"Tch. I'm hardly in a position to complain, but the air here is unpleasant. Take care not to let your guard down. The Kaiser has already settled in. Even I haven't the faintest idea of what awaits us, but whatever it may be, you can be sure that it won't be pleasant.\" \"Yes, ma'am. I will stay battle-ready. Master Kaito, I beseech you to stay behind me so that you may avoid harm.\" \"Ah, right. Thanks.\" Kaito nodded, then obediently moved to Hina's rear. Hina grinned as she gave a bow. \"Be at ease. No matter the cost, I shall protect you, Master.\" Her words dripped with their usual admiration, but in her arms, she brandished a massive halberd. The weapon cast a fiendish silhouette, and it was much taller than she was. Its lance head was disturbingly thick, and a fat, curved sword was attached to the ax head. It must have been tremendously heavy, but Hina carried it with the same grace and dignity she would carry a teapot to a tea party. Kaito couldn't tell if the scene before him was a joke or a nightmare. He felt light-headed from the vertigo the spectacle inspired within him. Elisabeth had been right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe air here was unpleasant. The atmosphere, too, carried an uncomfortable heat. It almost felt as though that fire was still smoldering somewhere deep in the earth. All the bodies should have rotted away or turned to ash by now, but Kaito occasionally caught a strong whiff of something rotting. He couldn't help but feel that the sentiments and regrets of those who had died here were decomposing like their flesh, accumulating into a thick muck. And the hatred and malice that muck was spewing forth were directed at a single woman. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth, cruel, hideous Elisabeth! A curse upon you, a curse upon you, a curse, a curse, an eternal curse upon you, Elisabeth! The entire town joined together in a voiceless roar. It was no mere trick of the ear. After all, this was a place of death. It was Elisabeth's hometown, the place where the Torture Princess was born. But the woman in question ignored the pressure bearing down on her from all sides. Elisabeth walked on with a ruler's composure. What's going through your head right now? Kaito couldn't begin to imagine how she felt. But he had no idea of what to ask or how to ask her. He wasn't even sure if there was any reason to ask in the first place. Besides, figuring out how to deal with the Kaiser took top priority. He simply followed after Elisabeth, walking across roads of hardened muck and ash. The town was littered with mementos of the atrocities that took place there. Half-buried skulls were lined up in rows like a vegetable plot. A large tree had survived the fire, and dangling from its branches were three human skeletons and one dog skeleton bound by wire. No doubt it had been set up"}, {"text": "so that when the canine struggled to get free, its claws would dig into the survivors. Kaito knit his brows at the appalling scene. Suddenly, one skull slowly looked up from its pile. \"...Huh?\" \"Hmm? What is it, Kaito?\" \"Look over there.\" A skeleton was leisurely tilting its neck, its hollow eye sockets trained directly on Elisabeth. Kaito rubbed his eyes. But no matter how many times he checked, the pile of bones that should have been lying prone was staring straight at them. That was when it happened. Click, click, clack. A band of skeletons appeared from behind a dilapidated house, making miserable, dry clacking noises as they leaped onto the main road. Spears had been thrust all the way up their rear ends and protruded from their mouths, and their spines were riddled with splinters. Their arms and legs were trimmed off. With their tragic bodies, they danced in the street, spinning with what appeared to be joy. Seeing how the heinous torture had warped their bones, Kaito gasped. Noticing his pause, one of the skeletons drew near him. As if entreating him, it extended what remained of its hand, and Kaito grabbed it without thinking. When he did, it yanked its inverted wrist hard. But then, with a clattering sound, it shattered. \"Don't you dare lay a hand on Master Kaito, you lackey!\" \"Ah, whoops.\" Kaito hurriedly hid behind Hina again. The skeletons rushed at them, one after another. But their main target, Elisabeth, didn't even spare them a glance. \"Heavens, how noisy they are.\" She yawned, then clicked her heels as she continued walking. Each time she did, iron stakes burst forth from the ground in a shower of darkness and crimson petals. But even when they were sown to the ground, the skeletons merely collapsed into piles of bones, then re-formed out of the undamaged ones to resume their chase. Even with Hina swinging her halberd and Elisabeth driving them away, the corpses seemed unkillable. Kaito could feel his chest freeze as he realized that these were all people Elisabeth had killed. As if joining a parade, a fresh batch of skeletons rushed them. Finally, Elisabeth clicked her tongue. \"Just how long do you intend to keep up these petty, petty, petty little attacks? Come now. Surely you've realized that even if a century passed, these skeletons would never be able to so much as scratch me, haven't you? Why not just show yourself? You don't mean to tell me you have no more cards to play, do you? How pathetic that would be.\" The three of them traveled east, repelling skeletons all the while. They arrived at the main road leading to the castle. The road was wide and neatly paved with brick, as if in consideration of carriage traffic. It was lined with melted metal signs, frames of once-splendid houses, and ash-covered shops with their shingled roofs intact. Even in its current state of disrepair, the main road still contained traces of the town's lost prosperity. But at the moment, standing in the doorway to this place's tragic past was an ominous figure. There was a tall woman, wearing a mourning dress as if she was grieving for the countless dead. Her face was hidden behind black lace, and her lustrous black hair cascaded down her back as she hung her head. Everything she was wearing, from her silk gloves and her long skirt to the standing collar covering her neck, was black. She was oddly thin, and her conservative dress left much to the imagination. The only place she wasn't small was her chest, which was oddly alluring. Her wide-brimmed hat was decorated with a fragrant collection of white lilies. The flowers were somber, like the kind one would leave at a grave, and their elegant glimmer was the only deviance from her otherwise all-black outfit. Elisabeth stopped, then posed an irritated question to the woman. \"Suspicious woman in black, are you the necromancer responsible for these bothersome attacks?\" \"...So you do not hesitate, even when faced with the victims you tormented, those you defiled, and those you killed without mercy?\" Her voice was deep for a woman's, yet it reverberated somewhat softly in the ear. Elisabeth furrowed her brow. She narrowed her crimson eyes, as if searching her memory for something. Kaito, standing behind her, tilted his head as well. He wasn't used to her showing her enemies an emotion other than anger or frustration. The woman continued in a voice like clear water. \"Are you perhaps saying that after you've finished your meat, you care not what happens to the bones?\" \"Indeed, that is what I was about to say... Wait... That voice, that manner of speaking... You can't be...?\" The woman offered no response to Elisabeth's mutterings. She instead picked up the hem of her long skirt from the piles of ash on the ground, then lifted it high enough that her thighs were visible. It didn't look like she was wearing panties, which made the amount of skin she was revealing even more precarious. Bones tumbled out of her skirt, grazing her skin as they fell. The bones rattled as they resumed their original forms. The woman stroked the skull of one of the newly formed skeletons as if it were a cat. Looking at the fully formed skeletons, Kaito found himself at a loss for words. Their hands and feet were twisted, and their backs were stretched out into a bridge formation. They scuttled about on all fours. When they were alive, their bodies had likely been fixed in place so long that they could no longer walk normally. And the tiny skeletons had all belonged to children. The skeletons clattered as they scuttled along the ground toward Elisabeth. They let out noises from the gaps between their teeth, almost like they were trying to scream. But without a shred of hesitation or mercy, Elisabeth swung her leg sideways. \"Enough!\" She crushed the children's skulls under the heel of her foot. Their bones scattered. Her kick sent a gust of wind at the woman, and her hat blew clean off and fell to the ground. The woman's face, no longer concealed by black lace, came into view. She smiled. She was beautiful, but her plush lips, almond-shaped eyes, and the mole on her cheek gave her a plain impression. \"You haven't kept in touch, Madam Elisabeth.\" Her ashen-blue eyes welled up with tears as she bowed deeply. After picking up her hat and brushing off the dirt, she raised her head and replaced the hat diagonally such that it no longer covered her face. As she spoke, she narrowed her eyes in nostalgia. \"I see you haven't changed a bit, young miss. Even though I suggested time and time again that it might be for the best if you did something about that temper of yours.\" \"So... You are Marianne, then?\" For the first time, Elisabeth's voice shook. The woman nodded happily. After seeing Elisabeth's rare reaction, Kaito instinctively asked: \"Marianne?\" \"She was once my tutor. Now, what are you doing here? As I recall, you were an ordinary woman, one with a decent education and passable looks, but one who was irritatingly fastidious and who missed her chance to marry. So why are you here, and why are you a necromancer?\" \"Is that a serious question, young miss? Do you seriously believe that I could have kept on being an ordinary woman after seeing that brutal spectacle?\" The woman, Marianne, answered in a singsong voice. Her thin hands, clad in black silk gloves, began to move. Each time she brought her hands up and down, the skeletons scattered about the street hopped in sync with them as though threads were manipulating them. Marianne continued talking as she directed their silly little dance. \"Oh, by all rights, I should have simply fled after being overlooked by the infamous Torture Princess. I should have fled the town, moved to the countryside, and lived out the rest of my days in silence. But I couldn't. Not after seeing my own pupil, adorably willful yet fundamentally meek as she was, gleefully summoning torture devices and slaughtering the innocent. After seeing the hell you created, young miss, I thought to myself...\" Marianne peered up. The look she directed at Elisabeth was one of remorse and pity. \"...This ordeal was my fault, born from my own shortcomings. Had I only been a better tutor... Had I only been able to guide you down a proper path, then even when your parents died, you would not have strayed so far. The responsibility fell on my shoulders. I failed to save you, young miss.\" \"You speak drivel. What part of this was your fault? You think too highly of yourself, Marianne. Cruelty has been my nature since childhood, and your teachings did naught to sway that for better or worse. Anything you could have done would have been akin to dust in the wind. It would have held no meaning and left no traces.\" Elisabeth raised one black fingernail. Kaito, anticipating a torture device to appear, gulped. But Elisabeth didn't summon anything. She simply pointed off in the distance. \"Leave. I know not why you appeared before me after all this time, but I don't care to see your face again. You did much for me in my childhood, in the days I could not venture outside. I shall overlook our meeting today. But I shan't grant you a third chance. Vanish from my sight. Leave now, and you may yet die a peaceful death.\" After being attacked, Elisabeth is going to let this woman go? Kaito's jaw was on the ground. He thought back to the image of Elisabeth's youth he'd seen. He tried imagining this fussy yet kind woman by that frail girl's side. He could envision that scene, of a tutor and her willful pupil side by side, surprisingly easily. The fact that such a scene had once played out in reality was likely the source of Elisabeth's mercy. But Marianne didn't seem likely to take Elisabeth up on her offer. Marianne clutched at her sides, hugging herself so tightly, you could make out the bones in her fingers. \"It's my fault... It's my fault you turned out so twisted... I have to\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Get ahold of yourself, Marianne! Listen when other people are\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Oh, young miss!\" The bones in Marianne's fingers began to creak. The skeletons at her feet began hopping up and down as if in response to her violent passion. They then collapsed, abandoning their human forms, and all combined together into a massive tower. The tower collapsed onto Elisabeth, creaking as it fell. Elisabeth shrugged. But the next moment, an explosion rocked the bones and they were sent flying from within. A pale horse leaped free from the tower. \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?!\" Elisabeth's eyes widened. Kaito, too, was at a loss for words. The Knight was supposed to be dead, yet there sat a Knight astride the photoluminescent horse with great pomp and circumstance. Then again, this wasn't truly the Knight. The Knight standing before them was made of rotting flesh. His horse's chest was dissolved to expose ribs. As for the Knight, maggots and manure seeped from the gaps in his helmet. Even for someone who'd been resurrected, his body was in poor shape. But just like the original, the horse's hoof steps were accompanied by bolts of lightning. As he spurred his steed forward, the rider pulled his lance of lightning from thin air. \"Bone Mill!\" Elisabeth swung a flat, spiked hammer. It smashed into the Knight's rotting flesh, crushed his bones, and scattered his body to the wind. But right before his destruction, the Knight smashed his lance against the ground. His decaying body had been weak, but the power of his attacks was nothing to laugh at. Marianne, who had been casting her gaze downward, looked up with a smile of utter devotion. \"It's things like"}, {"text": "that that make me love you so, young miss!\" She shouted in ecstasy, her cheeks reddening. Her breath was heavy, as though she was trying to contain her excitement, and she squeezed on her supple breasts as she hugged herself. Elisabeth took a step back, her face visibly stiffening. Kaito, equally uncomfortable, felt a bead of cold sweat drip down his back. Marianne stood in front of them, her eyes burning. She was clearly not in her right mind. Marianne muttered gleefully, clutching her chest even tighter. \"The sins you bear are beyond your ability to atone for, young miss. You will die unappreciated, unloved, cursed, and despised. I am the only one who can save you. I am the only one who would dare to try. But that is my duty, the one assigned to me the moment I failed to stop you. My mind is made up, young miss.\" Marianne licked her thick lips. Drool dribbled all the way down to her chin. \"I will kill you with my own two hands!\" \"The Knight, eh...? You've picked up a rather strange talent. While I fail to understand his intention, that man doubtlessly instigated this. Just how much power did the Kaiser confer upon you?\" Elisabeth had ignored her passionate confession, and Marianne simply smiled in response to the question Elisabeth posed. With a sound like a percussion instrument, the bones assembled themselves into a tower once more. A bonfire-like blue flame swirled up inside it. The scene resembled a bizarre ritual, and a new, grotesque Knight fell from the flames. The tower rose again and again, each time producing a copy of the Knight. In front of them, the tower created a row of smaller boxes. Out of each box leaped a meat-frog. Their countless soggy hands and feet slapped against the brick road, filling the area with venom and manure. At the forefront of this strange army stood Marianne, her arms spread wide as if in an embrace. \"All for the sake of l\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039v\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039!\u00e2\u20ac\u2039\" \"You... You've gone mad.\" Marianne's shout dripped with affection, and as it echoed, Elisabeth spoke in a whisper, her voice strained as though she was enduring a headache. For whatever reason, Marianne's cheeks flushed even redder in embarrassment as she nodded. Hina held her halberd at the ready, her eyes trained on her foe. She didn't drop her guard as she spoke. \"...I am deeply repulsed by her, and yet, I feel we share a certain affinity. I wonder why that is.\" \"I'm begging you, Hina\u00e2\u20ac\u201ddon't follow in her footsteps.\" \"Oh my, no! That's not what I meant at all, Master Kaito! While I can sympathize with the pain of seeing one's master go astray, and while I understand the strength of the emotions that cause her such madness, I would never dream of being so insolent as to kill my own master. Under such circumstances, it is all the more important for a servant to serve their master with unfettered devotion, to serve their master with every fiber of their being, and to serve their master even at the cost of their own life. For to love is to renounce one's self, and were it for Master Kaito's sake, I would gladly embrace death.\" \"Hina, in front of you!\" The army of meat-frogs all leaped at once. They paid no heed to the fact that they were crushing one another's tender decaying flesh as they charged for Kaito and Hina. Suddenly, Hina swayed and vanished. She appeared in front of the meat-frogs, waving her halberd. \"How dare you...\" The front-most meat-frog's chest burst with a splorch. Offal and venom rained down upon the meat-frogs behind it. Hina shot forward, almost dancing across the corpse as she did a half spin and swung her halberd. She eradicated every frog around her. She swung her halberd again to dash the venom from its blade, then brought it to a halt. \"...lumps of flesh interfere...\" Hina lowered her center of gravity, then broke into a fierce run. As she passed a Knight's horse, she drove her halberd into it, slashing it in two. Momentum sent the bottom half sailing into the distance, but it eventually toppled to the road. The top portion collapsed where it stood, and the Knight atop it glanced around anxiously. \"...with my lovey-dovey conversation with Master Kaito!\" Hina sent the horse's head flying. When the Knight fell over and landed with his head at her feet, she kicked it off into the distance. Hina's elegant steps resembled a dance as she returned to Kaito. She then twirled her halberd, sending chunks of flesh flying into the air. She retightened her grasp on the handle and smiled at Kaito. Her smile was angelic. \"My apologies. To continue our conversation, were it for Master Kaito's sake, I would gladly embrace death. Rest assured: I won't let them lay a single finger on your precious body.\" \"Th-thanks. That's a huge relief. N-now that I think about it, what's Elisabeth\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" Stuttering at Hina's intensity, Kaito surveyed the area. The mass-produced demons were charging at Elisabeth like ominous waves. However, she showed no signs of concern. To the contrary, she swung a spiked iron ball around freely, smashing the demons to bits. \"What exactly are these, Marianne?\" \"One of the thirteen demons, one you already defeated. Alternatively, his underlings. Back when they were alive, I took a sample of their blood. Using that as an intermediary, I can summon a portion of their soul and duplicate it. This is the result of placing their twisted souls in temporary shells of meat.\" \"This is no act of an amateur necromancer. Vlad is surely behind it.\" \"Indeed. He has been a tremendous aid to me. I had to sacrifice many people to get this far. But it was all for you, young miss. What choice did I have? Those sacrifices were all necessary in order for a weak, ordinary woman like myself to go up against the Torture Princess.\" As Marianne spoke, Kaito saw the group of demons re-forming. Their base material was probably human flesh. While this town was full of bones, not a single scrap of flesh remained on any of the corpses. From where was Marianne getting all that meat? His stomach churned just thinking about the quantity of materials her technique must require. Marianne clasped her silk-gloved hands together, as if in prayer. \"Ah, indeed. I had no choice; I had no choice; I had no choice no choice no choice! I was left with no other choice! In order to become like you, I had no choice but to bear the same sins!\" Blue flames raced alongside her as though in concert with her rising voice. The flames billowed up, as if re-creating the fire that once filled the town, and from them poured an army of Knights. The Knights charged at Elisabeth. A crowd of new meat-frogs advanced on Kaito and Hina. \"How dare you all show your ugly faces before Master Kaito!\" Hina swung her halberd, taking into account the path the venom would spray before she struck. But when she did, the bones that had been lying around now rose up as a shield to block her attack. The bones scattered, but the meat-frog she'd been aiming at narrowly escaped harm. \"Hina, are you oka\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"...Such insolence!\" Hina roared, then drove the sole of her foot into the frog's snout. She pulverized its head, and its body scattered against the ground. The hem of Hina's maid outfit fluttered as she made her graceful landing. \"I thank you for your concern, Master Kaito. What a kind man you are... But that was a trivial matter.\" When Kaito looked back at Elisabeth, her circumstances seemed much the same as before. A number of skeletons were clinging to her iron ball. Even as their bodies shattered, they clutched the spikes and dug their feet into the ground to impede the ball's momentum. Kaito finally realized it. Marianne was planning on using the countless corpses Elisabeth had left to turn this into a battle of resources. \"Ah, can you feel it, young miss? The regrets running across your skin, the anguish boiling in your chest? You are on the verge of being killed by the very innocents you killed long ago. Can you feel it? Can you feel it pounding away at you, young miss, pounding away at your flesh and blood? Can you feel the rage, the hatred, and the sorrow of those you murdered?\" Marianne clutched her abdomen as she cried out with the intensity of an opera singer. Lances were being pointed at Elisabeth from every direction. She snapped her fingers in irritation. \"Do you understand, young miss? Do you understand that those you killed lived normal lives, lives they wanted to protect? You didn't have the right to kill a single one of them, young miss, not a single one!\" She was clearly unstable. The ecstatic flush vanished from her cheeks. She gripped her chest even tighter, breathing hard, as if to demonstrate her pain as she shed sloppy tears. \"Why, young miss? Why? Why did you do such a terrible thing? Why couldn't you understand how wrong it was?! Young miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiss?!\" \"...Did her heart split in two or something?\" Kaito couldn't help but mumble to himself. Everything Marianne was doing and saying was contradictory. She was gleefully trying to kill Elisabeth out of love yet at the same time tearfully trying to compel her to regret her actions and repent. \"Young miss, why is it, why is it that you can't understand...? I will I will stop you. Doing such a thing will, all the people will cry, I have to kill, young miss, I have to stop her, I have to...\" Kaito finally realized: Marianne's spirit was unraveling. She was being crushed both by the horrible spectacle Elisabeth had forced her to witness long ago and by her own guilt for not having been able to stop it. \"...I, my, I, my young miss, my fault, so...\" What stood before Kaito, Elisabeth, and Hina was nothing more than the shell of a broken woman. Marianne let out a high-pitched laugh and covered her face. It almost sounded like a scream. The lilies gently swayed atop her hat. Although Elisabeth clicked her tongue, she also whispered softly. \"...What a miserable state you're in, Marianne. I suppose I'm to blame for that.\" Suddenly, she stopped walking. Kaito watched her. Then a skeletal arm reached out and grabbed her. At once, it pulled her into the throng of the dead. The Torture Princess was buried in the bloodlust and the hate of those she had brutally killed. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth, cruel, hideous Elisabeth! A curse upon you, a curse upon you, a curse, a curse, an eternal curse upon you, Elisabeth! Kaito felt almost as though he, too, could hear the scathing cries of the dead. He shouted, refusing to lose to them. \"Elisabeth! Quit screwing around and get your ass outta there!\" \"Lady Elisabeth, I'm coming!\" Hina shouted, too, then broke into a run. But before she could reach it, the pile of bones began writhing and clattering, driving into Elisabeth's body the same pain they once suffered. Marianne raised her voice once more. \"Do you understand? Have you come to understand, young miss? Young miss, my dear young miss!\" \"I've understood that...since the very...\" A small voice leaked out of the pile. Hina, flustered, stopped in her tracks. As she did, the voice exploded out. *** In concert with the enraged voice, chains exploded forth. The chains clattered as they snaked from Elisabeth. They coiled and spun like a tornado, mowing down the dead with reckless abandon. Bones fractured, snapped, and crumbled. The maelstrom of chains then spread, blooming like an iron rose. They scraped the ground, struck debris, and smashed the bones to splinters. They thoroughly pulverized all the people she'd once tortured, the people she'd once"}, {"text": "killed. Upon seeing the chains rage like a many-headed snake, Hina praised her master's master. \"Well done, Lady Elisabeth! I should have expected nothing less. However, this is... Look out! Pardon me, Master Kaito!\" \"Hwah!\" Hina returned to him at top speed, then scooped him up in her arms before taking off again. Not a second later, the place where they'd been standing was assaulted by chains. A half-destroyed house appeared in their path, and the chains brought it crumbling down. Ash and charred splinters went flying. Once the impressive cloud of dust settled, Elisabeth stood alone. She breathed heavily, like a cat with its hair standing on end. The Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal burned in her hand. Marianne took a step back. The few remaining Knights lined up in front of her. Before they could charge, though, Elisabeth thrust the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal into the ground. \"Hellhole!\" As she spoke, the earth rumbled. A large cone-shaped cavity yawned in the middle of the road, and the Knights all fell in. At the bottom of the giant hole, an endless sea of insects wriggled and squirmed. They had lustrous, metallic black shells, and they looked otherworldly. The bugs swarmed the Knights, and their tiny teeth made sickening noises as they chewed on the Knights' rotting flesh. They seemed overjoyed at the generous offering of prey. *** Marianne slowly backpedaled. But all around her, chains shot out of the ground like serpents. They bound her from head to toe, slim frame, supple breasts, and all. She hung in the air much like Elisabeth once had. She stared straight at her, as if waiting for an answer to her earlier cries. Elisabeth stood before her, both hands placed on the hilt of her sword. She bore a serious expression. \"My apologies, Marianne. I've understood that for a long, long time.\" Marianne's eyes widened slightly. Elisabeth returned her ashen-blue gaze. \"I had no right to take the light of a single person in this world. Every person I killed led a vigorous life, a life they had every right to carry out as they pleased. They were innocent, and I murdered them. I killed them cruelly, gruesomely, mercilessly, and unreasonably. 'Tis as you say, Marianne. Not even my death will be punishment enough.\" Elisabeth's voice was sincere as she tendered her confession. Yet, as she gave it, she spat on the ground. Confessing and acknowledging her sins yet not regretting them in the slightest, Elisabeth stood firm as she made her declaration. \"I became the Torture Princess with full knowledge of what that entailed.\" Elisabeth offered no further reasoning. Her black hair wafted on the hollow wind, a wind that seemed to carry heat from the fire of old, a wind that moaned like the wailing of the vengeful dead. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth, cruel, hideous Elisabeth! A curse upon you, a curse upon you, a curse, a curse, an eternal curse upon you, Elisabeth! Taking in all the hatred and the malice of the dead, Elisabeth carried on. \"I shan't ask for forgiveness, nor shall I ask for sympathy. For it is true that I delighted in their screams and bathed in their despair. You should hold me in contempt as you die. Disparage me and curse my name... My apologies, Marianne.\" \"...Young miss...\" \"I intend to follow you shortly. Quite shortly indeed.\" Elisabeth's lips betrayed a quiver. For a fleeting second, she wore the face of a defenseless little girl. She gathered strength in the hand that bore the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. Marianne, watching her, shook her head. She pressed her eyes shut, reopened them, then spoke with the gentle demeanor of a tutor. \"Young miss, I know the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal is a powerful catalyst, capable of summoning chains and torture devices. But I also know that the sword itself was made to allow executioners to behead criminals painlessly before they were put to the stake. A weapon crafted out of kindness. Is that what you intend to kill me with?\" \"Indeed, Marianne. With this blade, I shall take the head of a mad, unremarkable woman.\" \"That won't do, young miss. It's unlike you. You mustn't show even a single person kindness. If you intend to walk down your warped path to the end, you must torture me to death.\" Elisabeth's face stiffened a little. As she rebuked Elisabeth, Marianne looked at her with eyes burning with determination. \"If you reject me through pain, kill me through pain, and then the world will finally be free of any who could damage your resolve. If you wish to retain your tyrannical nature now that you've been captured and made the Church's hound, then that is what you must do.\" Marianne closed her eyes, then opened them gently. The expression she showed Elisabeth was stern, the childhood teacher within awake at last. \"If you turn a blind eye to even one person, it will weaken your resolve. That's just the way things are.\" Elisabeth didn't respond. But Marianne's expression changed once more, from that of a stern instructor to that of an adult speaking to a willful child. Her eyes were full of kindness. \"I loved you from the bottom of my heart, young miss. Even now, I adore you just as much as I did when you were a child.\" She smiled gently. Her next words were steeped in sorrow. \"Once you've killed me, I imagine there will be no one left in this world who truly loves you.\" \"Yes... I will have no one. Not a single person for the rest of eternity.\" Elisabeth quietly affirmed Marianne's declaration. Marianne nodded, then inclined her head as if awaiting judgment. Elisabeth let go of the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. Her long, sleek black hair fluttered as Elisabeth looked up at the sky. Her expression was calm. A heavy silence bore down on them. Neither woman, not the one judging nor the one awaiting judgment, moved a hair. Just then, the space around Kaito froze over. \"...What...the hell?\" The sound of shattering glass faded, and after a few seconds, Kaito realized how odd his surroundings were. Everything, as far as the eye could see, was frozen over in a light shade of blue. Not just Elisabeth and Hina but the fragments of bone blowing in the wind and the clouds of dust were still as well. He reached his hand out timidly, but there was some sort of transparent film keeping him from touching any of the frozen objects. \"What's going on? Hey, Elisabeth! Hina!\" He called out to them, but it seemed that his voice couldn't reach them, as they didn't respond. In his confusion, he suddenly sensed someone behind him. He spun around in a panic. \"A pleasure to meet you, Sinless Soul.\" \"A pleasure to meet you, Pure Soul.\" Two girls bowed before him, holding the hems of their dresses in polite curtsies. The maid outfits they wore were even more old-fashioned than Hina's. One carried a box tied with a ribbon in an arm, and the other held a clock with a stopped needle. They both had long, draping hair made of tangled gold thread, and for eyes they each bore scuffed-up purple gems. Looking at their artificial parts, Kaito could tell: They weren't human. The two girls were dolls. They remained expressionless as they spoke, only their lips moving. \"Do you think Elisabeth will kill her?\" \"Do you think the Torture Princess can kill her?\" \"What? What the hell are you two talking about?\" \"What a painful thing it is, to kill a loved one.\" \"What a sad thing it is, to kill one you adore.\" \"I mean, you're right. But it's not like I can stop her.\" Kaito clenched his fists hard. He didn't know anything about Marianne and Elisabeth's relationship or their bonds. He had no way of knowing what memories they shared or what was currently going through their minds. The decision rested on Elisabeth's shoulders. And Kaito certainly wouldn't be permitted to weigh in on it, especially not with his limited understanding of the situation. But the maids shook their heads in unison. \"No one said to stop her.\" \"We said nothing of the sort.\" \"\"The question we wish to pose is not about Elisabeth but about you.\"\" \"...What?\" Kaito had no idea what the two were talking about. Who were they anyway? The maid carrying the box gave a mechanical \"Ahem,\" then slowly stepped forward. Kaito, on his guard, stepped back. But the maid simply unfastened the ribbon, then opened the box and displayed its contents to him with a flourish. Kaito covered his mouth, assailed by a strong urge to vomit. \"...Rgh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Inside the box squirmed a pile of spiders with crow feathers growing all over their bodies. They crawled over one another as they paced about on their eight feathered legs. And there, buried beneath the pile of diminutive horrors, was a baby. Just as he was about to reach his hands into the box of spiders to save it, Kaito gasped. \"It can't be.\" \"Oh my, did he notice?\" \"Indeed, did he understand?\" At a second glance, Kaito noticed the spider legs growing out from the plump baby's waist. The baby had already teethed, and its toothy grin seemed oddly cruel. A shock ran through Kaito's brain as he comprehended what he saw. \"Is... Is that thing the Earl?\" Now that he thought about it, the Earl had been absent from the group of revived demons who had attacked them a moment ago. Reeling with disgust, he took a step back. As he did, the maids spoke. \"Marianne possessed the soul of the Earl, as well.\" \"We placed it in the body of this child.\" \"\"As things are, it will grow up to be just like that grotesque man.\"\" The baby stroked the spiders with its fat hand as one would stroke a pet. A cunning intellect lurked in its eyes, and it grinned contentedly as it looked down upon the spiders. Kaito raised a fist. But he couldn't convince himself to bring it down. If he'd been facing the original Earl, he would have killed him in a heartbeat. He would no doubt have torn him limb from limb. But even if the creature before him possessed the same nature as the Earl, it was just a baby. Hitting it wouldn't be enough to kill it. And strangling a baby would make him no better than his father. He forced himself to unclench his fist, then gently rubbed his own pale face. The maids, having watched him, looked at each other once before nodding. \"Ah, it was too hard a choice to make in the spur of the moment.\" \"Well, we can wait for him to live up to our expectations.\" \"\"This will do for now.\"\" Suddenly, the maid raised the box in the air. Then, without a shred of hesitation, she threw it hard against the ground. Panicking, the spiders fled from the cracks in the box. The baby crawled out, crushing the spiders as it went. The maid who previously held the box knocked the baby down with her foot, then stomped on it with all her might. \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d!\" Her strength was inhuman, and the baby's stomach warped before bursting open. Its entrails, structurally different from a human's, came spilling out. The baby convulsed in the pool of its own blue blood for a while before growing still. Kaito found himself at a loss for words, and the maids shrugged. \"Now it's been crushed. Do you feel better?\" \"Now it's been dealt with. Do you feel relieved?\" \"Why would I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? Well, that's not true. I do feel relieved, dammit. God! You guys made that thing in the first place, didn't you? Why would you do something like\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Precisely. We made it. And even though we crushed it, we can still make more.\" \"As long as Marianne, the necromancer who holds his soul in her"}, {"text": "womb, lives, we can make as many as we wish.\" Upon hearing that, Kaito felt the blood drain from his face. He looked at the baby's mangled corpse. Their being able to produce more of those was a fact he couldn't take lightly. \"Now, here is your question. Will Elisabeth kill her? Or will she not?\" \"If she cannot kill her, we intend to snatch Marianne up and produce an army of Earls.\" Kaito glanced at Marianne's chain-bound pale face. On it was etched her resolution toward death and her exhaustion toward life. She wasn't the kind of person who should have had to become a necromancer. \"...You mean you're going to exploit her even more? Hasn't she had enough?\" \"Until her fragile heart breaks, we intend to mass-produce Earls and release them into the wild.\" \"Ah, and that scene will play out once more. Countless delightful Grand Guignols will take place.\" The maids giggled in unison. Kaito's vision went red with fury. At the same time, hallucinations of spiders crawled about in his brain. One after another, children screaming their throats raw ran through his mind. Neue cursing his fate, then smiling tearfully. The boy's body being pulled backward and disappearing. He thought he heard a ghastly scream and the boy's bones snapping. The first person who had ever wished him happiness being brutally killed. Kaito's mind was painted over with heartache and vengeance. Somewhere in his mind, an odd slamming noise resounded. He looked up slowly. His eyes were opened wide in a manic death glare, and he posed a question to the two maids in a cold voice. \"...You think I'll let you?\" \"Your valor is impulsive but splendid nonetheless.\" \"But we are not the ones you need to face.\" The maids clasped the hems of their dresses once more, bending their knees as they curtsied gracefully. The maid who'd been holding the box pointed at Marianne, bound in chains. The other raised her clock. \"Now then, shall we resume?\" \"You have only a few seconds to make your choice. Act quickly, if you please.\" \"\"Do as you will, but ensure that you have no regrets.\"\" Then the two disappeared. Color returned to the world. The cold wind blew, and the cloud of dust danced through the air. Elisabeth bit her lip, then raised her hand high. As she did, Kaito took off at a run. The maids had told him he had only a few seconds to decide. He didn't have time to wait and see if she would snap her fingers or not. If she didn't, there wouldn't be time to keep the situation from getting ugly. Kaito had immediately understood what the two had insinuated. His mind was clear, he understood what he needed to do, and he did it without hesitation. He pulled the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal out of the ground where it was buried. The blade was remarkably light, possibly due to the magical assistance it offered. Elisabeth turned around. Her crimson gaze clearly meant to question what he was doing, but he ignored it as his body was practically thrown forward. He already knew how unreasonable his actions were. No matter what I do, Marianne's going to end up dead, either from Elisabeth's torture or from being used up and crippled. Those are the only paths left for her. Either way, she'd find herself facing Hell. Recognizing that, the reality of her situation helped assuage his guilt as he seized the third unspoken option. \"...Sorry.\" Kaito ran Marianne through with the sword. The magical blade encountered little resistance as it pierced her chest. \"...Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" Marianne coughed up blood, her eyes wide in surprise. Kaito felt himself perk up as it showered him. Warm blood ran down his cheek. For a second, he didn't realize what he'd just done. Then he choked down the bile welling up in his stomach as he peeled his hands from the sword. His gaze met Marianne's. Kaito looked straight at the woman he'd just killed. Her face was full of bewilderment. Over and over, Kaito mouthed that he was sorry. For some reason, when she saw that, she smiled tenderly. \"A-ah... My...thanks...Truly...this was...the way...\" Her words were cut short. Still bearing a tranquil expression, her head slumped forward. In astonishment, Kaito turned over her dying words in his head. When he did, a possible end to her final sentence came to mind. \"Wait, did you...?\" Maybe Marianne hadn't wanted to add any further sins to the burden Elisabeth bore. But before he could give the matter much thought, Kaito was sent flying. \"Urgh!\" He'd been kicked hard, and he slid down the road. He tumbled over the gravel and ash before finally crashing into a pile of rubble. The pain that ran across his body was so intense, he was afraid one of his organs had ruptured. Coughing up blood, he looked up. Elisabeth was standing at the same spot he'd been a moment ago. She gazed at Marianne's corpse, her face devoid of expression. A long moment passed. Then suddenly, Elisabeth grabbed the hilt of the sword piercing Marianne and gave it a yank. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the ground dark. Elisabeth's black hair fluttered as she turned toward Kaito. Her eyes were narrowed and filled with a dry rage. \"Why act on your own, cur? Based on your answer, you can imagine the punishment that awaits you.\" Her heels clicked as she approached. She stopped directly in front of Kaito. Kaito stared stupidly at the pale hand approaching him. But just before her fingers could reach him, his vision blurred horizontally. Hina had scooped him up, then leaped to the side. She scraped the ground as she landed, carrying him in her right arm and holding the halberd in her left hand at the ready. Elisabeth clicked her tongue. \"Drop it, doll.\" \"I refuse. You are not my master.\" The two glared daggers at each other. Determining that this was not a foe she could contest one-handed, Hina gently set Kaito down and stood in front of him as a shield. Elisabeth pursed her lips coldly. Trying to prevent a fight, Kaito opened his mouth. But his breathing was so ragged, he couldn't speak well. He tried his best to gather strength in his wounded chest. \"H-hey, you two, cut it\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" But the moment he'd finally gathered the strength to speak, he realized that the space around him had frozen once again. Even with his vision blurred from the pain in his abdomen, he could make out the two maids standing in front of him. One of them was wearing shoes stained with the blood of a baby, and the other held her clock. They turned their scuffed purple eyes toward Kaito without a word. The next moment, their fair faces clicked and contorted into expressions that were anything but natural. The maids wore broken, hideous smiles. They gracefully bowed once again. \"You passed, Sinless Soul.\" \"Our master calls for you.\" Humming contentedly, the maids grabbed Kaito's limp shoulders. He was helpless to resist as they pulled him away. As they dragged him along, he weakly turned to look over his shoulder. After the three of them had traveled a fixed distance, the frozen-blue world suddenly sprang back to life. \"Hmm? ...Kaito?\" \"Mas\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Master Kaito? This can't be! Master Kaito, where are you?!\" Elisabeth and Hina noticed Kaito's disappearance and surveyed their surroundings. He wasn't that far away from them. He stared at them, begging them to notice him. Hina turned in his direction. But then a sound rang out. Grrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrrr. As if to block their view, a deep-black darkness coalesced and swallowed the light. As it growled, the darkness formed fine, rippling muscles and sleek black fur. Before long, it had taken the form of a first-class hound. Crimson hellfire burned in its eyes. The Kaiser had arrived, and the air itself froze in awe. \"Gah-ha-ha-ha, heh-heh-ha-ha, gah-ha-ha-ha.\" He laughed at the two of them in a voice that sounded almost human. That hopeless scene was the last thing Kaito saw before his consciousness faded. 6 Kaito's Decision Kaito reflected on just how miserable his life had been. People kept calling him a Sinless Soul, but he certainly didn't feel like one. On the contrary, as he'd just committed his first murder in this world. Even though he'd been complicit in murders before, such as helping clean up bodies, this was the first time he'd ever stabbed someone with a sword. His new life had been a mess. He'd born witness to unspeakably horrible sights and been tortured for nonsensical reasons. He'd been forced to cut off his own hand and carve deep wounds in his own chest. But despite all that, he'd also had some experiences he didn't want to forget. Someone had wished him happiness. Someone had promised to protect him. He'd had to dig through metaphorical mud, chunks of metal tearing at his flesh, but he'd finally received those blessings. For most people, small comforts like those were a constant in their day-to-day lives, trivial motes of warmth that hardly bore mention. But it had taken Kaito until after his death to receive them. Because of that, Kaito thought something for the first time. He definitely wasn't a Sinless Soul, and the things he'd seen had been hellish. But even so... In spite of all that... This second life he'd had forced upon him wasn't a bad one. Perhaps there had been meaning in the resurrection of a pitiful creature like himself after all. Of course, he'd never share these thoughts with anyone. When he opened his eyes, Kaito found himself seated on an extravagant chair. His surroundings were dimly lit, and the edges of his vision faded into darkness. He brushed against his chair's expertly crafted armrests as he surveyed the room. Wait, where am I? What am I doing here? A pearl-gray tablecloth extended out before him. On the table lay an assortment of foods on silver buffet platters. The food was so colorful, it almost looked like it was made of wax. There were a number of hors d'oeuvres, from a translucent gelled oyster dish and a vividly orange marinated salmon to a broad selection of p\u00c3\u00a2t\u00c3\u00a9s. For entrees, there was a golden-brown pig roast, a vegetable quiche, and an aromatic lobster chowder. There were also fruits drizzled in honey, a cake covered in crushed almonds, and an olive-brown pudding adorned with berries. The table was absolutely packed with fragrant foods. Flames illuminated them from atop red candlesticks, flickering as they cast their light on the banquet that looked too good to be true. But despite the meal's splendor, nobody was partaking of the spread. The silhouette of a man sat at the head of the table. He wore a silk shirt with a cravat. His coat was decorated with silver thread, and he declined to remove it as he ate. The man ignored the buffet platters, instead eating from a single pure-white dinner plate. Upon the porcelain dish was a slab of meat with blood dripping from it. The raw liver didn't even look seasoned. The man cut thin slices of the meat and carried them to his mouth with his fork. The darkness was broken up only by the candlelight and the soft sound of dishes clinking. Kaito immediately recognized the man's crimson eyes, silky black hair, and beautiful, androgynous features. The man, Vlad, bore a striking resemblance to Elisabeth. But...why? Why'd they bring me straight to the final boss, of all people? Confused, Kaito took stock of his body. The pain in his abdomen hadn't gone away, but he could move his arms and legs freely. He wasn't bound, nor did there appear to be any manner of magical restraints. Kaito looked at Vlad, hoping he would drop his guard. Vlad simply continued eating in silence. He seemed engrossed in the meat, as if it was the sole thing"}, {"text": "on his mind. It was unclear if his guard was down or not. Kaito then turned away from the table to check out the room. However, he couldn't make out many details. Any part of the room that was even slightly removed from the candlelight was shrouded in darkness. I can't even tell where the entrance is. That's not good. Kaito choked back his impatience and frustration and calmed his breathing. He had to keep cool. But the feral aroma the smoke from the candles emitted set his nerves on edge. It evoked the image of that black dog, its eyes burning with hellfire. That reminds me\u00e2\u20ac\u201dare Elisabeth and Hina all right? \"Hmm? Caught your attention, has it?\" Kaito looked up with a start. Vlad, no longer eating, wore a surprised expression on his face. Kaito hadn't expected him to sound so young. Unsure of how to respond, Kaito elected to remain silent. \"My invitation was rather abrupt, I'll admit. No doubt you're rather confused at the moment. My apologies.\" Vlad nodded to himself, then snapped his fingers. Darkness and azure flower petals spiraled in front of Kaito, and a bowl of water appeared. The water's surface formed a mirror, then projected a distant scene. Kaito's eyes widened as he looked at it. \"Elisabeth... Hina...\" Elisabeth and Hina were making their way up the slope to the castle, fighting off a colossal black dog as they ran. Hina swung her halberd, knocking the black dog off its feet. However, her blade couldn't pierce the dog's thick fur. Elisabeth sent countless stakes flying toward its back, but they all simply bounced off. The dog's jaw bore down on her, and she bound it with conjured chains. But although she restrained it, she couldn't deal a decisive blow. \"Damn you. To think that you would resist my torture devices this well. Truly, you bear the Kaiser's name well.\" Elisabeth spat a mouthful of blood on the roadside. Her sharp intent to kill hadn't been dulled. But try as she might to hide it, her crimson eyes were stained with frustration. Placing both hands on the table, Kaito reflexively shouted out: \"Elisabeth!\" \"Don't you think she's being a bit impatient? As I see it, Elisabeth is more volatile than a powder keg. Only a fool would try using brute force to subdue the Kaiser. Although to that point, I suppose trying to fight him in the first place was a mistake in and of itself.\" Vlad shrugged, his voice filled with the intimacy of one describing their willful child. He gracefully brought the last piece of meat to his mouth. After wiping his bloodstained lips, he gestured with his fork to the bowl Kaito was staring at. \"The Kaiser is the highest ranked among all the demons we summoned, the apex of what man can invoke. Even Elisabeth, the famed Torture Princess, won't be able to kill him quite that easily. It would bear poorly upon the Kaiser's name if she could. And he has his pride as a first-rate hound to consider, as well. The leader of the fourteen is in a league all his own.\" That was the kind of foe Elisabeth and Hina were fighting. Kaito clenched his fists hard. But then he noticed something out of place. \"Wait, hold up a minute. The demon's over there, but you're right here. Does that mean you summoned the Kaiser, but you didn't fuse with him?\" \"Precisely. You likely heard it from Elisabeth already, but I acted as the intermediary to materialize the Kaiser into this world. In a sense, the two of us are as one. Normally, it would have been prudent to merge with him for the sake of my own safety. But I'd rather not abandon the pleasure that comes of having a human body, nor do I much care to have my form reduced to such a hideous state\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey are laughably hideous, are they not?\" Vlad chuckled. With a frankness that bordered on cruelty, he laughed at his fellow demons. Kaito was reminded of the time Elisabeth had instructed him to laugh at an underling. Kaito shook his head, then continued asking questions. \"So that means you're flesh and blood, right? And if I kill you, the Kaiser will die with you.\" \"Quite so! A rather foolish thing to ask me, though, don't you think? You seem surprisingly foolhardy, so I'll advise a bit of caution\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou can't kill me.\" Vlad delivered this statement with total apathy. He took his napkin and wiped more blood from his lips. \"Elisabeth might stand a chance, but... Much like her, I am no ordinary human.\" Azure flower petals and darkness gathered around his fingertips. He let go of his napkin, and it unraveled. The thread drew a spiral in the air, then suddenly burst into flames. White ash fluttered gently to the table. Watching him handle the darkness and blue petals, Kaito realized something. This man was close to what Elisabeth would be if she contracted with a demon, just like in Clueless's example. \"So why'd you bring me here? Are you going to use me as a hostage?\" \"...Forgive me. You don't seem to be joking but rather laboring under a misapprehension... Tell me, do you honestly believe that you would have any value as a hostage?\" \"Oh, hell no. I'm just a benchwarmer. I doubt Elisabeth gives a damn whether I live or die.\" \"I agree. I invited you here because I have a certain proposal for you.\" Vlad nodded again in a show of near-innocent frankness. But his face then turned serious, and he crossed his hands as he looked at Kaito. \"I wish to adopt you as my son and mold you into a second Elisabeth.\" \"Hard pass.\" Kaito immediately refused, not waiting to learn what Vlad meant by \"a second Elisabeth.\" Despite his confusion, he was sure of his answer. The instant the idea of being the Kaiser's contractor's adopted son came up, refusing was the only reasonable choice. Vlad bore a confused expression, but he continued. \"Oh, Elisabeth. My dearest beloved Elisabeth. She was my first daughter, and she was my masterpiece. Her only flaw was that she surpassed perfection. She matured even faster than I expected, but in the end, she severed all ties with me. I want to replace her. For all I have attained, for all I have yet to attain, I need a successor.\" \"But why would you pick me of all people? It really makes no sense.\" \"What I see in you is the potential to surpass even her. I heard a bit from Clueless, but your death was unspeakably cruel despite having committed no sin worthy of such a fate, correct? You understand pain, yet you remain calm in the face of it. On the other hand, you react strongly toward those you hate. Your passion and your composure counterbalance each other.\" \"I don't know if I'd go that far. I feel like there's a pretty big gap between reality and what you think of me.\" \"Is there? I daresay the gap is quite small\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI believe I can expect great things from those who know pain but can still kill others if it meets their needs.\" Vlad snapped his fingers. The blond maids from before appeared behind him. They blinked their scuffed purple eyes, then bowed gracefully. Kaito, taken aback, glared at the two. Vlad, showing no indication of whether or not he'd picked up on Kaito's hostility, continued, his voice almost musical. \"Above all else, you were murdered and had everything taken from you. And those who have been taken from have a right to take from others in turn. They are, if nothing else, prepared to accept that they have that right. A deep hunger is required if one wishes to harness the pain of others. For if one's hunger\u00e2\u20ac\u201done's desire\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis shallow, they will eventually be consumed by it. You need a certain capability\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe capability to wear the tyrant's mantle as if it was the role you were born to play.\" Vlad's performance was that of a poet, and his analysis of Kaito was that of a scholar. Kaito struggled desperately to avoid being taken in by Vlad's words. The candles flickered, and Vlad's utterances echoed like an incantation. If he kept listening, Kaito felt that his consciousness might drift away. He needed to avoid losing sight of himself. Kaito had no desire to become like Elisabeth. He doubted he'd even be able to. The words coming from the man in front of him were nothing but the ravings of a lunatic. \"Ever since she was a child, Elisabeth was exposed to an unreasonable fear of death. Her pain and her fear molded her into the finest work of art. I wish to make you into my second work, into my successor. I admit that wanting a son for having lost a daughter is a rather simple conception, but so be it. What do you say?\" \"Hard pass. And quit your babbling; you make me sick.\" \"Ah, a spirited answer! But do listen just a while longer. You won't regret it.\" Vlad was unperturbed. He looked at Kaito the way someone would inspect a mischievous child. Or perhaps it was closer to a breeder, impressed by the strength of a puppy's bark. \"I don't intend to look down on you like Clueless did. And I'm not trying to simply take your future for free. That wouldn't be right... Although now that I say it out loud, I suppose it's a bit odd for me to be talking about right and wrong.\" \"What're you offering? Elisabeth's and Hina's safety?\" \"Heavens no! What makes you think I would give you any say in regard to my daughter? The Kaiser and I will settle things with my beloved daughter, with my beloved, adorable, foolish, loathsome Elisabeth. For that is what love is. Know your place, child\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat girl is my, Vlad Le Fanu's, beloved daughter.\" For a second, a cold light burned in Vlad's crimson eyes. He strode to Kaito's side, then ran one of his black nails through the bowl of water. Elisabeth's figure blurred. \"Don't think for a moment that you have a place in our relationship.\" The glare directed at Kaito lasted only an instant. Then Vlad smiled yet again. \"Besides! What I have to offer you is something much more wonderful, something I think you'll find much more important. You see, my skill in magic surpasses Elisabeth's, and connecting to other worlds is hardly a challenge for me.\" Vlad puffed up his chest with pride. His face was so pleased, he looked like a child inviting a friend to come play with him. Despite speaking of adopting others, Vlad himself possessed a certain childishness to him. But all of a sudden, a cruel smile carved its way across Vlad's face. Seeing that expression, Kaito came to a realization. Fused or not, this man was unmistakably a demon. And demons wedged their way into the cracks in the hearts of men. \"It seems your father ran into some trivial problems the other day and was drowned at sea. I can summon him and give him to you as a toy.\" When he heard those words, Kaito's heart stopped. \"...Wait, you're telling me... You're telling me that asshole died?\" Before he realized it, Kaito was standing. His chair tumbled over behind him and landed with a crash. The bowl shook, and the image in the water blurred. But Kaito didn't have the composure to pay attention to any of that. He felt as though someone had taken a hammer to his skull. A moment later, a sense of emptiness overtook him. It was like his chest had gone hollow and his heart had shattered. That was how surprised and astonished he was at Vlad's statement. That man had died. That man who seemed like no matter what happened, he'd live forever. Fuck. \"Oh, that he did. Congratulations\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyour father died! Perhaps"}, {"text": "this is karma at work... Heh, as the bona fide personification of evil, is it contradictory of me to say that? Well, who cares if it's contradictory? What a pleasant result! Now then, what will you do?\" \"What will I do...? I mean, he's dead, so...\" \"What did I just say? I can bring him back and give him to you as a toy! If you desire revenge for your untimely demise, I recommend nodding. After all, you have no need to hide that from me or be embarrassed.\" Vlad nodded repeatedly to demonstrate his understanding and affection. He showed Kaito an innocent smile. He bore an expression of one inviting another to play a cruel game as he continued. \"Wouldn't it feel good to spill his guts, scrape out his lungs, and wring his neck?\" He couldn't afford to lend an ear to Vlad's cajolery. Those were the words of a demon. But even knowing that, Kaito could feel something bubbling up from the cracked depths of his heart. He couldn't deny those sublime dregs of emotion. He could tear out his father's viscera, then ignore his pleas for mercy as he ruthlessly beat him to death. Just imagining it filled him with satisfaction. Surely, putting it into action would be even more exhilarating. If he did that, he could finally throw off the fear and hatred that bound him like shackles. Surely that was worth throwing the rest of his life away. \"Give me...some time to think it over.\" Kaito finally managed to choke out those words. It felt like spitting up blood. He was trembling all over, his giddiness so strong, it resembled terror. Vlad nodded magnanimously. \"Take your time. We have plenty of it. Well, you do, at least.\" Hearing that, Kaito turned his empty eyes to the water's surface. A sharp silver flash ran diagonally across the view. \"...Tch!\" A massive executioner's sickle swung down upon the dog's neck. But the dog blocked it with its jaw and bit down hard enough to shatter it. The maid was still swinging her halberd, but her clothes were covered in rips and tears. \"Master Master Master Masterwhere are you?!\" Sparing no concern for her own wounds or condition, she frantically shouted for someone else. That's... I'm... Watching her, Kaito realized there was an emotion he was supposed to feel. But although he understood this necessity, he didn't know what emotion it was. He was in a state of shock, and his mind wasn't able to properly parse the scene before his eyes. The scene he was witnessing felt like it was taking place in another world. It was like his soul alone had returned to that room he was strangled in, that room he died in. Unsure of what to do, Kaito reached toward the water like a toddler. The water engulfed his trembling fingertips. The mirrorlike surface of the water shattered, and it projected nothing more. \"This will be your room, Master Kaito. Please make yourself at home as you think over your decision.\" The speaker was a new, third maid holding a lantern in one hand. She bowed. As she looked up, her dented pearl eyes glittered. She seemed to be of an older make, as her cheek was beginning to crumble. Kaito nodded, and the maid turned around and left for the dark hallway. The creaking of her loose left ankle faded into the distance. Now alone, Kaito scanned the dingy room in surprise. \"...Wait, is this the same room?\" This should have been his first time here, yet he remembered this room. Upon the square room's walls hung yellow wallpaper, so degraded you could just barely make out its floral design. The cute plaster sculptures by the window were covered in ash, and the once-white furniture was filthy as well. However, the metal handles on the chest of drawers were just as vibrant as ever. The chest itself had once been decorated with dolls and stuffed animals, but perhaps in deference to the fact that Kaito was a boy, it now bore a hunting rifle and a model rocking horse. A crushed mat lay atop the spiderweb-ridden four-poster bed. The mattress was covered in a heap of flowing blankets. Dry bloodstains were splattered all over the fluffy blankets. After taking in the whole scene, Kaito nodded. \"Yeah, this really is Elisabeth's old room.\" This was the real-life counterpart to the phantom room he'd stumbled into when he got lost in the Treasury. The door he'd found in the Treasury had most likely used the memories from this room and materialized them within its magical space. The actual room was much dirtier than its phantom counterpart, but its design was almost identical. Vlad must have replaced the things Elisabeth had taken from here, returning the master-less room close to its original form. One more example of his bizarre fixation on her. The fact that he'd accounted for Kaito in spite of that and decorated the room for a boy was almost comical. \"...Heh.\" Suddenly, everything seemed hilarious to Kaito. A spasm of intense laughter rocked his chest. He couldn't help it. Everything was just so amusing. He opened his mouth wide and laughed as hard as he could. \"Ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!\" His abdomen cramped, and tears poured out of his eyes. But no matter how much it hurt, he just kept laughing. Everything, from his father's pitiful death to his current situation, was comical beyond belief. And it was all such bullshit. Wham! Kaito suddenly stopped laughing and punched the wall. His bone cracked, and a sharp pain ran up his arm. Even so, he re-clenched his fist. Blood dripped down the wall. His finger was broken, but he punched the wall again and again. He yelled, striking the wall as if possessed. \"He died. That asshole died. After torturing so many people to death, he ended up getting himself killed. Serves that bastard right. But what, is that supposed to make me feel better?! Is that supposed to make me forgive him?! Fuck that\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI wanna kill him myself!\" Kaito punched the wall especially hard. His little finger was on the outside of his fist, and it snapped loudly. Even though his mind was steeped in vengeance and hatred, his usual sense of cold composure didn't come. He lashed out in tears, like a child throwing a temper tantrum. He heaved a ragged breath, slammed his forehead into the wall, and mumbled something in a hollow voice. \"But a dead person killing their dead killer... Man, nothing makes sense anymore...\" His tone was full of self-deprecation. He smiled a hollow smile. After a while, he pulled his forehead from the bloodstained wall. He looked around, as if searching for someone who could help him. His gaze settled on the bed. \"...Elisabeth.\" A vision of Elisabeth in her younger days floated before his weary eyes. The frail, beautiful girl sat half-buried beneath the sea of blankets. She stared at Kaito, her vacant eyes devoid of life. That beauty of hers was the one thing that had never changed. Kaito grimaced childishly as he asked the young Elisabeth a question. \"Hey, what the hell happened to you? What was it that made you the way you are?\" The vision didn't answer. But Kaito kept asking, practically screaming at it. \"Dammit, Elisabeth! Why'd you choose to become the Torture Princess?!\" It was the question he'd often wondered about and the question he'd never asked her. Why had she become the Torture Princess? What reasons did she have; what hatred did she harbor? Or had she not had any reason at all? Unsurprisingly, the vision didn't explain anything. After all, she was nothing more than an illusion that Kaito's mind had conjured up due to stress. Kaito knew that. But he implored her nevertheless, and then she simply faded away. \"Ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!\" Kaito began laughing again. He laughed like a madman, laughing and laughing and convulsing with laughter. He punched the wall. His bloodstained fingers made horrible noises as he peeled them off the wall, and he found himself blinking back tears. Then, all of a sudden, his confusion cleared. No more tears welled up in his eyes. His tantrum ended abruptly. His mind as clear as a still lake, he came to a conclusion. No matter how much he laughed, this pain would never fade. He had been stricken down in a manner most foul. That one fact was his everything. The maid with the dented pearl eyes was standing by in the hallway. \"Master Vlad is waiting for you in the dining room, sir.\" Following her lead, Kaito found himself in the dining room once more. Vlad still sat alone at the head of the table. Unlike Elisabeth, he didn't seem to take dessert, instead choosing to sip at a glass of wine after having finished his meal. Watching Vlad rock his glass from side to side, Kaito spoke. \"I've made up my mind. Let me kill my dad with my own hands. Even with him dead, I can't forgive him.\" \"A splendid decision, if I do say so myself. None would deny that you have a right to revenge. Exercising it seems wholly reasonable.\" Vlad set his glass down, and he spoke in a warm voice carefully crafted to wash away Kaito's guilt. His face bore no signs of surprise. That was the answer he'd been expecting. And why wouldn't it be? The reason he wanted Kaito as a son was surely because he understood that Kaito was a prisoner of his own hatred. Kaito softly clenched his aching fist. He wavered a little, then made his follow-up request. \"Before that, though, just once... I won't ask you to let me see your daughter, Elisabeth. But...can I at least say good-bye to Hina?\" \"...Hina? Ah, that puppet I left behind without turning it on. I'm surprised you took such a fancy to it. Are you fond of playing with dolls? If you wish, I can have one just like it prepared for you... Or rather, one tuned specifically to your tastes.\" \"She's not a puppet. And she can't be replaced. Hina is Hina.\" Kaito closed his eyes, thinking back to the warm sensation of her arms holding him tight. Her silver hair and adoring smile flickered beneath his eyelids. But then he opened his eyes, erasing the image. \"We only spent a little time together, but I'm indebted to her. Oh, and one other thing. Call off the Kaiser's attack while I'm saying good-bye to Hina. It seems unfair to make Elisabeth fight him alone.\" \"I must admit I have difficulty comprehending how one could feel indebted to a doll. And if you wished to betray me, this would certainly be a convenient arrangement for you... But this is a special occasion. As my one and only successor, I shall grant you this sole indulgence.\" Vlad nodded and gave the pair of gold-haired maids an order. They carried the clock with them as they headed outside. Vlad spoke boastfully as he watched them go. \"That clock is a magical apparatus. It can pull those without magic resistance from the flow of time and space. You yourself saw space halt around you, no? But nobody else was removed from the proper flow of time. The maids, the ones using the device, could have killed you whenever they pleased within that space yet would be unable to so much as lift a finger against Elisabeth outside it. To be blunt, it's a tool designed for weaklings. But I wonder how that automaton will fare. Normally, it would have little effect, but given her wounded state, who knows? Now then, would you care for some wine while we wait?\" \"I'm good.\" \"How cold. I myself find life more enjoyable when it's accompanied by liquor.\" Rejecting Vlad's offer, Kaito plopped himself down on a nearby seat. He ignored the food before him and clasped his bloody hands. Vlad"}, {"text": "gave a light shrug, then lifted his glass. They remained that way as they waited, time seeming to slow to an agonizing crawl. Eventually, the door to the dining room swung open. Two pairs of footsteps drew near, as well as the sound of something being dragged. Kaito peered in the direction of the noise, and his eyes widened. \"...Hina!\" \"There was no need for us to subdue it. It was just lying in the rubble.\" \"It seems that Elisabeth judged it a hindrance and left it behind.\" \"That girl, making sure it didn't fight to the point of breaking. Elisabeth did always have her gentle moments. It seems the doll won't be of much use if your plan was to tell it to take Elisabeth and flee from the Kaiser.\" Hearing the maids' reports, Vlad cast a sidelong glance at Kaito and laughed at him. Kaito frantically rose from his seat. The maids were propping Hina up by her shoulders. Her clothes had been shredded, as had her humanlike skin. It didn't seem like she would have trouble walking. Yet, she refused to let go of her halberd. \"...Master...Kaito... Oh...Master Kaito, where...are...?\" As she muttered the single-minded phrase, she looked up, her tangled silver hair swaying. As her vacant emerald eyes landed on Kaito, they widened, and a jovial light flashed within them. \"...Master Kaito!\" Hina shook off the maids, then dropped the halberd she'd been clutching. As she reached out her arms, she seemed to have forgotten her pain entirely. Kaito paused. His plan to entrust Hina with a message and save Elisabeth had gone off the rails, but he was still planning on betraying them. He had no right to be hugged by her. \"Master Kaito! Oh, I'm so, so glad that you're unharmed.\" \"This is good-bye, Hina. You have to head back to the castle without me.\" Hina had been about to rush toward him, but upon hearing his words, she stopped dead in her tracks. She looked like she'd been stabbed in the heart from behind. After a few seconds, she straightened herself out, then looked straight at Kaito. She softly pressed her hand against her chest, steadied her breathing, then spoke. \"Master Kaito, do you find some aspect of me inadequate, perhaps?\" \"Hina, what are you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"If there is, would you permit me to be rude enough to ask what it is? I will repair it. I am but a simple fool, unwitting as to my own failure, but if you give me a chance to fix my mistake, nothing could make me happier. I beg you for clemency.\" \"No, no, that's not it. You haven't done anything wrong.\" Kaito hadn't expected Hina's reaction, and he hastily corrected her. She appeared perplexed. \"If that is the case...then perhaps, have you come to hate me? Can you no longer bear the sight of my face? Do you no longer wish to have someone like me by your side? If that is what the problem is, then I will take my face and, with Lady Elisabeth's aid, reconstruct it so as to better meet your\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"You're wrong, Hina. There's nothing wrong with you, nothing at all. I just chose to follow this guy.\" \"Master Kaito... You mean...Vlad?\" Hina looked at the person Kaito was pointing to in bewilderment. Kaito nodded. \"I can't say it's my first choice. But even if I have to stand on the side that hurts others, there's something I need to do. And he's the only one who can make it happen for me.\" Kaito tried to explain himself. Hina's expression made her seem like an abandoned puppy, and he had to turn away. There wasn't a single thing wrong with her. Although he was betraying her, he didn't want to be the reason she wore such a pained expression. But he didn't have the luxury of being able to keep her by his side. Right now, she was unfit for combat. If she would just give up on him, Vlad would probably let her go. After all, their relationship was the result of him accidentally starting her up. If she could just forget about him and find a new master, she should at least be able to spend her days happily and peacefully. If nothing else, that's what he wanted to believe. \"Just forget about your configured lover, and after you get back, you can live your life freely. I'll have Elisabeth...or, rather, Vlad set it up so you can forget me and arrange a new config\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Please don't make light of me, Master Kaito.\" \"Huh?\" She interrupted Kaito, her voice cold and pointed. She'd never shown such anger toward him before. She took a short breath, exhaled, and straightened herself up in a dignified manner. \"I may have the preconfigured heart of an automaton, but it is still mine and mine alone. The moment I chose you as my master, and you chose me, I decided to dedicate my life and my love to you and no one else. I live because I wish to live for your sake, and I break because I wish to be broken. I have no intention of serving another master. Even if my noble master was to order it, I cannot allow you to deny that fact.\" \"...Hina...\" \"Why do you choose to serve a man such as him?\" \"Sorry. I'm gonna follow him. Even if I have to give Vlad everything I hold dear, I'm going to kill my father!\" Before he realized it, Kaito was yelling. As if in response to his unstable thoughts, anger and bloodlust welled up within his heart, and the suffering he'd once felt returned to him. He clenched his teeth, panting like an animal. The harshness immediately faded from Hina's face and was replaced, in an instant, by understanding. She should have had no way of knowing his past, but she seemed to have sensed something, as she gently asked him a question. \"Will that... Will that bring you happiness?\" \"Huh? ...Happiness?\" \"Will it?\" \"Uh, well, probably.\" Overwhelmed by Hina's earnest tone, Kaito nodded. But he had no idea if the act would bring him happiness. To the contrary, homicide was about as far removed as an act could be from something as idyllic as \"happiness.\" But all he had to do was kill his father, and the torrent of muddy hatred flowing through his heart should vanish. Hearing his response, Hina beamed. \"Thank goodness.\" \"Huh?\" Kaito was surprised, once again, by her response. For some reason, Hina was nodding in relief. She laid her hands on her chest with a satisfied expression, like a mother understanding her child's happiness. \"Even back at the castle, you never once smiled from the heart, Master Kaito... I was so very worried for you. If this choice will grant you happiness, then there is nothing more for me to say. With a heart full of joy, I shall support you on your path.\" \"Wait, Hina, you were worried about me all this time?\" \"Your happiness is my happiness, Master Kaito. A single, supreme happiness... I understand. As per your wishes, I will now suspend all functions.\" \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?!\" Her unexpected proclamation caused Kaito's eyes to widen. That wasn't what he wanted at all. Hell, the whole reason for this farewell was because he wanted Hina to live a long life. Kaito grabbed her shoulders. She calmly returned his gaze. \"Hina, quit talking nonsense! Why would you have to shut down?!\" \"If you say you no longer have need of me, Master Kaito, then why should I keep on living? Lady Elisabeth does not wish to flee, and I am simply a burden. Please put your mind at ease. If you say this will bring you happiness, then I will gladly return my body to that of a mere doll.\" \"Cut it out\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI'm begging you. Please. I don't want you to die. Can't you think this over?\" \"How kind you are... What a truly kind and compassionate man you are. Although I am unworthy of such sentiment, I will accept it nonetheless. But my life is by your side, and the moment you no longer needed me, it came to an end. You needn't feel guilt about this. My work is complete, so instead, please send me off with a smile.\" Hina smiled. Her voice rang with a resolute sense of pride, one that far surpassed Kaito's ability to comprehend. No matter what he said, he doubted that her resolve would waver. When he realized that, his hands loosened. Hina took a step back and clasped the hem of her maid uniform. Her silver hair gently swayed as it glittered in the candlelight. She lowered her injured leg and gave a lovely bow. \"And with that, Master Kaito, I take my leave. Within the hour, unless you find yourself once more in need of me, I shall enter my eternal slumber. You have my sincerest thanks. Allowing me to be by your side...and graciously permitting me to be your lover made me happier than you could possibly imagine.\" When Hina expressed how happy she'd been in the short time they'd spent together, her voice contained no traces of falsehood, just fervent gratitude. She bowed deeply, then continued. \"With a heart full of love and gratitude, I welcome death... Please excuse me.\" She finished her bow, picked up her halberd, and used it to prop up her body as she walked. The maids went to lend a hand, but she shook them off and left the dining room alone. Her resolute figure soon receded into the darkness. Standing frozen in place, Kaito watched her leave. As he did, he recalled Marianne and Elisabeth's exchange. \"Once you've killed me, I imagine there will be no one left in this world who truly loves you.\" \"Yes... I will have no one. Not a single person for the rest of eternity.\" He felt as though he had just lost something precious without having ever realized just how important it was. He remained motionless. But before he could process his profound sense of loss, Vlad called out from behind him. \"I have to ask, just for the record. Did I witness a miracle a moment ago? A miracle such as your plaything's lofty words washing away your age-old grudge, leaving you with a cleansed spirit and ready to live happily ever after?\" \"...Don't worry about it. Just summon my fucking dad already.\" Kaito spat out his words. Vlad nodded, then snapped his fingers. The maids quickly rolled in a cart designed to carry food, as if they'd been waiting impatiently for this. The top of the cart was covered in a silver lid, which the maids promptly removed. Upon the cart lay a doll clad in gray clothes. It had no hair, eyes, or mouth. The ball-jointed doll's skin was pale, and its construction looked so plain that it was difficult to imagine it housing a soul. Vlad took a knife from the table, spun it by its hawk-insignia handle, and brought it to a sharp stop. He then forcefully plunged it more than halfway through his wrist. The cut severed an artery, and blood gushed forth across the tablecloth and dripped onto the floor. The blood coalesced, seeming almost alive, and began painting a complicated design on the floor, a different design than the teleportation circle Kaito was familiar with. While that was happening, Vlad gave a brief scowl. His arm, hidden in his sleeve until then, shone crimson with divine glyphs. The Church's shackles were burned into his skin. It seemed that when he used magic, they caused him even more pain. However, his expression quickly returned to neutral. \"My words bear no lies. My words bear no falsehoods. My words bear no untruths. His soul ferries between worlds. On Earth he calls out, his body in tatters. In the ether he finds his form once more.\" Vlad muttered something in a low voice. In"}, {"text": "concert with his chant, the summoning circle on the ground flickered. As the light grew stronger, the atmosphere in the room began to change. \"La (become)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d La (traverse)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d La (become)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d La (return)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d La (become)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" The air grew dry and sharp, as if thousands of pieces of glass were flying through it. A formless radiance danced on the tip of Kaito's nose, and he tracked it with his gaze. The edges of his vision were full of images that were most definitely from another world. Highways, cars, crowds, billboards, rivers, schools. All of them scenes from the world he'd left behind. They refracted with a rainbow of colors, filling the dark room with a strange light. \"You should close your eyes for the rest. Staring at the light for too long would drive ordinary men mad. You wouldn't want to have your soul sucked out, would you?\" Hearing Vlad's warning, Kaito frantically squeezed his eyes shut. Still, the rainbow light burned into his retinas. As he turned toward the darkness to ward off the light, memories of the events leading up to now flashed through his mind. As if fleeing from the strange light, Kaito sank into the depths of a sea of memories. A beautiful girl with fluttering dark hair spoke, her tone of voice often waxing between malice and pride. \"I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu.\" \"I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow.\" \"You and I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwe are fated to die, forsaken by all of creation.\" A pretty doll with fluttering silver hair gave a smile full of kindness and affection. \"Everything is going to be okay, Master Kaito. No matter what happens, I'll protect you.\" \"With a heart full of love and gratitude, I welcome death.\" A red-haired boy gave a pained smile, his voice trembling in confusion as he answered. \"I was just hoping you could find happiness in this world.\" In the end, he hadn't been able to fulfill Neue's wish. When he realized that, his chest began pounding violently. His heart ached, and it hurt to breathe. Are you really okay with this? a calmer, more composed part of himself asked. Will this really leave you without regrets? Shut up, shut up... Even if it doesn't, I still have to\u00e2\u20ac\u201d As he tried to respond, he heard Vlad's voice. \"...It is done.\" And Kaito opened his eyes. \"...H-huh?\" The man standing before him was unmistakably his father. The stern, unshaven man looked about anxiously. He tore at his unkempt black hair, and his eyes darted around the room like a chameleon's. Kaito recognized that face. He recognized that conspicuous hooknose. Yet, still he squinted, somehow unsatisfied. Kaito looked over the man before him from head to toe. After a moment, he murmured quietly. \"...Huh, is that what he was like?\" \"Wh-where the hell am I? Even the afterlife ain't supposed to be this gloomy. And whaddaya think you're doin' here, Kaito? Hey. You little punk... You tryin' to get revenge or somethin'? Listen here, you\u00e2\u20ac\u201ddon't go tryin' any dumb shit!\" Suddenly, his father began carrying on and on. Even in death, his boiling point seemed to be as low as ever. And he'd always had a sense for when he was in danger, often to the point of paranoia. Spit went flying as he spoke, but his eyes lacked the shade of madness they'd once possessed. It was then that Kaito came to a realization. His father's madness had largely been the product of his rampant drug use. Even now, Kaito could see that the cruel, sadistic nature hidden within him was unchanged. His brawny figure and the readiness at which he hurt others were frightening, true. But that was the extent of it. His father was screaming at him, but his expression was a far cry from the wicked one Elisabeth wore. In fact, it didn't even compare to the gruesome images of the demons. It didn't compare to Clueless's dry, condescending gaze or to Marianne's tear-stained face. And it didn't even come close to Vlad's cheerful smile. Kaito was dumbfounded. \"...You're not scary at all.\" The instant he witnessed his father's clumsy, mundane fury, the fear in his heart vanished. His anger and bloodlust turned on their heads, as well, as he wondered if this was really the man he'd hated so passionately. And then, the tension that had been wound throughout his entire body just...dissolved. Losing the composure he'd held until then, he rubbed his eyes. Sheesh, what's up with this? This guy? Is this really the guy? \"Hey, Kaito. What're you all quiet for? Gimme some answers, you little shit!\" Kaito couldn't even perceive the man standing before him as the same person who had killed him, the man he had feared, or the man who, by all rights, he should hate more than anyone else. Compared to this guy, the Earl had been a much more threatening foe. Ohhh... I get it. Thinking back on all the things he'd seen in this world, he found his answer. I'm already numb. He'd spent too much time around evils that surpassed human reason and too much time around the woman who fought them. The man who the old Kaito had been so terrified of no longer registered as someone to fear. He finally realized something. The despotic, tyrannical \"father\" he'd despised so much no longer existed. The only one here was a small man, quick to anger and unable to control himself. Watching his father continue to shout, Kaito spoke with quiet disappointment. \"...What, so that's all he was?\" In the next moment, Kaito broke out into laughter. His father looked confused. Kaito, finding this amusing, laughed even harder. As he clutched his sides with laughter, he could practically hear the invisible chains that had bound him shattering. This time, he truly, from the bottom of his heart, found it all to be so absurd. Who would have guessed that the person who long held the key to Kaito's mental prison had been someone this trivial? \"I don't need him.\" \"Huh? What're you goin' on about? And why're you just ignorin' me and laughin' like a dumb-ass? You losin' it or somethin'?\" \"I don't need someone like him. He's not worth the price.\" His father was grabbing him by the collar, but Kaito just shrugged as he looked over his shoulder. Vlad frowned. The wound in his left wrist should have been deep, but it had already healed. What a monster, thought Kaito as he pointed a thumb at his father. With a clear heart, he made his declaration. \"Killing this guy isn't worth giving you my future.\" Although he didn't understand the context, Kaito's father could tell that he was being mocked, and he raised a fist. But Vlad snapped his fingers, and Kaito's father's arm fell motionless. He looked at his arm in surprise. Vlad tilted his chin at Kaito, instructing him to continue. Kaito nodded and spoke. \"After I came to this world, I saw Hell...\" He'd seen people who crafted horrors, and he saw those who fought them. He'd seen sickening spectacles. He'd seen the weak get devoured. And amid all that, he'd somehow been able to survive. He'd had a teleportation circle carved in his own chest. He'd stopped running away. He'd helped defeat a demon. All that had been possible only thanks to the twisted ego of one woman. The Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. A woman as prideful as a wolf and as lowly as a sow. The woman Kaito now served was more terrifying, more beautiful, and more steeped in sin than any other. After all that, he couldn't remain shackled by a man as pathetic as his father. He'd been killed. But so what. He'd made a promise that was far more important than something as trivial as that. \"...But in that Hell, someone made a wish on my behalf. So no matter how impossible it is, I have to do everything I can to find happiness.\" Kaito finished speaking his piece. Without a moment's hesitation, he called off his deal with Vlad. Vlad crossed his arms in consideration. He gazed intently at Kaito's face and heaved a heavy sigh. Then, with theatrical exaggeration, he buried his face in his slender fingers and shook his head. \"It appears I approached you a hair too late.\" \"Yeah, a little. Well, maybe more than a little.\" Kaito's response to Vlad's forlorn statement was lighthearted, and Vlad nodded in agreement. Vlad then walked with a limp, as if he was grieving this outcome from the bottom of his heart. He drew near Kaito's father, then placed a hand on his shoulder. As he did, Kaito's father opened his mouth and began babbling loudly. \"Fuck's the matter with you you screwin' with me cut it out dammit fuckin' with me gonna kill you gonna fuckin' kill you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Apparently, Vlad had had restraints on his speech as well. No wonder he'd been so quiet. Knitting his brows in irritation, Vlad leaned toward Kaito's father's ear. As if approached by a carnivorous beast with fangs bared, Kaito's father immediately shut up. His earlobe had been warped in a fistfight, and Vlad's voice was sweet as he spoke into it. \"If you kill that thing in front of you once more, I will allow you to enjoy life anew. What do you say?\" After a moment of confusion, Kaito's father practically licked his lips. Quick on the uptake as ever. At the same time, Kaito turned on his heel and ran. An angry voice thick with avarice chased after him. \"Hold it, Kaito! Don't you fuckin' run from me!\" \"I'm definitely gonna run, dumb-ass!\" As long as his brain wasn't atrophied, he could at least make sound decisions. And he had no intention of lying down and dying. His father gave chase, shouting something incoherent. Kaito aimed for the entrance he had just come through. The maids did not stand in his way. He doubted he'd make it to Elisabeth alive, but if nothing else, even if he died, he had to stop Hina from shutting down. He should still be able to make it in time. Then Vlad snapped his fingers. Azure petals and darkness swirled, and stakes pierced Kaito's feet. \"Gah-rgh!\" Kaito let out a scream of pain as he dropped to one knee. At the same time, his father caught up with him and hoisted him by the scruff of his neck. Trembling with rage, his father wrung his neck. \"Don't you look down on me, you no-good piece o' shit motherfucking brat! Don't you look down on me; don't you look down on meeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Ahhhhhhhhh, you're a pain in my ass!\" Kaito tried to raise his hands and resist, but those were skewered as well. His arms drooped, covered in blood. His field of view shrank and grew blurry. He recalled the unpleasant sensation of having his windpipe crushed. He was experiencing the same thing again. His body might be immortal, but at this rate, the bones in his neck would snap and his arteries would get punctured. If that happened, even he wouldn't survive. Am I gonna get killed again? He'd talked a good game, which made this all the more embarrassing. Just like last time, nobody came to save him. Even if he called out, there was nobody his voice could reach. There was nobody to come to his rescue. This was the end for him, but he'd wanted to stop her, at least. He recalled her gentle smile and her warm embrace. Why hadn't he run up to her and held her to keep her from leaving? A tear ran down his cheek as he whispered, his heart full of regret. \"...I'm sorry, Hina.\" Suddenly, a stampeding sound came out of nowhere. Kaito's father's grip loosened in surprise, and Kaito opened his eyes a sliver. His father was staring in the direction of the noise with his jaw hanging open."}, {"text": "Curious, Kaito managed to look. When he did, his jaw dropped, too. Hina was barreling toward them, twirling her halberd like a tornado. The maids rushed to stop her, but she blew them away with such vigor, it made one wonder what had become of her previous listless state. Her cheeks were flush and her eyes were glittering as she let out a strange voice. \"You called? You called for me? I just heard you calling for me, didn't I, Master Kaaaaiiiito?! I'm coming to save youuuuuuuuuuuu!\" \"Are you for real?\" Kaito muttered in astonishment. Sensing the danger he was in, his father pushed him aside and began running. Kaito fell hard toward the floor. But the impact never came. He found himself cradled in Hina's right arm. With her free left hand, she brandished her halberd. \"Huh?\" \"For the sin of strangling Master Kaito, the punishment is death.\" The top half of his father's body went flying and landed on its side. Blood and entrails splattered on the floor. In no time at all, he was well past the point at which blood loss became fatal. He slumped over, motionless. Without a shred of hesitation or doubt, and with a bit too much eagerness, the deed was done. Still cradled in Hina's loving embrace, Kaito couldn't help but be astonished by what was happening. As if to avoid causing him any further shock, Hina plopped him on the ground, tossed aside her halberd, and held Kaito tight in her arms. She buried his face in her ample bosom and spoke with joy in her heart. \"Oh, Master Kaito! You saved me once more from the bleak abyss of death! How kind you are! I love you so! Your voice, along with its infinite mercy, has reached me! Oh, my beloved Master Kaito! As long as you wish it, I shall remain by your side for all eternity! I shall love you until my dying day, protecting you from all who would harm you!\" \"Ha...ha-ha-ha...\" Kaito unwittingly broke into a weak laugh. It was all well and truly absurd. But little by little, joy welled up inside his chest. He'd thought that no one would come to save him. But that hadn't been true. That wasn't true anymore. He raised a bloody hand. Seeing it, Hina cried out in alarm. Ignoring her outburst, Kaito stroked her cheek. Not wanting to sully her perfect skin, he felt her warmth through his fingertips. After a little while, he breathed a sigh of relief. \"Master Kaito, what's wrong? Are you in pain?\" \"I'm just glad you're alive. I'm so, so glad... And I'm sorry, Hina. I'm so sorry.\" \"M-Master Kaaiito! Please don't apologize! It's all right. Henceforth, and forever and for all of eternity, in sickness and in health, I will serve you with all my heart for as long as I live! Oh, this feeling of love! These emotions! Could they be the beginnings of maternal instinct?\" With an enraptured look on her face, Hina began muttering to herself. But then she turned, her expression fierce. A feral, murderous look flashed across her emerald-green eyes. \"...And it appears there's one brute left who would try to harm you.\" Kaito looked up and saw Vlad, for whatever reason, trampling on his father's viscera with the soles of his leather shoes. As he looked at Vlad's icy profile, he felt his blood run cold. The man was livid. In his irritation, he looked like he planned on wasting no time in crushing Kaito and Hina. \"Fester and die, you son of a bitch.\" \"Hina, no!\" In the next moment, Hina vanished. Despite her injured state, she scooped up her halberd. Her pupils dilated as she drove it toward Vlad. Not even turning toward her, Vlad snapped his fingers. Darkness and azure petals swirled, and a rotating saw appeared in the air. The saw flew not at Hina but straight at Kaito. Vlad trained his apathetic eyes on Hina, testing her. She didn't hesitate even a moment. Casting her halberd aside, she wrenched her body into an impossible pose. She threw herself upon Kaito. For a second, Kaito saw Neue's form superimposed on hers. \"Hina, no!\" At once, Kaito shoved Hina out of the saw's path. \"...What? Master...Kaito?\" Her eyes were wide, and her arms were outstretched. Kaito looked at her and smiled. Then heat burned through his body. His stomach had been cleaved open. But although the rotating saw looked flashy, it turned out to be duller than Hina's halberd. Kaito had avoided being bisected, but his intestines still spilled from the wound. He collapsed without a word. Hina howled a crazed scream. \"Master...Kaito? Master Kaito, Master Kaito! Noooooooooooooooo!\" \"...Urgh... Gah, hrk... Blech...\" Kaito could feel something warm pumping away from his heart. The gushing sound of his heartbeat was obnoxious. As he lay trembling on the floor, a thought faintly crossed his mind. I hope...Hina will...take this...chance...to escape...... But I wouldn't...bet on it... Based on her personality, he doubted she'd be able to leave him behind. He needed to find a way to tell her to run. But his voice no longer obeyed him. His field of view grew dark. It should have been completely pitch-black, but light ran across his vision. What was that sensation? He remembered it from the time he'd activated a teleportation circle on his chest. It was the feeling of the magical energy in Elisabeth's blood, which was mixed with his own, writhing. On the brink of death, Kaito's soul was resonating with the powerful magic in the blood. The memories in the blood began to resurface. It was almost like his life was flashing before his eyes, like it did in stories. But it was something else entirely, something sinister. Endless corpses of the brutally slaughtered. Hundreds of crows taking flight. The frenzied masses, chanting in unison and crying out for blood. A girl, bound in a straitjacket, hanging in the air. A frail young child, peering out of her bedroom window. A willowy man's fingers crept toward her bony shoulders draped in a negligee. Her matted black hair shook as she gave a start. Flustered, she turned to look. Her gaze landed on the man, who raised his arms in surrender. Upon seeing his face, she breathed a sigh of relief. \"Oh, Uncle Vlad. Don't startle me like that.\" \"Ah, Elisabeth. My darling daughter. Have you been a good girl? You haven't been killing cats in secret again, have you?\" \"I haven't. I don't do that anymore.\" \"I wonder about that. But don't worry. No matter what you do, I'll keep it a secret for you.\" Her uncle's features much resembled hers, and his voice was full of joy over their reunion. For some reason, he always referred to Elisabeth as his daughter rather than his niece. She was about to respond, but she then clamped her hand over her mouth. After a fit of dry coughing, she hacked up blood. Seeing her suffer, Vlad readied his proposition. \"O pitiful Elisabeth, born with incurable illness. Darling Elisabeth, she who possesses the same ruthless nature as I. You possess the capability yet are trapped on the brink of death. I have come to cure your ailment.\" \"Really? But Uncle, even the doctors say it can't be cured. And what do you mean by 'capability'?\" \"You will eventually understand in time. Now come, take this. But just like I keep quiet about your mischief, you mustn't tell anyone about this.\" Her uncle put his index finger to his lips and winked. Elisabeth nodded. Vlad then praised her with a pat on the head and retrieved something from his bag. \"With this, you shall surely lead a more enjoyable life than any other.\" In her outstretched hands, he deposited a gray lump of meat. It was shaped like a human heart. After eating the meat, Elisabeth made it safely to her sixteenth year. Everyone rejoiced at her miraculous survival. But then, as if in payment for that miracle, both of her parents passed away. One night, their carriage drove off a cliff. The cause of the fall was undetermined, but right before the accident, an elderly individual reported seeing a massive black dog by the side of the road. On the night of their funeral, Elisabeth sat by her window as she'd done in her youth, clad in her mourning dress. A pale finger crept toward her shoulder. With a start, she lifted her tear-stained face. Before her stood her uncle, dressed in black. He should have been away, traveling the countryside. \"Uncle Vlad.\" \"Ah, Elisabeth! I'm so glad to see you alive and well, my darling!\" Not noticing how unnatural his greeting was, Elisabeth rushed to hug her beloved uncle. But all of a sudden, he began clapping. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide. Even though her parents had just died, he was clapping as if to say that there was nothing to be done about it. \"...Uncle?\" \"The demon's flesh was able to take root within you!\" Elisabeth couldn't understand what he was talking about. But upon seeing him again in the moonlight, she noticed something. His face was far too young and much too handsome for his age. And it was wicked, besides. He continued, his voice like that of a child inviting another to mischief. \"Elisabeth, by now, no human illness can kill you. But from this moment on, you'll have to hurt others and offer up their pain, and the discord in their souls, to your body. If you don't, the demon flesh within you will rot, and you will die, racked with gut-wrenching agony. No, no, there's no need to be afraid. Be at ease, my pitiful, lovely Elisabeth.\" Vlad grinned as he basked in the moonlight. He continued speaking, a wicked grin on his face. \"Your parents left you the population of the fiefdom, throngs of subjects to indulge yourself in. Until you have licked your plate clean, until you have feasted to your heart's content, you should eat as much as you can.\" Elisabeth sensed that her uncle's words were no jest. Belatedly, she also realized something. That thing she had eaten all those years ago had been something forbidden, something that should have never been consumed. Trembling, Elisabeth clutched her shoulders. Her uncle smiled as he spoke again. \"Yes, Elisabeth Le Fanu. Now you can become a greedier sow than any other.\" A few days later, Elisabeth became unable to bear the pain that racked her body. With her uncle Vlad's help, she used a real torture device for the very first time and committed her first murder. She ripped out the guts of a living person with a windlass and slaughtered a young girl in a hanging cage, weeping and vomiting all the while. As she piled up bodies by the day, Vlad laughed loudly by her side. \"Very good, Elisabeth, very, very good! More, Elisabeth, more! What do you think, beloved daughter of mine? Aren't you having fun?\" \"...Yes, maybe... You might be right...\" With tears in her eyes, she looked at the corpses of those she'd killed, those who had hated her, resented her, and wanted her to die. The more she wept and apologized, the more their hatred grew, expanding without limit. Before long, the poisonous flower was in full bloom. She'd tried to kill herself over a dozen times, but Vlad kept her in check. It was only after meeting the demonic friends he'd assembled that she finally stopped resisting. \"Weep or rejoice as I may, the results remain unchanged.\" She accepted her lot in life. She draped herself in a dress she weaved with magic, used the energies she'd accumulated to summon torture devices, and slaughtered the inhabitants of her castle town. As she violated her innocent subjects, she sat alone in the throne room and swirled a glass of wine back and forth. \"What kind of person apologizes when eating pork"}, {"text": "or feasting on steak? No amount of tears that I shed, no amount of regret that I feel will change who I am or what I've done. As such, I have made my choice. I choose to be proud. \"I choose to rejoice as I make all the people of this world into my sacrifices. \"Why should I weep when I make victims of others? Why should I apologize?! I shall laugh as I slaughter you. I shall line you up on my plate. I shall take pleasure in devouring you. And I shall rub my belly when I've eaten my fill. However, you all have the right to kill me. I shall show you no mercy as I consume you, but the day will come when the devourer and the devoured trade places, and I shall die at the stake.\" \"Rebuke me. Hate me. Curse my name and condemn me to Hell!\" \"I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu!\" \"I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow, forsaken by all of creation!\" After that, Elisabeth gave rise to myriad blood-soaked legends, accumulating magical power comparable to that of the strongest demon. Once more, she became a worthy successor to Vlad. But for some reason, she suddenly revolted against her self-proclaimed foster father. She laughed as she skewered his underlings with thousands upon thousands of stakes. \"Why, hello, Vlad. Don't tell me you truly believed the day you met your match would never come, did you? 'Tis your judgment day. Your fate and mine are the same\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto be killed like the swine we are.\" The two of them struck at once, each downing the other, and they were both captured by the Church. Perhaps her heinous deeds, committed without fear of God, were all for the sake of extending her own life. Or perhaps they were for the sake of defeating her \"father,\" whose power and allies had grown well past the point where any normal person could stand against him. Her motives would remain a mystery. \"...Gah, hah!\" Kaito coughed up blood as he came to his senses. It appeared he'd been fortunate and vomited up the blood that had pooled in the back of his throat. The sudden pain had shaken his soul out of its shocked state. Elisabeth's memories faded, leaving him unable to see them anymore. Reality, along with the fact that he was steadily losing blood, came rushing back to him. The floor felt warm, like a blanket, and strangely soft. His senses seemed to be failing him. The blood he was lying in felt strangely comfortable. Closing his eyes again, Kaito thought back on the memories he'd just witnessed. ...That was rough; I'll give you that. Given your circumstances, no one could've saved you. Resisting the urge to surrender himself to sleep, Kaito opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, and he couldn't make much out in the darkness. But he could tell that Hina was waving her halberd and fighting something off. She was protecting him. His head swimming, Kaito tried to think. Even God turned away from you. And yet, you intentionally... You chose to become the Torture Princess. Man, I can't even begin to understand that. Kaito reached out his hand. It sank into the sticky pool of blood surrounding him. He stretched out his arm again, searching for a dry section of floor. His arm trembled as he frantically began moving it. Even for the sake of living or fighting back...I still don't get how you could choose something like that so easily... So brazenly... As he squirmed about on the floor, Kaito moved his fingertips once more. Ignoring his pain and the blood he was losing, he wriggled on the floor like a worm. Perhaps thinking he was trying to flee, Vlad laughed and muttered. \"It seems your master intends to abandon you, even as you fight for him. Do you wish to continue in spite of this?\" \"Master Kaito is fleeing? How wonderful! Then I shall buy him as much time as he needs!\" The metallic clang of blade against blade rang out. All the while, Kaito continued crawling around. He dragged streaks of blood across the ground, and as he connected line to line, he let out a small laugh. \"But man... I guess we did have one thing in common after all. Like...birds of a feather, they say.\" It was just as Clueless had said. There was one area in which Kaito and Elisabeth resembled each other quite a bit. Kaito extended his arm a little more. Straining his exposed innards as he worked, he wrote a glyph. \"I'm already dead...and back when I was alive, I never did manage to get in a solid hit. But you're still alive, so...while you still can...go give your 'dad' one good punch.\" Kaito connected the beginning and end of the circle with his finger. His work finally done, he collapsed. He could feel the blood burn with magical energy. Vlad, finally realizing what was going on, shouted. \"...That's\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" In front of Kaito, Elisabeth's summoning circle had been completed. Over the course of his first life, he'd developed a certain skill\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe never forgot any information he'd learned through pain. He'd taken advantage of that by carving a map of the castle's underground tunnels in his skin so he wouldn't get lost. And he'd once gotten Elisabeth to carve a teleportation circle on his chest. He'd drawn the teleportation circle just as he remembered it, and it began undulating wildly. The blood flowed, full of Elisabeth's magical energy. It glimmered, its vivid crimson hue resembling melted rubies. Aided by the light of the circle, Kaito could finally make out what was going on in the room. Vlad was firing off attacks, his face full of impatience, but Hina was somehow holding him at bay. Kaito coughed up blood as he let out a scream. \"And then, once you've cleaned up this mess, you can go straight to Hell like you swore! E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039L\u00e2\u20ac\u2039I\u00e2\u20ac\u2039S\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039B\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039E\u00e2\u20ac\u2039T\u00e2\u20ac\u2039H\u00e2\u20ac\u2039!\" As Kaito screamed, darkness exploded from the circle. Crimson flower petals spiraled around the room like a blood-soaked hurricane. A long dress fluttered amid the tempest of darkness and petals. Its scarlet interior swirled across his view. A fair woman appeared, puffing out her buxom leather-bound bust. Her sleek black hair wafted behind her, and her crimson gaze settled on Kaito. She landed atop Kaito's blood and guts sporting her bondage-style dress and devilishly good looks. It made for a beautiful, warped image. In her hand, she held the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. \"Hello there, Vlad.\" Elisabeth, immediately grasping the situation, laughed a dark laugh. Her lips twisted in the most wicked yet sublime way imaginable. Vlad recoiled a step. Elisabeth, drenched in blood, was currently free of the Church's shackles. Not only was Vlad shackled, but the Kaiser wasn't by his side. She licked her lips as she eyed her prey. She raised the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal aloft. Crimson flower petals and darkness spiraled around the blade. She then brought the shining sword down, as if conducting an execution. \"Now die alone\u00e2\u20ac\u201dforsaken by heaven and earth and all of creation!\" Chains appeared from every direction and quickly filled the room. Hina was lying on the ground, and they flew over her head, shredded the maids, and twined around Vlad like a serpent. He struggled and fought, trying to break the chains with his own darkness and azure petals. But the chains wound around him faster than he could cut. His bones creaked as they bore down on his skin. \"Tch... Ah, rrrgh...\" He hung in the air, suspended by chains as Elisabeth had once been. Crimson petals piled up around him, like a massive bouquet for the dead. Then, in an instant, they melted and transformed into a platform with a stake. The chains bound Vlad to it. Elisabeth swung her sword again, and crimson flames burned in its wake. It was not a demonic flame but a mortal one. He burned in the flames of man, as if he was being judged by the people. \"To think I would be done in...by something like this... This is a cruel joke, Elisabeth...\" Heavy darkness and azure petals whirled around Vlad. But the chains remained unbroken, and the fire spread to the tail of his elegant coat. His flesh began to burn. He opened his eyes in disbelief. His sapphire stare was trained on Elisabeth. She returned it with a smile that seemed almost kind. Vlad frantically looked about, as if he'd only just grasped his situation. Suddenly, he'd found himself trapped within the jaws of death for the very first time. A bleak murmur dribbled from his mouth, as if imploring her. \"Elisabeth... Elisabeth... Elisabeth... Elisabeth...\" \"Despots are killed, tyrants are hung, and slaughterers are slaughtered. Such are the ways of the world. The demise of torturers should be garnished with their own screams as they sink to Hell with no chance for salvation. Only at such a time is a torturer's life truly complete\u00e2\u20ac\u201dso meet your fate, you vile man. I have no intention of fleeing. I shall follow you shortly.\" The tips of Vlad's long hair caught ablaze. No longer keeping up appearances, his body convulsed. The platform creaked a little. Then his skin burst into flames. He burned like an ordinary man, and Elisabeth made her declaration. \"Death by Burning\u00e2\u20ac\u201da fitting end for you and me.\" *** As Vlad let out a resentful scream, the blaze swallowed him. The flames caused his face to bulge and sizzle. His skin turned to carbon. And eventually, his entire body burned away. All that remained were bones, and the chains mercilessly shattered them. He became white ash, then scattered into the air and vanished on the wind. Vlad Le Fanu had become nothing more than another victim claimed by the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. *** And that was how the man who had served as the Kaiser and created the Torture Princess met his end. All that remained was Elisabeth, standing alone, ever the picture of regality. Amid the heat from the flames still lingering in the room, she closed her eyes and looked up at the sky. Her black hair drifted behind her, and a crimson flower petal fell from her skin. Having defeated her lifelong foe, Elisabeth took a short breath, exhaled, and opened her eyes. \"How weak!\" She thrust her fist skyward as she shouted in pure satisfaction. Out of all the things she could have chosen to say, that's what she went with? As he lamented her choice of words, Kaito's consciousness slipped away. Epilogue \"\u00e2\u20ac\u2039D\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039e\u00e2\u20ac\u2039l\u00e2\u20ac\u2039i\u00e2\u20ac\u2039c\u00e2\u20ac\u2039i\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039u\u00e2\u20ac\u2039s\u00e2\u20ac\u2039!\u00e2\u20ac\u2039\" Elisabeth gripped her fork and knife as she shouted with glee. Laid out before her were jellied beef tongue, gizzard rillettes, kidney pie with a blue-cheese sauce, and tripe cutlets. \"I am grateful for your praise, Lady Elisabeth.\" \"Man, your reactions are always way over-the-top when it comes to food.\" Hina smiled and gave a tidy bow. Kaito stood next to her, holding a wine bottle with both hands. Each time Elisabeth emptied her glass, he mechanically moved to refill it. His task hardly took his humanity into account. His poured the wine with dead eyes, not giving a damn about the wine's flavor. Apparently, though, as long as the food was good, Elisabeth didn't much care about the quality of the liquor. She happily drained her glass. At least my job is easy, he thought. He looked down at his clothes and sighed. He would have really appreciated it if she got him something nicer to wear than his butler uniform. Ignoring his complaints, Elisabeth devoured the spread. But as she finished her final plate and Kaito moved to refill her glass, she suddenly spoke. \"Have you no misgivings?\" \"About what?\" He immediately returned her question. Still holding the wine bottle, he waited for her reply. A few days had passed since they'd purged the Kaiser and returned to the stone castle."}, {"text": "This was the first time Elisabeth had spoken on the matter. That night, after being carried back to the castle, Kaito had confessed that he'd temporarily accepted Vlad's invitation. But Elisabeth had simply treated his wounds, then tossed him into bed. He'd immediately slipped into a comatose state, and Hina had held his hand through the night while Elisabeth delivered her report to the Church. The following day, his usual warped yet not-unpleasant lifestyle awaited him. He'd decided not to mention prior events, so when Elisabeth broached the subject on her own, he was taken by surprise. There were too many possible answers to her question about his \"misgivings,\" so he simply tilted his head. Elisabeth raised a slender finger. \"First, the matter of the Church's custody.\" \"Oh, well, misgivings or not, people from other worlds are still rare, right? And that place seems full of holes, so if there was anyone else like Clueless there, I'd be done for. It's not like I'd have any way to resist, so because I can't guarantee that I'm not gonna become a lab rat, I have no plans of fleeing to the Church at the moment.\" \"At the moment, eh?\" \"Well, yeah. If I really felt like you were gonna die and I was gonna follow shortly after, then who knows. I might well go sobbing to the Church and beg them for help.\" \"Ah, how very like you.\" \"Yeah, I'd rather not accompany you to Hell.\" \"And I would rather not have you.\" Elisabeth responded in a muted tone, then shook her empty glass. Obeying her unvoiced order, Kaito filled it to the brim. Spinning the glass as she spoke, Elisabeth asked her next question. \"Second, then. Are you truly okay with that?\" \"Oh...yeah. That. Yeah, I'm fine with that as it is.\" \"I see. Well, if you say so, then that is that.\" Unlike Kaito, who had survived due to Elisabeth giving him a blood transfusion, his father's doll body had lost all its blood, and his soul had disappeared. Elisabeth could have summoned it again, but Kaito had turned her down. On his request, though, she'd recovered the doll's body, and Kaito had buried it behind the castle. The burial had had no meaning. Yet, for some reason, Kaito had wanted to do it anyway. And so he did. Kaito had no plans to visit his father's grave. In time, it would grow over with weeds or flowers as they sprouted naturally. That was for the best. That thought alone had allowed him to sort out his feelings. Here in front of him sat Elisabeth again. It was her egotism that had set all of this in motion. It was the Torture Princess who had thrust herself into this insane situation and she who had forced this second life upon him. Kaito shrugged, then spoke to her casually. \"And hey, you bringing me back to life and summoning me here must have been some kind of fate... So until you start walking the road to Hell, I'll try and stick by your side for as long as I can, even if I'm the only one.\" Elisabeth would die alone. Not even a demon would be by her side then. But perhaps it wouldn't be so bad for one human to stay by her side until that fateful day arrived. Throughout Elisabeth Le Fanu's bloody life, she was accompanied by a single foolish servant. Kaito thought that sounded just fine. Elisabeth cast a sidelong glance at him. She then shrugged and gave a catlike laugh. \"And what of it? Am I supposed to be overjoyed at the prospect of being served till death by an unfaithful servant like you? One who can't even cook?\" \"Man, you ask a lot for someone who can only summon people from other worlds who can't cook organs worth a damn.\" \"I'll kill you for that. Painfully. But...very well. Bring me that thing, that one talent you possess.\" \"Aye aye, cap'n. It's been a while.\" He obeyed her command and returned the wine bottle to its bowl. He then picked up the earthenware pot from the tub of ice it was chilling in. Hina, unable to restrain herself, bubbled with excitement as she peered at it. Watching the other two crane their necks, Kaito whipped off the lid. \"Ah, so that's what Master Kaito's special purin is like! How splendid!\" \"Indeed, it jiggles so wonderfully. I crave it from time to time. Now, without further ado...\" Kaito gazed at them, Elisabeth readying her spoon and Hina unable to contain her excitement. It was then that he realized something. He felt around his face with caution. Sure enough, a natural smile had spread across it. ...Oh, so that's what that feels like. He thought back to the promise he'd made Neue. Then he calmly surveyed the scene before him. Elisabeth was there, and so was Hina. He hoped these chaotic, happy days would continue. For the first time in his life, he prayed that he wouldn't lose them, even as the battles heated up. And to that end, he planned to do everything in his power. To fulfill his promise to Neue and to keep the promise he'd just made to Elisabeth. The Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu, had summoned him from another world. She would one day die alone, forsaken by all of creation, and descend to Hell. But they still had some time before then. Afterword Good day, and to those of you I haven't met before, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Keishi Ayasato. Thank you all very much for purchasing Torture Princess. Some of you will say, \"But I'm just skimming it at the bookstore!\" To those people, this is the part where I cling to your leg and beg you not to leave it behind. My grandpa said that something good will happen if you take it to the register with you. More specifically, you could get a +3 bonus to Luck. As far as the accuracy of that statement goes, I have no comment. Torture Princess is the first book I had the honor of writing for MF Bunko J. Because it was the first, I was pretty nervous. I sincerely hope you liked it, even if only a little. The idea of the Torture Princess, a wicked, beautiful woman of noble birth who commands countless torture devices, was one that I'd wanted to write about for a while. However, I'd never been able to come up with a reason for the protagonist to be with her or why he would continue serving her, so the story never really took form. It was when my editor suggested I write a story combining dark elements with the isekai genre that a light went on in my mind. Ah, I thought, the premise can be that she summons him after he dies and forces him to work for her! After that, I was able to write Kaito and Elisabeth's story without a hitch. If you don't mind, I would be thrilled to tell you what happens next in the tale of the sinner who awaits death by burning at her own hands and the boy who gets a second chance at life. Incidentally, I wrote a limited-edition booklet that you can find at animate, describing a day in the life of the aforementioned two, as well as Hina, the doting maid who showers the protagonist with all the love of a blushing bride. As a bonus, the Butcher shows up, too. Skipping it won't affect your enjoyment of the sequel, but if you're interested, please check it out (I'm the type to toss in advertisements at key moments like this). Please take a look, even if all you do is admire the beautiful cover Saki Ukai drew for it. But most of all, I hope from the bottom of my heart that if I successfully manage a sequel, it will catch your eye. Oh, that would make me so happy. Please, I beg of you. I'm almost out of room in the afterword, so I guess this is the part where I start thanking people. Saki Ukai, thank you so much for your beautiful character designs and illustrations. When I first saw Elisabeth's design, it took my breath away. To my designer and my publisher, your suggestions were invaluable, and to my editor O, I wish to extend my deepest gratitude. And finally, to my readers, my sincerest thanks. There is no greater pleasure for an author than to have people read their work. I will put everything I have into making my next story entertaining, so it would bring me great joy if you all looked forward to it. And with that, I hope we will meet again. 1 The Chaos Begins The entire area was one massive graveyard. A number of grave markers dotted the landscape, abandoned and forgotten by the living. They served as symbols of the dead resting beneath them, and they were stuck throughout the hill like a tragic pincushion. At present, two figures were being buffeted by the frigid winds that ravaged the naked earth. One of them was a girl of unparalleled beauty, clad in a lascivious black bondage dress. Her pale arms and sides were exposed to the elements, and the leather belts providing her chest its sole means of coverage left her shapely breasts largely exposed. The black cloth wrapped around her hips flared out into a short skirt, and behind it, a layer of fabric with the inside dyed scarlet draped outward like a mantle. Her elegant legs, adorned in a layer of thin material, stood out even more sharply against the crimson backdrop. Strangely, though, her appearance did not register as provocative. She wore her risqu\u00c3\u00a9 outfit with the dignity of a queen in her regalia, and her crimson eyes flashed like rubies as she smiled. \"Well, well, what do you intend to do, my dear Duke? At this rate, I shall crush you like a worm, and the dead shall count you among their ranks. Come now, try to entertain me a little.\" Her laugh was cruel and arrogant as she made light of her adversary. The foe was a demon. Twisted and hideous, it was demonic in every sense of the word. Its form was a coffin made of flesh. The coffin's lid reflected a gruesome glimmer while the interior was a throbbing mass of blood vessels and organs. Countless human arms extended from the coffin's sides, intertwining into a grotesque pair of wings. That demon\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Duke\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas the overseer of the massive graveyard, as well as its creator. Long ago, a bloody conflict between beastfolk and humans had led to the people of the village neighboring the site to forbid anyone from setting foot on that land. That was what led the Duke to develop an interest in it. As a result of using the land for his own nefarious purposes, the unbridled resentment of the dead had bled deep into the hill's soil. It would likely never be fit for human habitation again. The Duke had buried countless people alive there. He'd kidnapped them and sealed them within his coffin body, supplying them with air and minimal nourishment through a vent while slowly digesting them. Still clinging to life while their bodies broke down, it was said that his victims would eventually give in to madness, their laughter interspersed with their screams. Their wails of agony would shake the hill like a thunderstorm, frightening all those who passed by. But over the past few weeks, the Duke had refrained from conducting his dreadful work, and at present, the voices could no longer be heard. The Duke had been mulling over whether or not he should abandon his hill and flee. He'd heard that the person who had brought down judgment upon the Kaiser, the strongest of all the demons, was closing in on his location. But because"}, {"text": "of the arrogance so often found among those who possess power surpassing human understanding, he ignored the pealing alarm bells in his head and stayed put. That was a fatal mistake. Now, he was under attack by a peerless sinner: the one person in the world with the power to slaughter demons. The sinner, the judge, the girl in black, continued her mockery. \"What's the matter, Duke? Floating there in silence won't change a thing, you know. Pleading for your life will prove just as futile. And I shan't let you flee. The time for judgment has come. Here and now, you shall meet an unsightly end at the hand of a fellow sinner.\" \"Elisabeth... Elisabeth... Damn you, wretched child!\" \"You are aware of the position you're in, yes? The hour of your demise is upon you. Look upon me and know death incarnate.\" The girl named Elisabeth smiled sweetly. At that moment, the Duke let out a shriek and shot into the air like a missile. His arm wings spun in a bizarrely delicate fashion, carrying him high above the ground. When he reached the apex of his flight, the Duke opened his coffin lid. Stakes, the same kind that had been used as grave markers, shot out. As they landed, the stakes ripped up the ground and sent bones and coffins flying. But with minimal footwork, Elisabeth avoided the stakes and escaped unscathed. She moved with the graceful steps of a dancer, seemingly able to predict the trajectory of every rock and pebble. Her black hair fluttered as she tilted her head. A stake whizzed past and buried itself in the ground far behind her. She returned her head to its original position and then shrugged. \"......Is that it?\" *** The Duke screamed, in fear that his power would be insufficient and out of humiliation from her mockery. The arms that comprised his wings clawed at the air in anguish. They then swelled, extended, and rushed at Elisabeth like a fleshy, many-headed serpent. Embedded in their palms were countless open mouths, all scrabbling to consume her. Elisabeth smiled and then moved her pale hand. Crimson flower petals and palpable darkness swirled together in the air. She confidently plunged her hand into the swirling vortex and withdrew a long sword with a shining crimson blade. \"Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal!\" Elisabeth's voice rang out with the sword's name. As she did, the runes etched onto its blade glowed. You are free to act as you will. But pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. She pointed the sword at the Duke. In accordance with her declaration, countless chains appeared out of thin air. They coalesced into a unified mass, almost resembling the form of a great snake, and then shot out at the Duke. They crashed into his wings, as though challenging them to a battle of strength. After a moment's struggle, the chains pierced right through them. Fingers, flesh, and a torrent of blood rained from the sky. The Duke screamed and then truncated his wings in midair. Releasing a volley of stakes for cover, he frantically tried to use what remained of his wings to put distance between himself and his foe. But as she'd declared, Elisabeth had no intention of letting him get away. She brought her glowing, crimson blade down as if performing an execution. \"Bull of Phalaris!\" In concert with her shout, the earth shook violently. A storm of darkness and flower petals whirled upon the hill's peak. Then a colossal brass bull appeared from within the dark gale, causing a tremor as it landed. The bull's mouth snapped open as it stood before the Duke. Like a fly getting swept up by a cow's breath, the Duke was pulled inside. Simultaneously, crimson flower petals rained down upon the hill and set the grave markers ablaze. The flames burned brilliantly as they began lapping at the bull's golden torso. As a result, the Duke within it began burning. A wail of agony eerily resembling a cow's moo bellowed from the mouth of the brazen bull. The screams, distorted by a special mechanism within the bull's head, belonged to the Duke. They continued for some time, much like his victims' screams that had once shaken the hill. Elisabeth smiled upon hearing the Duke's ragged pleas among his screams. *** \"...Don't be ridiculous, Duke. This is how torturers meet their ends. Those screams of yours are the perfect adornment for the death of a tyrant\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand besides, why bother begging for your life? As if there were a chance I'd pay you the slightest heed\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwho exactly do you think I am?\" Playing the part of the calm, impartial executioner, Elisabeth rejected him without hesitation. As she waited for his fat to melt off, his flesh to burn, and his bones to glisten like jewels from the heat, she made her full introduction. \"I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow.\" Perhaps the last of his sanity had burned away in the flames, because toward the end, his agony had given way to mirth. The Duke's loud laughter, amplified further by the Bull of Phalaris, eventually ceased. Elisabeth then snapped her fingers, and the flames died down. The Bull of Phalaris, too, transformed into crimson flower petals and vanished. Out from the space it once occupied came a mass of black feathers, proof of the demon's death. The feathers burst into blue flames and then burned away into nothingness. Elisabeth closed her eyes. She turned to the sky\u00e2\u20ac\u201das if reflecting upon the deaths of the Duke and his victims\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbefore speaking. \"Now then, it's time for lunch!\" \"Yes, ma'am! I've been standing by!\" \"Wait, hold up. You're giving me emotional whiplash.\" Elisabeth's declaration elicited two responses: one cheerful and the other exasperated. Suddenly, a silver-haired maid carrying a basket appeared from the foot of the hill. She wore an adorable maid's cap and clutched the hem of her classic long skirt as she ran. Following behind her was a young man with grim eyes. The skinny young man, Kaito Sena, wore an unflattering butler uniform. His faded brown hair matched his eyes, and he appeared dejected as he hurried to Elisabeth's side, ravenous though she was. He was a mere human\u00e2\u20ac\u201done who had died once already\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyet he pledged his service to the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. And there was a profound reason why he worked for her. It all began back in another world. The world in which he was murdered. Following a lifetime of abuse at the hands of his biological father, Kaito Sena's life reached its end after a mere seventeen years and three months. His death was as meaningless as that of a worm\u00e2\u20ac\u201da death most pitiful, most unseemly, most cruel, and most gruesome. Ordinarily, there is no life after death. But because his soul was summoned to another world, Kaito received an opportunity. In truth, he had no desire to be brought back to life. Nevertheless, as soon as he was made flesh again, he was forced to serve an overbearing master. This master was the very person who had summoned him: the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. She had the pride of a wolf and was as low as a sow, a sinner ordered by the Church to butcher fourteen ranked demons and the people who had formed contracts with them. Once she was finished, she herself was destined to face execution. After being forcibly resurrected and experiencing a number of events, Kaito had made the choice to continue serving her. Throughout Elisabeth Le Fanu's bloody life, she was accompanied by a single foolish servant. He had made the choice to live a life that would bring about such a tale. And as for the present day, Elisabeth's demon hunt was proceeding smoothly. \"This is deeeeeeeeeeeelicious!\" Having taken large bites of her sandwich and stuffed her cheeks, Elisabeth cried out like a child. Elisabeth's favorite food was entrails, so the sandwich ingredients followed that trend. Atop savory, toasted buns sat thickly cut foie gras sandwiched between fresh onion and tomato, all adorned with a red wine sauce. Slices of baguette became vehicles for heaps of liver p\u00c3\u00a2t\u00c3\u00a9 and figs drenched in honey and sprinkled with black pepper. The basket also featured various palate cleansers such as vegetable marinades and egg-based dishes, making its contents a veritable culinary flower garden. Elisabeth was beaming, her expression absent of any of the cleverness or ruthlessness it bore just moments before. One could practically make out cat ears bobbing happily up and down atop her head. The silver-haired maid beside her hoisted a bottle of white wine and flashed an elegant smile. \"As you are Master Kaito's master, Lady Elisabeth, I feel blessed that my cooking suits your tastes.\" \"Indeed, Hina, you are without peer in the culinary arts! Kaito may be unable to cook, as he appears to be committed to his uselessness, but activating you may be the one act I can actually praise him for!\" \"Hey, I feel like I've been pulling my weight around here. I mean, I've been doing all sorts of things.\" \"Ah, 'tis all in your imagination!\" \"All in my imagination, huh? Is that right?\" With an expression that practically screamed fine, whatever, Kaito bit into his sandwich. Due to his harsh upbringing, Kaito never had the privilege to pick and choose when it came to food. As long as it wasn't tainted with laundry detergent or drugs, he could eat just about anything. But even though he typically didn't care about what he ate, he found Hina's cooking to be quite tasty. As he finished eating, the maid peered at him out the corner of her glittering emerald-green eyes. \"How was it, Master Kaito? Was it satisfactory?\" \"Yeah, it was really good. Impressive as always, Hina. You being able to handle the cooking day in and day out is a huge load off my back.\" \"Oh, oh, Master Kaito! Being constantly by your side and cooking for you every day... What a splendid coincidence, those are the things that bring me the most joy! I consider them to be my greatest victories!\" \"What in the blazes are you two going on about?\" \"Unfortunately, while I can't speak for her, I'm not really saying much of anything.\" As he gave his answer, Kaito patted Hina's head over her maid cap as she giggled, \"Master Kaito, Master Kaito!\" and smiled in delight. She looked to be on the verge of sprouting a puppy tail and wagging it back and forth. Hina was an automaton that Kaito had activated. When she was first activated, Kaito had selected \"lovers\" as their relationship, and as a result, a roaring flame of passion had been sparked within her. However, according to Hina, her love for him was genuine, welling up from deep within her soul to surpass the framework it had been initially set in. And her love for him had never once faltered. As she giggled and hugged Kaito, Elisabeth sat beside them, nodding as she held a wineglass in one hand and polished off a second and third sandwich. \"Ahh, another demon exterminated and a splendid lunch to top it off! Ah, how wonderful it is, washing down rich foie gras with crisp white wine!\" \"I made sure to prepare a dry wine thoroughly chilled with spirit ice today, ma'am!\" \"Well...yeah, I'm with you. This isn't half-bad.\" If not for the fact that we're in a graveyard and the Duke just burned up here, that is, Kaito thought to himself. Of all the venues they could have chosen for a picnic, the three of them chose to eat right atop the hill where the Bull of Phalaris had just disappeared. True, they were sitting on the blanket Hina had laid out, but that didn't change the fact that this"}, {"text": "was the very place where the Duke and his victims had died. However, Elisabeth simply scoffed at Kaito's downcast expression. \"What are you on about? This land may be forbidden, but the less superstitious members of the townsfolk actually come here to relax quite often... Of course, as a result, they were the first to fall victim to the Duke... But my point stands. There is no disputing the excellence of this view nor how pleasant the wind feels. However, once we leave, the corruption will cause this place to be sealed off. True, this place has accumulated too much resentment, but it is a shame nonetheless.\" \"I mean, you're not wrong...\" \"Having shed no tears, our prayers mean nothing. This is a funeral of sorts. Now drink, Kaito.\" \"Whatever you say, boss. I guess you're right, though. No tears I shed nor prayers I offer would mean anything at this point.\" \"We have dessert today as well! All manner of fruit tarts! Lady Elisabeth, if you please.\" Hina retrieved a smaller basket and removed the lid. Elisabeth, eyes sparkling, began making her selection. Hina watched over her with a sisterly expression. Gazing at their intimate exchange, Kaito let out a small sigh. Then he looked up at the pale-blue sky. Twisted as their circumstances were, at the moment, things were peaceful. Everything was going smoothly. The day-to-day life he'd longed for was safe\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand that was precisely why a bitter sense of anxiety gnawed at his chest. That's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthings are going too smoothly. Vlad Le Fanu had been contractor to the Kaiser, the greatest of the fourteen demons. After she'd defeated him, her fated opponent, Elisabeth's demon hunt had proceeded without a hitch. A few days ago, she'd defeated the Grand Governor, a foe even weaker than the Duke. While getting to the battle had been a bit of a struggle, it could be said that the fight itself was completely one-sided. In this world, fourteen ranked demons\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Knight, the Governor, the Grand Governor, the Earl, the Grand Earl, the Duke, the Grand Duke, the Marquis, the Grand Marquis, the Monarch, the Grand Monarch, the King, the Grand King, and the Kaiser\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad descended to the earth by forming contracts with humans. Upon fusing with their contractors, they would twist their bodies into grotesque forms in exchange for granting them immense power. Demons derived their strength from the lamentations of God's creations, in particular the suffering of humans. Because of this, demons and their underlings had brought harm to people all across the land. The higher the rank, the stronger the demon. The lowest ranked, the Knight, could handily rout any army other than paladins specially equipped by the Church. The highest ranked, the Kaiser, was unmatched by any human in the world. Aside from one woman, one who accumulated pain from her entire fiefdom in order to wield demonic power surpassing that of the demons themselves\u00e2\u20ac\u201dElisabeth Le Fanu, the Torture Princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat is. A few days ago, she had defeated the Kaiser, an opponent with whom she possessed a deep connection. Having defeated her strongest foe, it was possible that none of the rest would pose a challenge for Elisabeth. But that was problematic for Kaito. After subjugating the fourteen ranked demons, the Torture Princess was to be executed for slaughtering her subjects and countless other innocents. In a sense, every step she took toward completing her mission was like another step up toward the gallows. And as her servant, Kaito was slated to receive an inquisition before following her down the same path. He'd taken all that into account when he'd chosen to continue serving her. However, he'd just as soon not rush up those steps. He spoke gravely, his voice echoing with the weight of his unease. \"Hey, Elisabeth?\" \"What do you want, Kaito? This pomegranate tart is mine, I'll have you know. Hmm? That face you're making... What an incorrigible fellow you are. Fine then, I shall grant you a single bite. Watch yourself, though. Should you do the unthinkable and take too large a bite, you shan't escape with a mere flogging. I would have no choice but to summon a cat-o'-nine-tails, and\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"That's not what I'm after. Trust me, it's all yours. Anyway, you beat the Kaiser, right?\" \"Indeed, I did. Hu-hu-hu-hu, and what a weak fellow that Vlad turned out to be. Hu-hu-hu-hu-hu.\" \"Please stop laughing like that. You're freaking me out. But anyway, you beat the Kaiser, who should more or less be the strongest of the bunch... Doesn't that mean the rest of them aren't going to be a match for you? At this rate, the demon hunt will be over like\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Fool. That line of thinking is carelessness.\" Elisabeth bit into her tart, her response as sharp as a blade. Her mischievous, innocent expression from a moment ago had vanished without a trace. What replaced it was the stern face of a seasoned warrior. Kaito's eyes widened. She licked her crimson lips, instantly blowing away the relaxed atmosphere as she went on. \"Vlad had been shackled by the Church, and on top of that, he hadn't fused with the Kaiser. If you recall, Hina and I were no match for the Kaiser himself, top-ranked demon and superlative hound that he was; we obtained victory when I was summoned to Vlad's location so I could kill him directly. Had he and the Kaiser unified as one, we would likely have had no way of surpassing him.\" \"Really?\" \"Vlad more or less perished in service to his sense of aesthetic. After all, he was the sort of man who would rather die than abandon his pride... But while the Kaiser vanished due to losing his catalyst, Vlad, we have no reason to expect such favorable results from the rest. While I doubt any other demon's strength is on par with the Kaiser's... In particular, I lack any sort of information on the Grand King.\" \"The Grand King?\" \"The next highest ranked, after the Kaiser. Its contractor trusted Vlad and none other. Acting as Vlad's daughter, I was made to attend a number of the demons' gatherings, but I met them not once... The more I consider it, the more questions this foe raises. 'Tis a situation I'd just as soon not be in.\" Elisabeth muttered to herself as she bit into the next tart. Berry jam oozed out of it, staining her lips red. She licked voraciously at her pale fingertips, deep in thought, and then turned to look at Kaito. \"Hmm? Are you not going to eat that?\" \"Huh? Oh. No, knock yourself out.\" \"Mm. No matter the battle, information is essential... This crust is truly excellent... And there is merit to doing our research beforehand... The sweetness and sourness are perfectly balanced... If only we had some data... 'Tis exquisite how the cream just melts in your mouth... Upon second thought, it would have been prudent to do the searching earlier.\" \"Um...I think your food critique and your train of thought are getting mixed up.\" \"It's decided. We'll set off as soon as I am done eating.\" Tossing a morsel topped high with custard cream into her mouth, Elisabeth declared her intentions. Hina, having just cleaned up the glasses, cocked her head to the side. Beside her, Kaito raised a hand to ask a question. \"When you say 'set off,' where exactly are we going?\" \"That should be obvious. The Grand King had but one acquaintance: Vlad. So we will go to his castle. Given his personality, he likely filled the castle with things from his secret storehouse in order to make it more livable after he fled from the Church and returned to my hometown.\" Kaito thought back to the events of a few months prior. Back at Vlad's castle, deep in Elisabeth's hometown, the two of them had fought tooth and nail against Vlad. Even now, with the fight over, the castle and its surrounding ghost town were firmly blockaded. Elisabeth grabbed the final tart as she stood. \"There may yet be precious information left there.\" Her proclamation was punctuated by a bite of grape tart. In one sense, Elisabeth's prediction had turned out to be correct, yet in another, it had turned out to be completely off the mark. \"Grr, damn you, Vlad, damn you!\" \"Welp... Can't say I didn't see this coming.\" It was true that Vlad had brought a number of things with him to the castle. However, they had predominantly been furniture for decorating Elisabeth's childhood bedroom, cookware, curios, and the like. While there were also magical trinkets and tools for creating automatons, there was nothing that seemed like it would offer a connection to his demonic comrades. As Elisabeth violently rummaged through the desk in Vlad's room, Kaito looked through the jewelry cabinet. As he gazed at its luxurious contents, he thought to himself with a bit of dejection. Well, y'know... He didn't really seem like the type to be super-invested in his comrades. Behind Kaito, already willing to call it a day, Elisabeth was pulling tomes\u00e2\u20ac\u201drecipe books, by the looks\u00e2\u20ac\u201doff the shelf and hurling them to the floor. \"Damn that man! Making light of me to the bitter end, I see! He disgraces the name of commander of the demons, bringing nothing with him but goods to support his lavish lifestyle!\" \"Man, it really does feel that way, doesn't it?\" \"I'd known that the Church had rounded up all the automatons, but every other magical good is fixed such that only he could use them!\" \"Hey, is it possible he was just being careful not to leave behind anything that was related to the other demons?\" \"Ha! As if he was a man who would spare a thought for such considerations. No doubt he simply ignored those who did not spark his intere\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Bwah!\" As she complained, Elisabeth pulled hard on the handle to one of the desk's drawers. When she did, a black piece of cloth shot out from within and wrapped itself around her head. \"Wh-what is this? Gah!\" Elisabeth collapsed into a black lump. But based on how energetically she was rolling about, it didn't seem like she was in any immediate danger. Hina abandoned her investigation of the bed and made her way over to Elisabeth to try and extricate her. \"Are you all right, Lady Elisabeth? Hmm, no, it doesn't appear that way. I'm going to pull you out now, so please be patient. Hrgh!\" \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201dgrff... Hina... Hold it, that hurts, be gentler, geh!\" \"Hey, take it easy, you two.\" After calling out to them half-heartedly, Kaito returned to his task. He brushed a golden chess piece to the side as he returned an intricate bee-wing brooch to where he'd found it. All this stuff looks like it'd fetch a pretty high price, but I guess that's about all it's good for...huh? Kaito's hand stopped in its tracks, and he squinted. Amid the jewels sat an ornate black box. For whatever reason, it caught his attention, and he reached out for it. But when he opened it, he found the deep velvet interior was empty. ...Was it just my imagination? He began to close the lid. Right when he was about to, blue letters floated into the air. For my dear successor. \"...What?\" He was sure that the box had been empty, but now it appeared to house a transparent stone of unknown material. Opalescent lights dappled across its surface, and a blue rosebud sat sealed within it. Black feathers fell like snow around its tightly closed petals. It was like a little magical snow globe. \"...Wait, is this...?\" Kaito thought back to when he'd seen Vlad use magic. In contrast to Elisabeth, Vlad's magic had employed blue roses. Furthermore, black feathers were the symbol of demons. Kaito extended his hand and nervously grabbed hold of the stone. A familiar warmth spread across his palm. He frowned. The warmth was akin to that of a small flame, yet seemed"}, {"text": "somehow alive, just like a soul squirming within a golem. \"Elisa\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" As he was about to call out to her, Kaito closed his mouth. After hesitating a few moments, he wrapped the stone in a handkerchief and slipped it into his pocket. Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned back around. \"It's all right, Lady Elisabeth, just a little more and I'll have you out. Hrgh!\" \"No, no, wait, if you pull on that bit, you're likely to take my head with it, hey, Hina, for the love of\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" A great tragedy threatened to rear its ugly head. Frantic, Kaito ran over to prevent it. He placed a hand on Hina's shoulder to get her to back off a bit and then called out to the writhing mass. \"Hey, Elisabeth, you still alive in there?\" \"Just what do you think you're doing? Hurry up and save me, Kaito! A bit longer like this and I may die!\" \"Seriously? Well, that doesn't sound good.\" Kaito carefully untangled the bits of cloth caught on the ornaments adorning Elisabeth's arms. Hina cleared her throat in apology and then pulled once more with strength unbefitting her thin arms. \"Hrgh! How did I do that time, Lady Elisabeth?\" \"Huff, huff... Good...good work, Hina! Now, with this opening...\" Elisabeth successfully rolled out from within the cloth, crawling across the floor on all fours. Seemingly unaware of the seductive way she was arching her back, she shook her head, causing her beautiful black hair to tumble out of place as she yelled. \"Vlaaaaaad! That infernal device was a tool designed to train pets not to eat outside of mealtime! That wretched man, he must have expected me to open that drawer without permission and set it up in order to harass me... Enough of this; we're leaving! There's nothing of use to be found here!\" Finally reaching her boiling point, Elisabeth stood up and stormed off. But upon reaching the entrance, she suddenly stopped and turned to face the wall on her left. \"Wait\u00e2\u20ac\u201dcome to think of it, perhaps there is something here that we can make use of.\" Abruptly, she grabbed a decorative sword off the wall. Its blade was needle thin and surrounded by a beautiful spiral of melted ruby. Who knows how it was crafted. It didn't appear to be suited for actual combat. As Kaito reached that conclusion, Elisabeth swung the sword and whispered: \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (burn).\" With a noise like water evaporating, the rubies transformed into flames. The flames flickered and gave off heat, as though someone had breathed life into them. Elisabeth flourished the burning sword and offered the grip to Kaito. When he gingerly accepted it, the flames immediately froze and returned to their ruby state. \"Whoa, what's up with that...? That's kinda cool. What's the deal?\" As Kaito poked at it, Elisabeth's expression became deadly serious. \"Kaito, have you any desire to learn magic?\" \"Wait, magic? What are you talking about? C'mon, I can't use magic.\" \"Cast away your doubt. As my puppet, my mana-rich blood flows through you. And did Vlad not ask you to become his successor?\" Losing his voice for a moment after thinking back to that time, Kaito nodded. Elisabeth extended a pale arm and touched his chest. She tapped above his heart with a polished black nail. \"For a madman, Vlad was quite rational. His thoughts may have been warped, but his judgment was sound. From the moment he met you, no doubt he realized how high your affinity for demonic energy was... While I have no intention of feeding you demon flesh, there should be merit in having you learn the foundations of magic. Not that you'll be able to freely draw out the mana in my blood, that is. But you should be capable as far as rudimentary dark magic goes.\" Elisabeth bobbed her head up and down. Kaito pressed a hand against his heart. It was true that Elisabeth's blood was coursing through his body. The matter of whether or not he could use it aside, as far as latent magical energy went, the amount he possessed was far above that of the average person. \"Even with Hina by your side, you yourself are as powerless as always. Now, give me your arm.\" \"My arm? Here.\" \"This will sting.\" Speaking briefly, she ran her finger across it. Crimson flower petals gathered and then stabbed deep into Kaito's palm. At the same time, a figure appeared behind Elisabeth with blinding speed. She calmly raised her hands. \"Come now, Hina; pain is a necessary ingredient in dark magic. I'll have to ask you to overlook this much.\" \"...In the future, I ask that you please obtain his permission in advance. I hold deep affection for you, Lady Elisabeth, but should you harm my dearest beloved, I will kill you without hesitation. Please bear that in mind.\" Murmuring in a low voice, Hina withdrew the knife she'd reflexively pressed against the nape of Elisabeth's throat. Elisabeth shrugged, took the sword from Kaito, and then once more offered him its handle. \"Now then, the first lesson. Take this with your wounded hand and then use the blood as a medium to activate the magic within the sword. 'Tis the same technique as when you circulated mana through the summoning circle carved on your chest.\" \"All right, I'll give it a shot.\" Kaito obediently took the handle from her. Its rough ornamentation caused his wound to throb. But after the years of torturous abuse he'd endured, that degree of pain hardly even registered to him. The same technique as when I circulated mana through the summoning circle, huh? Do I need to use more blood or something? He gripped the handle even tighter, intentionally hastening his bleeding. Red droplets welled up from his palm. He thought back to the sensation he'd felt when his wounds had been so full of mana that they'd felt like they were burning, and fortunately, his experiences in life had left him with the special talent of being unable to forget any information that was accompanied by pain. Using Elisabeth's blood within him as the catalyst, he imagined the sensation of burning and whispered: \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (burn).\" Immediately, the rubies became dancing flames. \"I knew you could do it, Master Kaito!\" \"Oh-ho, quite the show for your first time! You're rather quick on the uptake!\" The two commended him. As he responded to their praise, he turned his attention to the stone in his pocket. The moment he'd understood how to activate magical devices, it had pulsed, as if to entice him. If I'm right, then I've got a pretty good idea of what this is. \"Well, even for a first lesson, that was just the beginning of the beginning. From here, Hell awaits you. There's no point dillydallying. Once you've pilfered anything that looks useful from here, we'll return to the castle and begin your special training!\" \"I mean, I'm definitely down to learn how to fight back against the demons. But I'd appreciate it if you could take it easy on me.\" \"Oh, that would be unthinkable!\" \"When you say 'unthinkable'...\" After healing the wound on Kaito's hand, Elisabeth strode gallantly into the hallway. Hina and Kaito followed after her. The three of them made a pass through the other rooms, collected various tools and weapons, and then left through the castle gate. They passed through the town littered with human bones as they made their way to the location where the teleportation circle was linked. Elisabeth clicked her heels atop the cobble pavement, and the crimson magic circle rose up once more. Red flower petals scattered through the air and formed a wall surrounding the three of them. The petals melted together as they swirled, transforming into blood. When the cylindrical curtain of blood fell, the three of them had vanished from the town. They'd safely made their way to the basement of Elisabeth's castle, where the teleportation circle was affixed. After traveling through corridors reeking of must and echoing with a sound resembling moaning, the three of them ascended the stairs to the castle proper. \"Shall we break for some tea? I believe there are a few tarts that have eluded my grasp.\" As she spoke, Elisabeth opened the door to the dining hall. The chandelier within let out a loud creak. A chain was wrapped around it, a familiar individual hanging from it by his neck. \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?!\" The dark figure swayed back and forth, letting out cacophonous creaking each time. Simply hanging there, the person looked almost like an ornament added to the chandelier. The chain glittered, wrapped around and around the figure's silver arms and biting deep into the neck. The bones in that neck had snapped at a queer angle. There was no way this person could still be alive. As Kaito and Elisabeth looked up at the tragic corpse, they both cried out. \"\"Butcher!\"\" The one who had been killed was the Butcher, a beastfolk merchant who would come to Elisabeth's castle to sell her meat. His entire body was wrapped up in the tattered black cloak he constantly wore. They couldn't make out his face, concealed as it always was by the shade of his hood. But even without seeing his expression, it was evident he was dead from the cruel shape his neck was contorted in. Clasping her hand over her mouth, Hina murmured in shock. \"...Mr. Butcher? Why did this happen?\" \"I have no idea... Man, what even happened here?\" Kaito shook his head. Why had he been killed? Who was responsible? As the tension caused the three of them to cringe, the Butcher's corpse made a lazy revolution. He then called out in an energetic voice, as if responding to the doubts the situation had brought about. \"My friends, there is an enemy! An enemy is afoot!\" \"The corpse spoke!\" \"That's impossible!\" \"His spirit must be restless!\" \"Hmm, none of you seem particularly thrilled by the fact that I'm still alive. I feel oh so very loved at the moment.\" The Butcher, still strung up, shook his body from side to side in protest. The magnificent chandelier creaked ominously as he waved the scaly arms peeking out from the bottom end of his cloak. \"...An arm? Wait, is that chain digging into your tail and not your neck?\" \"Keen eye! While I may be upside down, I yet live! Just as the enemy was stringing me up, I inverted my body within my cloak! Then they left, not realizing they had hung me by my tail! My, my, that could have gone quite poorly for me.\" \"Wait, that doesn't sound possible; that's like a magic trick or something.\" \"If I wish to call myself the Butcher, surely I should be able to do that much.\" \"You're blowing my mind here, man.\" The two of them exchanged laughs, glad that he had survived. Then Elisabeth suddenly tilted her head to the side. \"Hold it, Butcher. You spoke of an enemy. Who was it that hung you up within my castle?\" \"Ah, that I did! Madam Elisabeth, an enemy is attacking! Although as the Butcher, I must confess that I don't much care for your fight against the demons one way or the other; as a matter of fact, it doesn't hold my interest in the slightest. However\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"With an attitude like that, death shall come knocking at your door sooner rather than later.\" \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dHowever, should I encounter one myself, then the story changes considerably! A demon came to this very castle! And he emitted a rather malevolent aura at that! He said that he planned to string me up to announce his arrival and then await your return in another room... Hey, wait\u00e2\u20ac\u201dplease get me down before you go running offfff!\" As the Butcher shouted from behind them, Elisabeth and the rest returned to the corridor. She proceeded across the premises with wide strides. Kaito called out from behind her. \"Do"}, {"text": "you know where the demon is?\" \"Ha! Invading the castle of the Torture Princess is the act of an audacious fool. 'Tis but one place someone like that would choose\u00e2\u20ac\u201das the saying goes, impossible heights are coveted by smoke and the foolhardy alike.\" Spitting out her declaration, Elisabeth ran down the path lit by the stained-glass clerestory windows. After making her way up the spiral stairs leading to the throne room, she threw open the massive double doors. A gust of wind rushed out to meet her. The throne room was adorned with antique tapestries and an extravagant throne, giving it a dignified air. But ever since one of the Knight's beasts had attacked, there was a wall that had been completely destroyed. And out of either laziness or stubbornness, Elisabeth had neglected to repair it. There was someone sitting upon the throne, the pale-blue sky that peeked through the hole serving as a backdrop. The person was a handsome young man with rosy cheeks and shoulder-length blond hair. His slender, feminine legs extended out from his short trousers and swayed from side to side as he played with a piece of fruit that he'd brought to the side table. \"And down the hatch...huh?\" He'd just cut the pomegranate in half, and his mouth was wide open. Then his amber eyes caught sight of Elisabeth. Without even a hint of mercy, she called out. \"Pendulum!\" Crimson flower petals and darkness swirled in the middle of the ceiling. An enormous blade hanging from a chain dropped from it and let out a heavy-sounding noise as it froze in the air. It then swung in a wide arc, the glistening blade rapidly accelerating before it smashed the throne into tiny pieces. But when the dust settled, the boy's corpse was nowhere to be found among the wreckage. Unnoticed, he'd somehow made his way over to the wall. The blade corrected its trajectory and then sped toward the boy's new location. But right before it could slice through him, he vanished a second time. Elisabeth and company suddenly found themselves face-to-face with him. \"...Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?!\" Kaito gasped. But Elisabeth seemed to have anticipated this development. She licked her lips and then raised her arm once more. As she did, the boy dropped to one knee so quickly that it seemed like the bones in his foot must have snapped. He knelt, making no effort to defend himself. It became evident that an unbecoming scarlet shawl was draped around his neck, as if to cover his nape. Elisabeth raised an eyebrow at her foe's unexpected action. \"What are you playing at, Governor?\" \"It's been some time, Ms. Elisabeth Le Fanu, beloved and over-perfect daughter of Mr. Vlad. While I harbor no shortage of animosity toward you, as you can see, I have no desire to do battle with you. I have come today to invite you to my manor, O Torture Princess.\" \"What?\" \"Here is your formal invitation, with a present to accompany it. P-please, please accept it.\" The Governor pulled an envelope and a paper box tied up with a ribbon out of thin air and then proffered them to Elisabeth with a trembling hand. After she confirmed there was no sort of magical trap afoot, she frowned and took them from him. Then the Governor suddenly rose, his strange movements evoking the sense of a cord being yanked up. His features contorted in a soft, strange manner as he gave an awkward, clownish bow. \"P-p-please do come\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI've been e-e-eagerly anticipating your arrival.\" Without warning, he leaned all the way to the side. His smile the very picture of artificiality, he fell onto the floor and was swallowed up. Elisabeth snapped her fingers, returning the pendulum to flower petals before crossing her arms. \"The Governor is the next weakest after the Knight, but there was something clearly off about him.\" \"Oh yeah, for sure. I thought so as well. What's up with the box?\" \"Its contents appear to be...baked goods. Careful now\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmake sure not to touch them.\" Within the box was a row of brightly colored cookies. They were plastered with jam and looked quite tasty indeed. But in tune with her harsh voice, Elisabeth snapped her fingers. The well-made cookies burst into flame in midair and then burned to ash. \"Among all the demons, he was the one who expended the most effort sucking up to Vlad. I know his ability. His is a power suited for assassination\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe talent to turn any food he touches into poison or narcotics... Consequently, I expected him to stay hidden and out of my reach for as long as he could.\" \"But wait, didn't he just come to the castle, invitation in hand?\" \"Aye, that he did. Why invite me, though? And when did he become so well versed in using teleportation circles?\" Her gaze fell to the invitation. Bluish-green runes flickered across its surface. No doubt they could be used to allow Elisabeth's teleportation circle to connect directly to the Governor's manor. Kaito joined Elisabeth in frowning. \"That doesn't make any sense.\" \"Indeed, it doesn't. But I do not intend to fall for his trap. Something lurks beyond it, something we need to verify soon. 'Tis naught but my intuition, though, simply the feeling I'm getting.\" Kaito and Hina both nodded in assent. They needed to find out who was pulling the Governor's strings. Even though he'd agreed, an ominous feeling swirled up in Kaito's chest. I dunno why, but I don't like how this is playing out. He clicked his tongue in irritation. As he did, Hina pressed her hand to her mouth and gasped. \"If I may, before we set off, we really ought to let down the Butcher.\" \"\"Oops,\"\" Kaito and Elisabeth said simultaneously. Now that she mentioned it, they'd both completely forgotten about him. When the three of them returned to the dining hall, they found the Butcher swinging back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. Clearly desperate, he seemed to be trying to bring down the entire chandelier. \"Hold it, Butcher. Don't go breaking other people's chandeliers now.\" \"Come now\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas it not inhumane to run off and abandon me? Was it not unjust? And to say nothing of getting me wrapped up in a fight I had nothing to do with. Madam, I must protest! Even if I should rot away to nothing, the second and third Butchers shall\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"My apologies. Wait just one moment, and I shall have you freed. Hina.\" \"Yes, ma'am.\" Hina, having already fetched her halberd, flew up from the floor. Leaping into the air, she struck the chain. Her sharp attack severed it in a single blow. His tail freed, the Butcher collapsed onto the floor. Upon landing, he quickly retracted his arms and tail into his cloak like a turtle. Nimbly squirming within it, he righted his clothes without his face ever becoming visible. He stood, raising his arms in celebration, and then looked quizzically at the other three. \"Hmm? You all look so tense... And Ms. Maid already had her weapon on hand... Are the three of you off to somewhere dangerous?\" \"Yeah, we're heading for the manor of the demon who strung you up.\" \"Oh my. If that is the case, Mr. Dim-Witted Servant, then do take care.\" The Butcher's voice was unusually docile. Kaito met his gaze and silently asked what the matter was. The Butcher drew his face close to Kaito's and then whispered in a serious tone. \"It may seem a trivial matter, but...the intruder had a peculiar smell about him. The smell of foul meat.\" The Butcher spoke of how the scent gave him unpleasant premonitions. Kaito couldn't help but agree. When Elisabeth placed the invitation on her teleportation circle, it dissolved in a swirl of blood. The blue runes alone remained, drifting alongside the sanguine lines. Elisabeth, Hina, and Kaito stood upon it. When they did, the circle turned blue and began spinning rapidly. Azure flower petals surrounded them. They melted together into cylindrical walls and then transformed into black feathers. The feathers shot up into the air and began vanishing. \"Listen, don't let your guards down. We'll be in constant danger from the moment we arrive.\" \"Got it.\" \"Understood, ma'am.\" The black curtain disappeared, and as it did, loud laughter rang out. Kaito and the others found themselves in a grand entrance hall, no doubt belonging to the Governor's manor. A banquet was spread out before them. \"...What?\" The hall was filled to the brim with round tables, each one overflowing with food. A whole-roasted suckling pig sat atop the elaborate mantelpiece, and antique busts were being used as platters to hold pies. Corks shot through the air like bullets, and people were drinking wine and beer straight out of bottles and casks. A beautiful lady made vulgar noises as she used sausages to scrape up what appeared to be a rich red tomato sauce. Beside her, a young man who looked like a farmhand was stuffing his cheeks with scarlet cakes. Many of the attendants were vomiting from overeating. The floor was covered with red sauces, half-digested food, and vomit, and people had trampled all the detritus down to a sticky paste. The naked revelry was truly chaotic. Vivid colors spread out before the three of them, with noxious aromas assaulting their nostrils and lively music beating in their ears. The clanging of silverware rang out to accompany this, as did a sound that resembled a herd of pigs chewing on scraps. \"What is this place?\" Looking out over the magnificent, hideous banquet, Kaito was taken aback. Beside him, Elisabeth silently surveyed the surroundings. Hina stepped forward to cover Kaito and then murmured softly. \"...Lady Elisabeth, this smell...\" \"I'm well aware. There's little need for us all to say it aloud.\" Suddenly, a kindly old woman and a young girl carrying a silver tray emerged from the banquet. Their mouths, stained red, broke out into friendly smiles. The girl lifted the lid of her tray, revealing the potherb-decorated roast hare beneath it. The hare's back was drizzled with red sauce as well. The old woman's eyes were out of focus, but she spoke kindly as she kneaded her hands. \"My, my, it appears we've received three more guests. Welcome to the Lord Governor's banquet. Ever since we were invited here, we've been able to spend countless days feasting on splendid foods, cut off from the suffering of the world. Let's all continue this magnificent feast together. Come now\u00e2\u20ac\u201deat to your heart's content!\" She doesn't seem like an underling. She just seems like an ordinary person. All the people here drinking and partying, including the demi-humans and beastfolk among their ranks, had apparently come on the Governor's invitation. The Governor had the power to turn food into poison and narcotics, but for the moment, none of the guests looked to be suffering from any fatal abnormalities. Though the food was likely addictive, that was all. While pondering how to approach the situation, Kaito's thoughts were cut off. \"La Guillotine, Saint of Beheadings.\" Elisabeth spoke in a low voice. Darkness and crimson flower petals materialized in response. A white figure rushed past them and landed with a gong. The beautiful maiden raised its head. The doll who'd been called a saint resembled the Iron Maiden yet gave off a decidedly different impression. The saint wore a plain white dress, and its thick, straight silver hair draped down as it closed its eyes as if in prayer. Unlike the showy Iron Maiden, La Guillotine seemed to combine the fastidiousness and tidiness of a nun. Elisabeth clicked her heels. The saint crossed its pale arms in front of its chest and then spread them out. With a sharp noise, a pair of rectangular blades slid out of its arms. They swung wide across the hall, gently caressing the necks of all the people within, and then buried themselves in the far wall. Blood sprayed everywhere as"}, {"text": "the people's heads fell from their shoulders. \"...Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" Kaito was dumbstruck. As it stood in the middle of the shower of blood, there was no change in the saint's expression. It crossed its arms once more and then spread them out again. As the heads rolled, the noise of the instrument someone had been playing stopped as well. The young girl's head lay beside the fallen roast hare. The old woman's head slid from her wrinkled neck and then plopped down onto the ground. Elisabeth prepared to mercilessly click her heels a second time. Returning to his senses, Kaito grabbed her shoulder tight. \"Elisabeth, cut it out! They're just ordinary people!\" \"Indeed, and when ordinary people find themselves invited to a demon's banquet, what do you think becomes of them?\" \"What are you talking\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Look at what they were eating. Look closely.\" Spurred on by Elisabeth's calm remark, Kaito ran his gaze across the round tables and then found himself at a loss for words. Even under the rancid downpour of blood, the banquet's guests were still gorging themselves. A plump man was shoving muffins into his mouth. He chewed on them with pleasure and then pressed down on his stomach after swallowing. \"Rgh... Ah, ah... Gah, gah, arrrrrrrrrgh!\" His eyes wide and blood and phlegm streaming from his nose, the man regurgitated a sickening substance. Red vomit poured down upon the food. Kaito had finally ascertained the true identity of the red sauce. \"...'Tis their own dissolved organs.\" Without hesitation, Elisabeth voiced the conclusion he'd just reached. Racked with agony, the banquet's guests vomited up their own organs, which had been dissolved by the powerful poison in the food. However, unable to resist the addictive nature of the demon's feast, they continued gorging on the food along with their own ruined entrails. The banquet laid out before them was Hell masquerading as Heaven. \"'Tis too late to treat any of them. The poison itself is incurable. Death is a mercy.\" Elisabeth made her declaration and then clicked her heels. The Saint of Beheadings obeyed the Torture Princess's cold command and swung its arms. The heads of all in attendance went flying. The spray of blood painted the ceiling a vivid shade of red. A number of heads rolled across the ground like fruits, and the headless corpses collapsed. Though Kaito desperately wanted to beg Elisabeth to stop, he restrained himself. As if in consideration for his feelings, Hina gently touched his arm. Elisabeth returned the saint to petals and then strode forth among the corpses. \"Cease your dawdling. We need to seek out the Governor.\" \"Yeah, I know. We gotta find him\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfind him so we can kill him.\" His voice thick with rage, Kaito followed after Elisabeth. The banquet now over, none raised a voice to stop them. In order to kill the Governor, the three of them began making their rounds through the manor. It didn't take long for them to realize that although the Governor ranked low among the fourteen, his deeds were no less horrifying. The Hell he had created didn't end at the entrance hall but continued on throughout the manor. \"This is messed up. I had no idea that it was gonna be this bad.\" After confirming the situation within, that was all Kaito could say. In the dining hall, people covered in the Governor's spices were eating one another, all of them on the verge of death. The kitchen featured a man afflicted by poison, dead after cutting open his own chest and slurping at his innards in search of food. Down in the dungeon, a young mother had committed suicide after leaving a note detailing how she'd eaten her own baby. A young girl was slumped over a couch, her organs shredded after she'd eaten pastries filled with nails. And the courtyard's pool was filled with the bodies of children who had drowned in a sea of cake and suffocated. As they made their way up the main stairs to the second floor, Elisabeth responded. \"The Governor is looked down upon as the weakest of the demons, his power even less suited for combat than the Knight's. He takes his frustration out on humans and schemes to gather their pain in order to grow stronger... He's akin to a child who tries to grow taller by taking in nutrients.\" \"That's all kinds of screwed up.\" \"From the bottom of my heart, I agree with Master Kaito.\" Hearing Hina's words, Kaito nodded mutely. His rage had been so overwhelming that he'd achieved a strange calm. He searched for the Governor in absolute silence. But while every turn revealed a new victim, the most important young man was nowhere to be seen. After going out of his way to give the Torture Princess an invitation, the Governor had vanished. Where...where is he? Huh? As he walked across the second-story cloister surrounding the entrance hall, Kaito scrunched up his face. He smelled something rotten. The hallway was filled with the fragrance of food, but the difference in that stench was conspicuous. The rest of the rooms and hallways on the second floor had the sweet smell of pastries and the savory scent of meat to cover up the stink of the corpses. But the smell drifting from the corner room on the second floor alone refused to be covered up. Just before, Kaito and the others had confirmed where the smell was coming from as they made their rounds. There was a single room on the second floor blanketed in the stench of decaying flesh. Elisabeth had declared that it was most likely storing food designated for people with repulsive tastes. However, the room's existence tugged at Kaito's mind. His rage-enhanced mind selected freely from its available information, and the Butcher's words floated to the surface of his thoughts. \"He had a peculiar smell about him. The smell of foul meat.\" \"...The smell of foul meat.\" As he parroted the words, Kaito broke into a run. Not pausing to tell the others where he was going, he rounded one of the cloister's corners and made for a section of the floor, a room that wasn't connected to any other hallway. Like a faithful hound, Hina followed warily behind him. However, sensing that Kaito had thought of something, she said nothing. When he opened the door, a putrid stench poured out into the hallway. \"Good God, this room!\" Kaito stood in the entryway of a lavish bedroom. At its center, a massive heap of decaying meat was sinking into the canopy bed. The sheets were stained a dark red and had been hardened stiff by the rotting fat, and the soiled room showed no signs of life. The window shutters were closed tight. But Kaito squinted as he took in the room's odd atmosphere. Looking closer, he could see that the top of the mass of half-melted flesh was moving up and down. The lump of meat was breathing. Beneath its transparent surface, stagnant blood could be seen pumping through its veins. Kaito took a step back in horror. The mass of rotting meat...was alive. \"Foul...meat... Which means that's...\" \"Master Kaito, what's gotten into you? What is this room?\" \"What do you think you're doing? This room had naught but rotting meat in it.\" Elisabeth had caught up with them. In response to their questions, Kaito shook his head. Pointing at the hideous mass of flesh in front of them, he answered in a low groan. \"...That's the Governor.\" \"What?\" \"That pile of rotting meat\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's the Governor!\" Elisabeth pushed Kaito aside as she dashed forward. As Hina ushered him farther back, Elisabeth stabbed the mass with her finger. Her black fingernail dug deep in the flesh. The mass quivered a little but offered no other reaction. Elisabeth pulled her finger free. As she fiddled with the dark blood dripping from the wound with her finger, Elisabeth spoke in a puzzled voice. \"'Tis true; this thing certainly has demonic power running through it.\" \"So it really is him?\" \"Indeed... But the question then becomes why? When he visited the castle just now, he appeared as a hale young man, taking on a human form as contractors to demons are wont to do. Only when they release their power do they reveal their true, hideous forms.\" \"Is that what that mass of flesh is?\" \"Nay, it's precisely because that isn't the case that the situation is so odd... I've seen the Governor's true form before. 'Tis a gray titan. Hideous as it is, it's no mass of flesh... Is this the remains of the titan crushing in on itself? Its power is running wild... Perhaps the result of being unable to maintain its ego? What on earth happened here?\" Elisabeth crossed her arms, deep in thought. Suddenly, the mass stirred. Something that had been stuck to its skin fell off the bit resembling the nape of its neck. While it was discolored from the putrefaction fluids, it was still recognizable as the scarlet shawl that had been wrapped around the nape of his neck. Beneath where the stained cloth had peeled off from, something silver glistened. A decorative needle modeled after a brain was stuck deep in the nape of the Governor's neck. \"That needle...\" As Elisabeth murmured, the heap of rotting flesh began loudly breaking apart. The noise it made was horrible, and as it crumbled, the rotting meat\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Governor\u00e2\u20ac\u201dopened its eyes. He looked up at Elisabeth, his eyes like those of a dead fish, and then opened his huge mouth wide and let out a monstrous roar. As he did, his remaining teeth tumbled out. Elisabeth snapped her fingers. Iron stakes appeared and then whizzed through the air toward the Governor's open mouth. Beside them, something dark and red slipped out from within the mass of flesh. Hina, not letting her guard down for a moment, quickly brandished the ax end of her halberd. Then she spoke. \"...What?\" It was something nobody could have expected. It was the Governor's heart. Elisabeth's stakes were unerring in their aim, and they impaled the Governor and ripped through his back. As they did, Hina tried to cut the heart in two, but it ruptured on its own before she could. The dark red viscera pitifully disintegrated. Then the blood flowing from within it transformed into hundreds of arms. The arms dodged around Hina as they grabbed for Elisabeth. \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?!\" The arms lovingly embraced Elisabeth and squeezed her tight. The discolored poison blood sank into her pale skin. Runes, similar to the Church's shackles, carved their way into her flesh. Elisabeth, eyes wide, collapsed to the floor. Hina propped up her shoulder. \"...Hah, hah...\" \"Lady Elisabeth! Hang in there!\" \"Elisabeth!\" Kaito ran to her side. Meanwhile, the Governor, having lost his heart and been run through by stakes, wept uncontrollably as he breathed his last. The rotting meat stopped moving and then transformed into a large quantity of black feathers. He vomited up his own heart? Perplexed by the situation, Kaito knelt beside Elisabeth as Hina held her shoulder tighter. Elisabeth spoke in a quiet voice, her sullied skin trembling like that of a violated maiden. \"Rgh... Ah... This...this...can't be...\" Then they heard a rattling noise as the sound of chains rang out. \"Sacrifice\u00e2\u20ac\u201da spell that, in exchange for a demon's heart, can partially seal away demonic powers.\" Kaito went stiff and then spun around. But even before he could confirm who was there, deep inside he already knew. Something terrible was coming. A woman with the majesty of a king was ascending the stairs. She wore a crinoline dress that made luxurious use of scarlet fabric. Her skirt's front half was left intentionally bare, leaving the unrefined birdcage-like frame visible. Within, her seductive, unnaturally white legs were on display. A large group of collared underlings followed behind her, their straitjackets covering even their faces. Chains extended from their overly tight collars, all connecting to the rings the woman was"}, {"text": "wearing. With her scarlet eyes and dress, she looked like a roaring flame when she laughed. \"The Governor's manor is dreadful, isn't it? Don't you think it's a fitting end for that child, dying as a heap of meat in the middle of his own playground? I wanted to crush his heart, which is why I invited you all here. Did you enjoy yourselves? If you did, I'm sure he'd have been pleased. Buffoonery is buffoonery precisely because it inspires laughter, no?\" \"You witch... You used the heart of a demon, one of your own comrades?\" Elisabeth, still in agony, posed the question in a voice dripping with hatred. The scarlet woman nodded brazenly and seemingly proud rather than ashamed. \"Precisely, Elisabeth. Up until now, I'd respected the lives of my comrades out of regard for my dear friend Vlad. But with his death, there will be no more of that. By consuming the lives of the weaker demons, I can use them for particularly effective attacks. Isn't that just splendid? ...Oh my, how rude of me. I became so caught up in idle chatter, I neglected to introduce myself. My sincerest apologies.\" The beautiful woman smiled with all the composure and magnanimity of a queen. She gave an elegant curtsy. As she did, she pulled on the chains connecting to her rings, causing the people behind her to bow deeply. \"I am the Grand King, Fiore.\" Her introduction complete, she raised her head and smiled. Kaito and Hina stood in awe of her elegant demeanor and overwhelming presence. Even so, they tried to protect Elisabeth when the Grand King made her declaration. \"Playtime is over, little princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnow, the chaos begins.\" 2 The Kaiser's Contractor Elisabeth's castle sat atop a desolate hill, surrounded on all sides by dense forest. It was constructed firmly out of unworked stone, making it feel less like a castle and more like a fortress. Within one of its rooms\u00e2\u20ac\u201da cold room wholly unfit for relaxation\u00e2\u20ac\u201dElisabeth lay in shallow slumber atop a finely constructed yet modest bed. Sweat beaded across her forehead. Hina took a cloth cooled with ice water and gently wiped the sweat away. As he leaned against the hard stone wall, Kaito observed Elisabeth's condition. She seemed frail, a far cry from her normal haughty, prideful behavior. She resembled a child, sick in bed with a fever. But compared to how she was a moment ago, her breathing was much more stable. Hina blinked her emerald-green eyes as she turned to face Kaito. He silently gestured with his chin, beckoning her into the hallway. Careful not to make noise, the two of them left the room. After waiting for Hina to close the door behind them, Kaito asked her a question. \"So what exactly is wrong with Elisabeth?\" \"Well... I'm quite ashamed to admit it, but while I have stored within me all modern medical knowledge, I lack specialized treatment functions, so any hypothesis I could make would be imprecise at\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"That's fine. I'm positive your opinion is far more useful than mine. Please let me know what's going on with her.\" \"As you wish... It appears that Lady Elisabeth is suffering from a dramatic decline in the amount of mana within her body.\" Kaito nodded, Hina's assessment aligning with his suspicions. Having learned the basics of magecraft, he was better than he'd been before at understanding other people's magical powers. Normally, Elisabeth gave off a sinister pressure as sharp as rose thorns, so cutting that even she herself was tormented by it. But now she seemed like a doll who'd had its insides scooped out. \"While Lady Elisabeth freely wields magic strong enough to defeat demons, her body consumes mana to protect itself in order to withstand its overuse. As a result, her current situation is no doubt quite painful for her... Oh!\" Suddenly, they heard a quiet groaning from inside the room. Hina and Kaito frantically rushed back in. Elisabeth was shaking her head and taking ragged breaths. Hina hurried to her side. \"Lady Elisabeth, my sincerest apologies. I'm back now.\" Little by little, Hina poured a decoction into Elisabeth's half-open mouth. Kaito placed the towel back in the ice water, wrung it out, and then passed it to Hina. She thanked him and then wiped down Elisabeth's slender neck. There, too, ominous tracks pulsed. The red marring her pale flesh looked almost like an extra set of blood vessels beneath her skin. ...I've never seen her in this much pain... Dammit. Biting his lip in frustration at his own powerlessness, Kaito thought back to the events from before she'd fallen asleep. \"La Guillotine, Saint of Beheadings!\" Propped up by Kaito and Hina, Elisabeth faced the Grand King and called out. Dripping with cold sweat, she had summoned the torture device. Crimson flower petals and darkness swirled, and the white saint appeared to protect the three of them. It closed its arms and then opened them and set loose its rectangular blade. The Grand King forewent defense, simply yanking on one of the chains in her hand. One of her underlings came flying forward. He became the Grand King's shield, and his head and neck went their separate ways. It was almost comical how abruptly his straitjacket-covered head rolled across the floor. \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?!\" As Kaito reeled in shock, Hina made her move. With flowing movements, she vanished from his side. Dropping as low as she possibly could, she slid into the Grand King's blind spot and swung her halberd diagonally upward. Not even looking at the blade, the Grand King pulled on her chains again. Another underling flew forward, and another underling lost his head, which rolled across the floor. Tired of waiting for their chains to be pulled, the rest of the underlings swayed from side to side. \"Tch!\" Her attack repelled, Hina decided not to pursue and instead fell back. The Grand King laughed uncomfortably. \"You're a reckless young lass, aren't you? It brings me back, but youth really is a troubling time.\" The Grand King suddenly turned her gaze away from Hina and the saint. She removed the two chains connected to the dead underlings' collars. Her heavy crinoline dress shook as she stooped over and touched one of the corpse's straitjackets. The cloth melted away at her touch, and its arms fell free. She took its hideous, sarcoma-covered hand in hers. \"You did well.\" She whispered gently and then placed a ring on its ring finger with a kiss. The living underlings collectively groaned, seemingly in envy. Then, having lost interest, the Grand King tossed the corpse's arm aside and stood. Her guard had been down throughout the entire series of actions, yet she hadn't left so much as a single opening. \"Now, now, Elisabeth. Do you still intend to fight me? The Governor said it when he was under my needle's control, didn't he? 'While I harbor no shortage of animosity toward you, as you can see, I have no desire to do battle with you.'\" \"Ha, what a joke. Who'd believe the words of a seductress such as you?\" \"Oh my, but I'm telling the truth. In order to win a fight to the death with the Torture Princess while she still has the power to summon La Guillotine, as well as one of Vlad's automatons, I would have no choice but to assume my demon-fused form... But I find that form laughably hideous, you see. And think of how my subordinates would feel if I were to discard my beauty now.\" The Grand King drew a crow-feather fan from the cleavage of her voluptuous breasts and covered her mouth with it. She shook her head in refusal. After completing her innocent-seeming gesture, she heaved a heavy sigh. \"But alas, unlike Vlad, who brought about his own ruin, I'm a far more logical and self-interested individual. I am a woman, after all. If the necessity arises, I won't hesitate. See now, Vlad refused to fuse with his demon, whereas I'm already one with mine. But as much as I can, I'd rather not show off that hideous form\u00e2\u20ac\u201da woman has her pride, you know.\" She thrust her closed fan toward Elisabeth, as if asking if she could appreciate that. Elisabeth didn't reply. The Grand King acted as though she'd heard an answer regardless, though, and gave a light shrug. \"You're displaying your displeasure all over your pretty little face. Listen now, Elisabeth. Would you mind not constantly looking for openings like that? The fact that I'm not simply killing you all without regard for appearances may be due to pride, but it is a mercy as well. You're carrying rather important baggage, after all. Isn't that right, automaton girl?\" Gesturing at Kaito with her chin, the Grand King winked at Hina. Hina readied her halberd, tension racing through her body as she prepared herself for whatever might come. She resembled a guillotine, blade ready to drop at any moment. The Grand King licked her lips as she whispered to her. \"A lesson for you, young pup. You're still young, so you might not understand, but love is something you keep hidden. It isn't something you bare for the world to see, you know? Especially against a female opponent\u00e2\u20ac\u201dotherwise, a wicked woman with a taste for other people's men might just snatch him up.\" The Grand King cast a flirtatious glance at Kaito, and her pale hand moved. One of her rings, not attached to any of her underlings, shot out a chain. It hurtled toward Kaito at full speed. The chain was right about to wrap around his neck when a thunderous noise rang out, and the chain was cut to pieces. Hina had swung her halberd, cutting apart the chain and taking a chunk of the floor with it. \"Go die in a hole, you vixen.\" Her pupils dilated, Hina moved her legs. She hurled her halberd, and it spun as it sped at the Grand King. But she yanked on her chains once more, and another underling flew in to receive the blow in her place. There was the sound of a neck snapping. The front of the underling's straitjacket split open, and blood sprayed everywhere. Kaito and the rest momentarily had their vision blotted out by red. Then a hand reached out from an unexpected direction and grabbed hold of La Guillotine's hair. \"See, you lost your cool, didn't you? How adorable you are, young lass. You seem difficult to take, so I'll end things here for today\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut next time, who knows? You may want to learn a thing or two about provocations in love affairs.\" Chuckling, the Grand King put force into the hand holding La Guillotine's head. At some point, that hand had become nothing but bone, demonic and much larger than that of a human. Its head buckling under the pressure, the saint's skin began to split. The unseemly mechanisms within it became exposed. The sound of creaking iron rang out. \"I'll be taking this.\" The Grand King crushed the saint's neck with her grotesque hand. The now-headless body collapsed on its side and transformed into rose petals. Amid their crimson dance, the Grand King's cheeks reddened, and she fanned herself with her crow-feather fan. \"Oh, good gracious. How improper of me. Please just pretend you didn't see that arm.\" \"Damn you, Grand King... Damn you, Fiore!\" \"How pleasant it feels to hear you cry out my name, Elisabeth. Of all the demons you've killed, they were always the ones pitifully crying out yours, right? ...That's plenty enough for me today.\" Her arm returning to that of a lady's, the Grand King nodded. She placed a ring on the ring finger of her freshly killed underling and then suddenly, as if bored, turned her back on Elisabeth and company. However, she turned her head back around and twisted her lips seductively. \"I hope we meet again, little princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand as for you, lover boy, do try to get a bit"}, {"text": "stronger.\" The Grand King began majestically making her way down the stairs. Like pet dogs, her underlings obediently followed as she pulled on their chains. As the unsettling group finally faded from view, Elisabeth murmured in disgust. \"...What a vile woman. However, pursuing her is beyond me. I am quite certainly\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Elisabeth?\" \"Lady Elisabeth!\" \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dat my limit.\" As if the strings holding her up had been cut, Elisabeth collapsed on the spot. Crimson runes wriggled atop her pale skin. Flustered, Hina and Kaito hoisted her up and carried her to the entrance hall. Using the knowledge recorded in Hina, they activated the teleportation circle and somehow made their way back to the castle. It was the first time the Torture Princess had ever had to beat a retreat after being face-to-face with a demon. At the moment, Elisabeth was still sleeping in her room. Although keeping her comfortable was about the extent of the treatment Kaito and Hina were capable of, her breathing had calmed down again. After confirming that Elisabeth was stable, Kaito turned his weary, wavering gaze toward Hina's back. Then he looked back at Elisabeth, who was sinking into her bed. \"...Elisabeth.\" After murmuring softly, he closed his eyes and frowned. He thought back on everything that had just happened. He thought back to how innocent Elisabeth's expression had been as she stuffed her cheeks with food and how Hina had gently smiled beside her. He thought back to how the Grand King had sadistically laughed as she peeked out from behind her crow-feather fan. Suddenly, her expression blended together with the one his father had when he had tried to kill Kaito. While one had been much scarier than the other, they'd shared the same fundamentals. They'd both thought of Kaito as a worm, vermin they could crush as they pleased. Finally, Kaito turned to face the phantom of a red-haired boy. The boy looked at him worriedly, and Kaito muttered a few words. \"I know, Neue... It's too early to panic. But even so...\" As he opened his eyes, Kaito loosened his grave expression. He calmly rose from his chair and then called out to Hina. \"Hey, Hina. It doesn't look like there's much more for me to do here. And because both the butler and the maid were occupied, the chores are starting to pile up. I'm going to go clean up a bit.\" \"Master Kaito, I can deal with that later\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand there's the matter of the Governor's invasion. It's dangerous for you to be alone right now.\" \"Nah, I'll be fine on my own. Can you let me leave?\" \"But\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"...Hina.\" \"...I understand. If anything happens, please call out at once. Although I'm protecting Lady Elisabeth, I won't waste a moment in rushing to the side of my beloved.\" Although she didn't seem convinced, Hina nodded. No doubt she'd seen Kaito's pained expression and suspected that he'd wanted to be alone. ...Sorry about this. And thanks. Thanking her internally, Kaito left the room. But while Hina's conjecture had been right, it also missed the mark. It's true that I want to be alone, but... No, I need to be alone. Kaito closed the door behind him and then took a short breath. He looked down and then raised his head and strode forward with an expression brimming with resolve. After stopping by the kitchen and picking something up, he walked briskly down the stairs and made for the underground corridors. The corridors were filled with the stench of rust and a noise that sounded like groaning, and they resembled a labyrinth. If one entered them carelessly, they could easily get lost and die without ever finding an exit. But Kaito, taking advantage of the fact that his experiences in life had left him with the ability to remember any information that was accompanied by pain, had once carved a map of the important parts in his flesh. As a result, the pain had caused him to memorize the route he needed to take. After entering the empty, unused room, Kaito closed its heavy door and locked it from inside. After surveying all the room's stone walls and triple-checking that nobody was there, Kaito stuck his hand in his pocket. From within, he drew out a clear stone wrapped in a handkerchief and a fruit knife. \"...Here goes nothing.\" As he muttered to himself, he opened his hand wide. Then he plunged the fruit knife deep into his flesh. Biting down on his lip a little, Kaito drew the blade horizontally across his palm. The sound of flesh tearing rang out, and blood spilled forth onto the floor. \"That should be good, right?\" As he stared at his wound, which was gruesome enough to make any ordinary person balk, Kaito coolly gauged the pool of blood atop his hand. After deciding that the quantity was sufficient, he took the stone from the handkerchief and placed it atop his palm. The bottom of the stone sank into the mana-rich crimson pool. As it did, the blue rosebud within in bloomed, as if it had just been watered, and the black feathers grew in quantity. However, no decisive change occurred. ...Was that not what I was supposed to do? No, wait, the kindling is in place. Now all it needs are live coals. Kaito opened his mouth, unsure of what to say, and then closed it again. Suddenly, he felt a chilly hand on his shoulder. Frantically, he looked to the side. However, nobody was there. Even so, the sensation on his shoulder remained. In tune with the hallucination, a low, velvety, youthful male voice resonated in his ear. \"Now, you just have to whisper like this.\" \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (become).\" Black feathers blew through the room like a blizzard. The feathers, which should have only existed within the stone, piled up elegantly on the floor. Quietly mixed in with them were azure rose petals. As the shades of blue and black beat an erratic waltz, their movements became more and more purposeful. The petals and feathers melted together and spun to create a thin cylinder. Then the curtain dropped. Like a magic trick, a man stood in its place. Wearing his silk shirt, cravat, and black coat decorated with silver thread, he looked just like a titled aristocrat. His lustrous black hair and crimson eyes gave him a certain androgynous beauty, and he looked directly at Kaito. His fetching features bore an uncanny resemblance to Elisabeth's. Having confirmed his hypothesis, Kaito spoke to the man. \"It's been a while, Vlad Le Fanu.\" Vlad Le Fanu. The Kaiser's contractor. Before she'd killed him, he'd been Elisabeth's most terrible foe. He smiled, a smile clearly full of heartfelt affection. \"You could say it's been a while, for a while it has been. You could also say it's nice to meet you, for nice to meet you it is. Now then, which would be better to greet you with? I'm at quite the loss... Hmm, if you were in my place, which would you pick?\" Vlad meaninglessly raised his index finger as he posed his question to Kaito. As always, his words and actions had a peculiar innocence to them. However, his voice sounded like he was speaking through a veil of water. Upon further inspection, his body and clothes were partially see-through. Just as I suspected... He doesn't have a physical form. But he still has his will. Silently, Kaito reaffirmed that reality. Shrugging at his lack of response, Vlad looked around the room and snapped his fingers. Darkness and azure flower petals swirled around his feet. As Kaito wondered what he was summoning, a gorgeous seat made of beast bones and covered in animal pelts\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand just as immaterial as Vlad\u00e2\u20ac\u201dappeared. With great pomp and circumstance, Vlad took a seat on the phantom chair. \"I'm well aware that you're not the kind of person who takes these things into account, I suppose. You really ought to invite your guests into rooms with chairs in them. Although even if you had, it's not as if I'd be able to use them in my current state, so it really is a rather presumptuous request of me to make. After all, I'm well aware of what the old 'me' did.\" \"...I don't know if I should refer to it as back when you were alive, but you have all those memories, right?\" \"Indeed, that I do. I recall asking you to become my successor, and I recall you turning me down. I even recall being killed. Hmm? Now that I think about it, shouldn't I have chosen my opening remarks to be slightly more coldhearted? Oh, what a helpless softy I am.\" Vlad began pondering to himself. As he took a tense breath, Kaito asked him a question. \"So you really know about it all, huh...? But you don't seem to be the same as the old you, the you from back when you were alive. What are you, then?\" \"Well now, that's quite the problematic question! It's the height of folly, summoning something you don't even know the true nature of! ...Or rather, that's what I'd like to say, but you have some idea, don't you? Go on, say it. I'll let you know if you're right or wrong.\" Vlad urged Kaito on by gesturing with his chin, arrogant yet amused. After staring at him for a moment, Kaito responded. \"If I'm right, then you're Vlad Le Fanu's soul\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor rather, an inferior replica thereof.\" \"While it's most irritating, being referred to as inferior, you're quite correct! Would you look at that, a perfect score! The young man I set my sights on as a successor has grown rather impressively in quite a short time! Even though you rejected me, I'm oddly pleased in spite of that. Perhaps this is what they call parental love... In any case, what led you to that conclusion?\" \"The heat I felt from your stone was a lot like my body\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe kind of heat produced from a soul squirming around inside a homunculus. That was what first made me think that your stone had a soul sealed inside it as well.\" \"I see, quite the impressive intuition you have. And?\" \"And if you'd been able to get your actual soul to safety when you were on the verge of being killed, there's no way you wouldn't have been bragging about it and saying all sorts of annoying bullshit by now.\" Hearing Kaito's incredibly impolite explanation, Vlad raised the corner of his mouth in annoyance. However, just as Kaito had expected, no rebuttal was forthcoming. He probably wasn't able to make light of the facts. In stark contrast to the way he'd liked to live his life, by no definition had Vlad's death been elegant. As Kaito played with the stone in his hand, he continued piling on conjecture. \"If that was the case, then that meant in some sense you were unrelated to the actual person who died... A perfect reproduction didn't seem possible, but I felt like this world's magic could probably produce something of that level.\" \"Indeed, with an emphasis on finding a successor, the old me searched for ways to exert his influence on the world in posterity. While I can't do much more than talk, I yet remain, so I can take part in the affairs of the world. Even if it's not the same 'me' who died, it doesn't change the fact that I'm carrying out actions\u00e2\u20ac\u201dgood heavens, what was I thinking? Well, as long as it's entertaining, I suppose.\" Speaking as if it were somebody else's problem, Vlad replied freely. Even though he'd been killed, it didn't seem as though he planned to hold a grudge against Elisabeth or Kaito. As Kaito made that determination, the tension he'd secretly been enduring unwound. Looking directly in Vlad's eyes, he asked him a question. \"Now then, there's something I want you to tell me. It's about the Grand King.\" \"Was Elisabeth defeated?\""}, {"text": "Kaito swallowed. He had concluded that Vlad's knowledge of the outside world was limited to what the man himself had experienced up until death. He hadn't expected Vlad to have figured that out. As Kaito frowned, wondering if Vlad had been able to hear even when the stone was cut off from mana, a truly unpleasant smile floated to Vlad's face. \"Until just now, I had essentially no ability to perceive the outside world. That was but simple conjecture. After my death, that would have been the natural result of her running across the Grand King. The woman is far more vicious than I. As far as combat goes, her specialty lies not in her personal strength but the cruelty of her tactics\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhile she is inferior to me, she is stronger nonetheless.\" Vlad readily acknowledged that fact. His eyes half-closed, he spoke as if waxing nostalgic about the past. \"Fiore and I were friends even before we made our demonic contracts. We would liven up balls together and transfix men and women alike. While we were quite close, however, our ideologies were at stark odds. I focused my efforts on what would come after we had taken control\u00e2\u20ac\u201dprioritizing my bonds with my comrades, preparing a successor, and readying my army, although that army was annihilated after Elisabeth and I had our falling-out and I was captured\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhereas Fiore paid no heed to such things and instead held the individual, that is to say herself, in sole regard.\" \"Yeah, I can believe that.\" \"She rejected my principles and refused to aid in rescuing me from the Church, but at least she took our long years of friendship into account and refrained from taking any selfish actions. But with my death, no doubt she's stopped holding herself back. Any lower-ranked demon whose brain she sticks her needles into will become her puppet.\" Kaito narrowed his eyes. A brain-shaped needle had been stuck in the back of the Governor's neck. \"So that's what that needle was...\" \"Once the needle's been placed, pulling it out will accomplish nothing. The only one immune to her needles is the Kaiser. She likely won't take control of those ranked close to her\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe King, the Grand Monarch, and the Monarch\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut most of the rest of the demons are probably already her pawns, their hearts free for her to wrench out as she pleases. And faced with her specialty, Sacrifice, even Elisabeth would be at a disadvantage.\" As far as Kaito knew, the demons held a great deal of attachment to their own lives. Even though they mercilessly slaughtered others, they would balk at the thought of meeting the same fate. That was precisely why none of them had been able to use Sacrifice, as it would have required giving up their own heart. However, the Grand King, Fiore, was able to take advantage of it by using her comrades as scapegoats. She could probably only use it as many times as there were demons remaining. ...Dammit. Kaito bit down on his lip. Vlad, taking pleasure in seeing his pained expression, continued. \"And? Is that all you wished to ask me? As far as Fiore is concerned, that's the sum total of the useful information there is to know. May I take my leave now? Not that I would mind wiling away time making idle banter, mind you...\" \"I have...one request.\" \"Ah, music to my ears. Ask away.\" A wicked smile crossed Vlad's face. Kaito clenched his fist. As he was then, Vlad wasn't contracted with the Kaiser. But even on his own, demonic was a perfectly apt descriptor for him. Vlad Le Fanu was a man who constantly probed at the weaknesses in people's hearts. Knowing just how foolish it was to ask a favor of such a man, Kaito raised his voice. \"Could you teach me how to use magic?\" \"...Oh?\" Vlad frowned in surprise and then leaned back in his beast-rib chair and crossed his hands. \"That wasn't what I was expecting at all. I had been quite certain that you would ask me how to go about freeing Elisabeth from Sacrifice's influence.\" \"When Elisabeth wakes up, I'm gonna follow her lead as far as dispelling Sacrifice goes. If I asked you, there's a fair shot that you'd teach me a method that would end up killing her.\" \"How rude. I would never tell you such a lie.\" \"I find that hard to believe.\" \"It's true! How could I bear using your filthy hands to kill my dear Elisabeth? As I no longer have hands to crush her slender throat myself, I wish merely for her to keep living so that she may continue suffering. I wish for her to suffer foolishly, helplessly, and endlessly, until eventually she meets the same fiery end as I.\" \"You've got some fucked-up tastes.\" Vlad ran his tongue across his lips as Kaito derided him and then shrugged lightly. \"While it feels odd to come out and admit it, people with healthy tastes generally don't form contracts with demons. Their very existences are wicked and twisted... But in any case, why seek instruction from me? Wouldn't you be better off simply having Elisabeth teach you?\" \"When we faced off against the Grand King, I was just baggage. I need to get stronger and fast. And one other thing...\" \"One other thing?\" \"I can't rely on Elisabeth.\" \"Oh?\" Vlad opened his eyes wide in an abrupt show of glee. Kaito met his crimson gaze. Ever since he'd arrived in this world, all his experiences had taught him one thing. The Torture Princess was a terrible sinner and a cruel woman. And if the need arose, she could even be merciless to those who'd earned her trust. If Kaito asked, she'd probably have been willing to use her torturous means to train him in the ways of magic. However, she'd probably choose the specifics of her methods herself. And while she could be callous toward Kaito, she wasn't a monster. And that means...she probably won't push me hard enough for me to become truly useful. Dark magic was accompanied by pain, and the power of demons demanded it. Lastly, Kaito's body was accustomed to pain. When he'd put those three truths together, Kaito had realized the key implication therein. And to check if he was right or not, he needed Vlad's help. Vlad was a man who had once trained Marianne, an ordinary tutor\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand a woman Kaito himself had killed\u00e2\u20ac\u201dinto a necromancer. No doubt he would gleefully cast open doors that Elisabeth wouldn't have dared touch. The reason Kaito had hidden Vlad's soul from Elisabeth was to obtain information and knowledge. It would have been too much of a waste to simply throw away access to the memories of the Kaiser's contractor. But if not for the current situation, Kaito wouldn't have had any intention of actually summoning Vlad. Rational as he was, though, Kaito could be rash and cruel when it came to matters involving himself. As long as he didn't fall into madness like Marianne had and all he did was receive education, the only person this decision would affect was him. After making that judgment, Kaito continued making his request. \"I won't let you do to me what you did to Marianne. But you asked me to become your successor, so you must know some way that I can make full use of myself, some way that Elisabeth doesn't.\" \"Oh, that I do indeed.\" A beastly grin crossed Vlad's face. However, he wiped it away a second later. Then he spoke in a calm, gentlemanly tone. \"I see the makings of one who can surpass Elisabeth in you, after all. You understand pain, and you can regard wounds with a calculating eye. But in spite of that, you act strongly when driven by hatred, and you possess a fastidious side as well. You're a person with great capacity for malicious growth. However, it seems that you reject the notion of taking from others. That will make it difficult for you to develop, but...you did come out of your way to ask me for help. First of all, there's one thing you're suited toward that I can teach you right now.\" As Vlad spoke gently, he opened both his hands. He was clearly plotting something. Even though he realized that, Kaito nodded. The disparaging remark the Grand King had thrust at him still rang in his ears. \"And as for you, lover boy, do try to get a bit stronger.\" She was totally right. I need to become stronger\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI need to prepare for the worst, going forward. At this rate, I'm going to lose all the things that I worked so hard to obtain. Kaito thought back to all the sadistic things the Grand King had done and said. She clearly numbered among those who took things from others. Even compared to the other demons, whose very lives she took advantage of, Fiore was in a league of her own. At the rate things were going, Kaito was going to remain a member of the oppressed and have everything taken from him. That was something he refused to let happen. But in order to surpass the trials before him, the only chip Kaito had to gamble with was himself. He slid it forward; however, he didn't take his hand off the chip just yet. Sensing his caution, Vlad continued talking in his coaxing voice. \"The fact you were able to summon me means that you learned how to activate magical devices, correct? The next lesson is the practical test. Carve a deep wound in your flesh and then, using the pain as your anchor, gather the mana flowing through your blood. Once you've gotten used to gathering it, try to merge its heat and your pain within your body. Then, when you can clearly feel the mana atop your palm, use your voice to set it off. That should allow you to give it form.\" Kaito looked down at his bloody palm, which still clasped the stone. After passing the stone to his other hand, he began gathering mana around the pain of his wound. The wound gradually grew hot. As he felt the heat and the pain mix together, it reminded him of the injuries he'd grown so used to in life, and he felt a faint weight atop his hand. However, it still didn't have a form. Kaito envisioned the closest thing he could to the heat\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfire. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (become).\" As he whispered, a golden flame rose into the air. It quickly vanished, but Vlad clapped his hands. \"Brilliant. For a beginner such as yourself, it's quite rare to become so proficient with pain so quickly! Unfortunately, though, the magic that technique will allow you to use is limited. Generally, turning the pain of others directly into mana is by far the most efficient method. To that end, you'd need to consume the flesh of a demon...\" At that point, Vlad licked his lips again. Then he whispered, his voice dripping with the cloying sweetness of honey. \"...or summon a demon yourself.\" \"Master Kaitooooo! Where are youuuuu?!\" Suddenly, Hina's voice rang out. As it did, Vlad's body began crumbling. Apparently, he planned to beat a retreat of his own volition before they could be discovered. How gracious of him. From the tips of his toes, his body transformed into black feathers and azure flower petals. The phantasmal petals and feathers swirled as they were sucked back into the stone. \"Master Kaitoooo!\" Kaito could just make out Hina's voice from a distance. Before long, she'd end up making her way into the underground corridors in her search. Kaito was at a loss for what to do. It'd probably be better for me to go out on my own. But I don't think there's any way I'm going to be able to hide this wound on my hand. After pondering his options for a moment, he shoved the bare stone into his"}, {"text": "pocket and set the fruit knife on the floor. Then he roughly wrapped the handkerchief around his hand and tied it off tightly with his teeth. \"Master Kaitooo, where are youuuu?!\" \"I'm coming!\" After surveying the room one last time, as if looking for Vlad, Kaito took off at a dash. Behind him, all that was left was a fresh bloodstain. \"Master Kaito, thank goodness, I was so worr\u00e2\u20ac\u201d What happened to your haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand?!\" \"Huh? What?\" Even though he'd wrapped it up with the handkerchief and hidden it behind his back, there had been no hiding his injury from Hina's sharp eyes. Right after they'd found each other in the first-story hallway, she'd let out a scream, circled around Kaito, and grabbed his hand. The handkerchief wrapped around it was already stained red, and blood was dripping off it. Wondering what excuse to give, Kaito unconsciously looked up at the ceiling. But Hina didn't ask. ...What? She's...not going to ask how I got hurt? Hina stared silently at the blood-soaked handkerchief. Then, as Kaito was thinking, a torrent of tears came pouring from the corners of her emerald-green gemstone eyes. \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, Hina, why are you crying?\" \"Lady Elisabeth is wounded, and while I wasn't watching, my beloved Master Kaito has been injured as well... My artificial tears won't stop coming... My pardons, my sincerest pardons. Even though you instructed as such, this happened because I wasn't able to be with you... Even though I am your lover and your shield, I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"No, no, this isn't your fault! I mean, hey, my hand just slipped when I was cleaning up the knives... Even if you'd been there for me, I was just being clumsy, so please don't apologize! I'm the one at fault here!\" \"No, Master Kaito, that isn't the case. If I'd been there, I would have immediately taken your hand in mine and stopped the bleeding and then snapped that violent bastard of a knife in two... Wahhhh!\" \"Hina, the knife didn't do anything wrong.\" Kaito was lost as to how to convince Hina not to assign blame to inanimate objects. While he thought, Hina stroked his hand over and over while being careful to avoid his wound. Her tender, sorrowful gesture filled Kaito with guilt. As he was about to open his mouth to speak, Hina's expression suddenly changed. \"That's right! I mustn't just stay here like this! We have to treat your hand! All the medical equipment is in Elisabeth's room, so we should head\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat's right! Before that, there's something I must tell you!\" \"Something you have to tell me?\" \"Lady Elisabeth has opened her eyes!\" The instant he heard her say that, Kaito took off at a run. \"Oh, Master Kaito! Please wait for me!\" As he ran, ignoring the voice calling out for him to stop, he passed through a hallway decorated with imposing stone statues as he pulled ahead of Hina. He dug his feet into the ground atop the unpleasant designs cast by the stained-glass clerestory windows as he rounded a corner. He continued dashing straight down the hallway and then vigorously cast open the door to the bedroom. \"Elisabeth, are you okay?!\" \"...Hmm?\" Elisabeth was sitting on the bed, stark naked. Their gazes met, then parted. After an awkward silence, the two clumsily voiced their confusion. \"......Huh?\" \"......Hmm?\" Kaito looked once more at the scene before him, unsure of what to say. Elisabeth's pale limbs, each like a piece of art without a single wasted stroke, were adorned with captivating crimson runes. Her slender, crossed legs cast a precarious shadow between them, her waist was so thin it seemed to invite an embrace, and the curves of her breasts were shapely. After looking over Elisabeth's tender, beautiful body from top to bottom, Kaito opened his mouth and spoke mechanically. \"I'm very sorry.\" \"I'll have your head.\" Kaito slammed the door shut with all his might. As he wiped away his cold sweat, he took a deep breath. Hina, who'd been chasing after him, stared him straight in the eyes and lifted a hand. She then loudly slapped Kaito across the forehead. \"Ow.\" \"You mustn't enter a lady's bedroom without so much as calling out first, Master Kaito. Bad boy, sir.\" \"Yeah, that...that was my bad.\" \"Please wait here for a moment. Lady Elisabeth, pardon me, I'm coming in.\" Hina opened the door a hair and then slid inside. When she came out, she was holding medicine and bandages. She lathered a magical dark-green poultice\u00e2\u20ac\u201dapparently of Elisabeth's make\u00e2\u20ac\u201don Kaito's wound and then wrapped it in a bandage. Although it worked more slowly than a healing spell, it was supposed to close up wounds without the need for stitches. At about the time Hina was finishing up Kaito's treatment, a voice called out from inside the room. \"'Tis fine now; my analysis is finished. Enter.\" \"As soon as I open the door, are you going to torture me?\" \"Ha. Any other day, I'd sit you atop the Ducking Stool, but at the moment I haven't the mana to spare. Be grateful for my poor condition.\" \"Man, I'm not gonna be glad about something like that. I'd rather just get dunked underwater.\" \"...True, I misspoke. If a demon came to attack, we would find ourselves in quite the pinch. 'Tis a nasty situation.\" As he listened to her quiet voice, Kaito opened the door. Just like before, Elisabeth was sitting atop the bed. However, she was no longer naked, instead wearing her usual bondage dress. The crimson runes were still visible upon the exposed sections of her skin. Elisabeth was in better shape than he'd expected, though, and she was gently tracing the runes on her shoulder with her finger. \"To put it simply, these runes inhibit the mana running through my body. They act much like blood clots. Because of their obstruction, I cannot use my mana as freely as I'd wish.\" \"They hold it back? Your mana's not gone?\" \"Indeed, nothing has been taken from me. If such a thing happened, I would cease being able to preserve the roots of demonic flesh running through my body, after all. I slaughtered my people until their corpses piled up, and doing so afforded me just enough power to maintain my body even without constantly harnessing the pain of others. If that was impaired, I'd not last long.\" Elisabeth raised her arm out in front of her and then grabbed her elbow, her fingers sporting painted black fingernails. The crimson runes pulsated almost like veins. \"My magical energy is silent, like how water that is too clear can appear as if it is nothing at all. However, as I slept, my blood fought against the runes, and most of my mana flows once more... At the moment, I can summon torture devices, but their power is reduced. It's really quite annoying.\" Elisabeth clicked her tongue. As she did, Kaito thought back to what Vlad had just told him. The Grand King could only use Sacrifice as many times as there were demons remaining. What exactly would happen if Elisabeth was on the receiving end multiple times over? \"Is there any way to cure it?\" \"Both yes and no, in a sense.\" Elisabeth scrunched up her face in annoyance. Biting down lightly on one of her fingernails, she revealed the sole method. \"The only way to remove Sacrifice is to infuse my body with blood that has more powerful magical energy than my own. That would wash away the spell.\" \"Blood with more powerful magical energy than yours?\" \"Aye, indeed. More powerful than mine, the blood of a grand sorcerer and peerless sinner. Vlad would have qualified, but his body has already turned to ash... As far as other mages who can boast power surpassing mine, the Grand King is likely the only one. I've little choice but to defeat her and use her blood.\" Kaito's eyes widened. They'd wanted to dispel Sacrifice before they had to fight the Grand King. But in order to do that, they needed blood with stronger magical energy than Elisabeth's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand that meant they needed the Grand King's blood. I'm having a real hard time envisioning us pulling that one off. Is there really nobody else whose blood would qualify? He bit his lip. Elisabeth no doubt understood just how problematic the method was. Her expression was grave. But she shook her head and then stood up. \"'Tis little use sitting around and coming up with bleak predictions all day. We make for the throne room, Kaito.\" \"The throne room? Why?\" \"Because it has a convenient hole in it.\" Kaito tilted his head at her declaration. The cloth extending out below her waist fluttering, Elisabeth set off. Her heels clicking loudly as she walked, she spoke decisively. \"'Tis time to train in the ways of magic, Kaito. The fighting will likely only get fiercer from here. Hina is what she is, but she won't always be able to reach you in time\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif you remain as weak as you are, you're liable to die.\" Hearing her harsh assessment, Kaito nodded. From here on out, he was going to need to be able to protect himself. Also, although Elisabeth likely didn't intend for him to take matters that far, Kaito wanted to become even stronger than that, if possible. The weak get stolen from. While he didn't intend to become a pillager himself, he was going to be forced to fight. Sometimes, protecting the peace carried a price. He'd known that since long ago. An arrow of flame flew through the air, an arrow of ice pierced the ground, and a hammer of lightning smashed into a tree. While the flame had been the most impressive, all three had gone without a hitch. \"Did...did I do it?\" His breath ragged, Kaito wiped away the sweat beading up on his forehead. As he did, blood smeared across it from his freshly reopened wound. He felt dizzy, almost anemic. That was likely because he'd expended the mana in his blood. While it would replenish given time, the sensation was none too pleasant. The area surrounding the desolate hill the castle sat upon was blanketed by a thick forest. One section of it was stained a bloody black from when the Knight's beast had been skewered. Other than that, though, the rest of the forest was serene, save for the newly scorched tips of some of the taller trees. Kaito's magic had a good deal of force behind it. He'd felt a proper weight in his hands, and he turned to Elisabeth\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwho was sitting atop a new throne brought from the Treasury\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwith an expression steeped in anticipation. \"How...how was that?\" \"Perfect\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Her response was clear and concise. Kaito's expression loosened at her praise. However, she quickly cut off the congratulatory words as they left her mouth. For some reason, she bore a thoroughly displeased expression. \"Elisabeth, your face...you're scaring me here. Was there some sort of problem?\" Kaito posed his question timidly. As she placed her elbows on her armrests and her cheeks in her hands, Elisabeth glared back at him. \"There were none, which is precisely the problem. Now, Kaito...where exactly did you get that wound on your hand?\" \"Wh-what, this...? I just cut my hand a little when I was cleaning up the knives.\" \"'Tis rather deep, for a 'little' cut...and a rather convenient one, at that. All it takes to become able to use magic is a small trigger, but even so, you're too proficient... I find it hard to believe this is your first time.\" As Kaito listened to her speak, he felt himself break out into a cold sweat. The prospect of trying to deceive her and having it going poorly was terrifying. He elected to remain silent. Elisabeth licked her lips, as if troubled by something. \"Why might that be? True, your familiarity with pain dwarfs that of most others...meaning the most difficult-to-lay groundwork"}, {"text": "was already in place, but... Kaito.\" A bead of sweat ran down Kaito's chin. The next moment, a high-pitched noise like something scraping against glass rang out. Everyone there jumped when they heard the screech. Something white was soaring over the treetops and letting out a grating whine as it flew toward the throne room. Upon further inspection, it was a milky-white orb, remaining airborne by rapidly flapping its wings. Whatever it was, it wasn't any sort of respectable life-form. Immediately, Hina leaped off. The hem of her apron dress fluttered as she held her halberd aloft. As she did, Elisabeth called out to stop her. \"Hina, halt! That thing is a device containing urgent communications from the Church!\" Hina, lowering her weapon, fell straight down and landed. The orb stopped in front of Elisabeth. Then its wings fell out, it returned to being an ordinary jewel, and it plopped into Elisabeth's palm. Throngs of runes whizzed across its surface. Elisabeth, having deciphered the torrent of glowing magical runes, opened her eyes wide. \"Demons are attacking a port town to the south? The Grand Earl and the Grand Duke have joined forces?\" \"What?\" Kaito let out a surprised exclamation. As he understood it, ever since the Torture Princess and the Kaiser had their falling-out and struck each other down, the demons had avoided conducting large-scale attacks and instead preferred to amass power individually. Furthermore, after Vlad, their mediator, had been captured, none of the demons had worked together with one another. Yet, after all this time, two demons were coordinating and attacking a human town. Narrowing her emerald eyes, Hina spoke in a strained voice. \"This is clearly the work of the Grand King... Is it not, Lady Elisabeth?\" \"To be sure. Either that wench revealed my weakened state to them or is controlling them both directly...but in either case, we've no choice but to go. The Church has given me direct orders to subjugate them.\" \"Wait, what? No! What are you talking about?!\" Kaito shouted. Seeing the anger in his face, Hina closed her half-open mouth and took a step backward. Kaito glared hard at Elisabeth. Until just a moment ago, she'd been stuck sick in bed. Even though her condition was somewhat better, she was a long way off from being fully recovered. Regardless, though, she rose from her throne. \"Have you forgotten, Kaito? Should I defy the Church's orders, I'll meet my death at the stake.\" \"Even so, they can't just expect you to run at full throttle twenty-four seven! We can contact the Church and tell them\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"What are you, a dunce? They'd not excuse me over a matter as trifling as that. The Church cares little for my condition. Their God sits idle, saving no one. In the name of that God, they brandish their whips at their restrained hounds and, in doing so, make the world go round. In the name of their God, all is well.\" \"Well, that's screwed up! You know, I've been thinking this for a while, but now I'm gonna come out and say it.\" Kaito's breathing was ragged. Due to his fierce anger, his mind was conversely starting to clear up. As he calmly put his thoughts in order, he gave voice to the sense of discomfort that had been growing within him for some time. \"You're eventually gonna get executed. After you kill the fourteen demons, they're gonna kill you at the stake. That's your obligation, and that's your atonement. But even so, your sins won't be forgiven. And sorry, but I agree. You've left too many corpses in your wake.\" \"I have no rebuttal; everything you say is as it is. But what of it?\" \"But it's messed up that you're the only one fighting.\" *** Elisabeth elected to remain silent. Kaito took that as affirmation. She herself should have noticed just how unreasonable it was. Between the demons' countless tragic victims and him having watched their battles, Kaito, for one, had had doubts and frustration pile up inside him. \"I get that other people can't match up against demons. After having left so many corpses in your wake in order to gain power, you're the only one who can face off against them. But why is nobody else shedding their blood? Why aren't they laying down their lives to protect others? How can they leave all the fighting to someone who knows they're going to be killed\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhow can they keep their own hands clean while they leave cleaning up the swine to the sow? That's fucked up! How can they get away with that shit?!\" \"Kaito.\" \"How can they just sit up in their box seats? It's one thing when things are normal, but when you're as weak as you are now\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Mind your tongue.\" Her voice, sharp as a knife, stopped Kaito in his tracks. Feeling as though he'd just been stabbed in the throat, he closed his mouth. But overpowered and silenced as he was, he still glared at Elisabeth. On the receiving end of his gaze, she wore a cold\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyet somehow gentle\u00e2\u20ac\u201dexpression. \"I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. I have tortured and killed more than any other, been captured by the Church, and been tasked with slaying fourteen demons. And once I've executed them all, I myself will be put to the stake. I have harmed, oppressed, and killed mercilessly, brutally, and arrogantly. And now the feast and feaster have switched places. Mankind has the right to use me up and slay me as they please. That is what I decided.\" The Torture Princess, a woman who had tyrannized and stolen from many, spoke with a serenity that evoked the image of a martyr. Her crimson gaze pierced through Kaito. She had the eyes of a solitary wolf. The peerless sinner, prouder than any other, pressed on. \"I, and none other, decided that. And I shan't let any criticize that decision. Not a soul.\" No matter what he said, he wouldn't be able to budge that resolve of hers. As he realized that, Kaito swallowed the rest of what he wanted to say. After all, he understood that he, too, was constantly protected by the Torture Princess. He was in no position to casually judge others. Yeah, I get it. I'm just a dim-witted servant\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI don't have the qualifications to get mad about that. As Kaito involuntarily turned his face away, Elisabeth began walking. Her lustrous black hair fluttered behind her as her heels clicked sharply on the stone floor. \"We head for the town in question. Hina, Kaito, come\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut be prepared to defend yourselves.\" Kaito nodded in ready assent and then tightly squeezed his blood-drenched hand. Then he tried to follow after Elisabeth. Suddenly, he felt a tug on his elbow. \"Huh?\" Kaito turned to check behind him, and he saw Hina standing there. She was looking directly at him with her beautiful, transparent emerald eyes. Right before he could ask her what was going on, she placed her halberd on the floor and abruptly extended her arms. \"Pardon me, Master Kaito.\" \"Hina, what are\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" Then she pressed down on his cheeks. As she sandwiched his face between her hands, Hina wore a serious expression. Although her hands were those of a doll, they were just as warm as a human's. After a short silence, a question mark appeared over Kaito's head. \"Hina, whuff thiff all of a fuffen?\" \"Have you settled down, Master Kaito? If you have, I have something I would like to say.\" Hina took a deep breath. Her eyes filled with worry and unease, she spoke eloquently and in a single breath. \"The wound on your hand is not something you could have gotten by putting away knives. You are hiding something\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand furthermore, it appears to be something that you cannot tell myself or Lady Elisabeth about.\" *** \"I have no intentions of defying your wishes and attempting to pry information out of you. But there is one thing I ask that you please remember. No matter what secret you may harbor, I will always be on your side. So no matter what happens, please do not hesitate to call on me. Do you understand?\" It was like she was trying to etch her thoughts in Kaito's mind. The words shook him. Hearing her concern brought him nothing but happiness. During his life, not a single person had ever shown Kaito kindness or goodwill. And nobody, not even his parents, had once tried to protect him. But regardless of what he was hiding from her, Hina was telling him that she would defend him. Even so, he couldn't reveal his secret to her. If I told her, there's no doubt that she and Vlad would go for each other's throats. Keeping her in the dark was painful, but he didn't have any other options. As he remained silent, Hina loosened her grip on his face. Her expression seemed somewhat forlorn. Seeing that, Kaito opened his newly freed mouth and, as if to pile on to what she'd just said, suddenly brought up something he needed to tell her. \"Hey, Hina...why do you go so far to protect me?\" \"Because I love you.\" \"Yeah, I get that. You told me, right? That you may have the preconfigured heart of an automaton, but it's still yours and yours alone. That the moment you chose me as your master, and I chose you, that you decided to dedicate your love to me and none other... That made me really happy.\" \"Master Kaito... Of all the things that have happened to me in this world, meeting you was the most... If not for that, none of the other good things would have happened. It was my sole moment of fortune and my supreme joy.\" \"But why me?\" \"...Master Kaito?\" \"I don't have anything to offer you. I'm just an ordinary human. I can't understand why you picked me. I don't have nearly that much value, which means that... Or rather, even if that wasn't the case, even if I did have value, I can't let you get dragged down by how weak I am.\" Hina was about to open her mouth but then closed it. She prompted Kaito to continue. He nodded deeply. \"From here on out, even more so than before, I could die at any moment. So I'll say it one more time. Even if I die, I want you to keep on living. That alone I refuse to give up on.\" Kaito made his declaration. She'd offered out her hand to him and told him to rely on her, but he couldn't take it. Hina inhaled deeply and then exhaled and pursed her lips tight. She then put a great deal of force into her hands. Kaito's cheeks were squished even flatter than before. \"Ahain, why are you squiffing my sheekf?\" \"First of all, as to why I chose you... It would take an entire week to go over everything, is that all right?\" \"Why?\" Kaito blinked, having not expected her response. Hina fixed her gaze on him, her eyes overflowing with warmth and affection. She smiled as if looking at someone incorrigible. \"In time, I will explain why I chose you. Why it couldn't possibly have been anybody else. However, at the moment, we don't have the time. We must go together to where Elisabeth is.\" \"...! Hina, about what I just said, I need your response.\" \"I understand perfectly. These peaceful days that you hold so dear, that we all love, are on the verge of falling apart...and you're afraid. But don't worry, Master Kaito. You needn't make such assumptions.\" Hina kneaded Kaito's cheeks. As she pulled them horizontally, she smiled. \"It is in predicaments such as these that it's most important to smile. It's going to be okay. I will absolutely protect the both of you. Even if you say you don't want me to, I will stand in the way of all your"}, {"text": "enemies. And I will protect everything you have. Please believe in me. You have no need to speak of such sad things, for that day shall never come\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnot for all eternity.\" Hina laughed, as if to reinforce her point. She let go of Kaito's cheeks, bowed deeply, and then raised her head. She bore the fierce, resolved eyes of one whose heart was firmly set. \"I won't allow it. No matter what.\" She picked up her halberd and ran off, her silver thread hair glimmering as she went. Kaito, now alone, looked down at his hands in a daze. As he was now, would his eyes ever look like that? He calmly raised his hands and then clapped his face. \"...Let's go.\" The warmth from Hina's hands still lingered on his face, and the stone containing Vlad's soul still sparkled within his pocket. He didn't know what was right anymore. All he could do at the moment was struggle desperately against the situation before him. He had to believe that terrible day would never come. Even if that was nothing more than a lie. 3 Battle by the Coast The salty sea breeze mingled with the scent of something rotten. The town, built within an inlet, spread out like a fan with its back to the mountains. Its plaster walls erected to keep out the sea breeze and roof tiles made of unglazed clay cast the town in magnificent shades of orange and white. As one got farther from the coastline and approached the mountains, the townscape followed a natural incline and increased in altitude. At the peak of its hundreds of small sets of dogleg stairs, a branch office of the Church had once overlooked the glittering blue sea and all its splendor. However, the building, which was adorned with a statue of an upside-down saint shedding tears of blood, was now tragically flattened beneath a massive flower. Meaty, tonguelike petals dripping with mucus protruded from the flower. At the ends of its thorny stem, disturbing, flesh-colored roots resembling human genitals extended outward. The roots crept through the town, crushing buildings as they wrapped around everything in their path. Countless corpses were strewn across the streets and atop the stairs. Strangely, all their abdomens were crushed, like so many deflated leather bags. Men and women alike had the aftereffects of prolonged anguish etched onto their faces. They had been run through by plant roots and had their organs forcefully sucked out. \"This is...horrifying...\" As he whispered in horror, Kaito traced the roots with his gaze. Right before they'd reached the sea, their growth had stopped. The massive flower had been avoiding the sea, which was dyed red. It, too, was contaminated. The stained seawater was violently frothing. The beaches and wharves were covered in piles of dissolved seaweed and dead fish. Out at sea, the corpses of whales and dolphins with distended bellies were also visible. Abandoned by their passengers, small boats belonging to the local elderly and large commercial ships alike were degrading at abnormal speeds. Their cargo had poured out of ruptured bilges and was floating among the corpses. And in the middle of that terrible spectacle the vague outline of an enormous island had appeared. Upon further inspection, it was pulsating. The island was, in fact, a flesh-colored jellyfish large enough to be mistaken for land. It was as though the sea itself had developed a tumor that leaked pus and rot. Both the flower and the jellyfish, made to grow without regards for their natural limits, were collapsing. They were too big to get a good view, so it was impossible to confirm whether or not they had needles stuck in the backs of their necks. However, it was clear to see that they had been unable to maintain their egos. Using the magical runes they'd received from the Church, the three of them had teleported to the bottom of one of the staircases connecting the inlet to the mountains, as teleporting directly to the crushed Church branch office wasn't an option. From that vantage point, the series of disastrous scenes was right before their eyes. Her black hair blowing in the sticky sea breeze, Elisabeth pressed down on her forehead. \"...Ah, what a headache. It seems both of them are being controlled. What a pitiful pair they are, yielding to her so readily. Of all the possible situations I foresaw, 'tis easily the worst of the lot.\" \"Are you all right, Lady Elisabeth?\" \"Exasperation will do little to improve our lot, I suppose... The flower is the Grand Earl, and the jellyfish is the Grand Duke. We'll take them down starting with the weaker of the two and before they can spit out their hearts.\" \"Yes, ma'am.\" Bowing deeply, Hina adjusted her grip on her halberd. Kaito silently double-checked the corpses strewn throughout the town. As he did, he spotted a figure moving. \"...A survivor!\" His eyes wide with anticipation, Kaito quickly realized that he'd been off the mark. It was a grotesque soldier, a servant of the demons, its head now transformed into a flower. The creature was trampling corpses and climbing over roots in search of something. As Kaito wondered what it was looking for, the answer to that question became clear when a scream rang out from somewhere. Although they'd been told that the Church had gathered up the survivors and used teleportation circles to evacuate them, apparently not everybody had made it out. The underling was tracking them down and mutely killing them. Now that I think about it, that makes total sense. With the calamity falling on them so suddenly, of course they weren't able to get everyone out that fast. Fuck! Quietly clicking his tongue, Kaito called out to Elisabeth. \"Elisabeth, there are underlings loitering about. We gotta save the survivors.\" \"The battlefield shan't tolerate such na\u00c3\u00afvet\u00c3\u00a9. 'Tis best to overlook the victims\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor so I'd like to say, but the Church would have my hide. 'Do some good for the world,' or so they tell me...but I haven't the resources. Kaito, you deal with it.\" \"Wait, me?\" \"Worry not, I shall give you this.\" Elisabeth snapped her fingers. A sword with rubies spiraling around its blade dropped out of thin air. It was the magical tool they'd found in Vlad's castle. Kaito hurriedly picked it up. Kaito looked at the needle-thin sword with bewilderment. Unmoved by his reaction, Elisabeth continued speaking. \"You possess a golem body, a first-rate creation of my own making. Your control over magic surpassed my expectations, so you have a number of tools at your disposal. Fight. As far as I can tell, 'tis what you desire, yes?\" \"Yeah, you're right. I'll do it... I can't just sit back and watch you all the time.\" \"Hina, your task is...very well. I'll allow it. You may stay by Kaito's side. The prospect of standing alongside one whose expression has surpassed unease and started to become as fierce as yours frightens me, so I'll refrain from doing so.\" Glancing at Hina's face as she spoke, Elisabeth heaved a sigh. Hina, who'd looked so conflicted she seemed to be on the verge of stabbing either herself or Elisabeth, frantically wiped the anguish from her face. As she bowed to Elisabeth, she raised a question. \"Hearing those words fills me with gratitude. It is my greatest wish to stay by the side of my beloved and protect him... However, um, Lady Elisabeth, what shall you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Ha, don't make light of the Torture Princess. My current power is more than sufficient to crush the Grand Duke like an ant.\" Elisabeth scoffed. Kaito and Hina, about to express their concern, held their tongues. The Torture Princess wasn't bluffing. Her expression made that much clear. Elisabeth wore a smile that was both ferocious and cruel. \"Now then, let us be off\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey shall squeal like quartered swine and writhe like stuck caterpillars.\" Darkness and flower petals swirled, and Elisabeth took hold of the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. She then ascended the stairs with great leaps and bounds. She reached a nearby root and jumped on top of it. She then broke into a gallant run toward the flower's main body, remaining atop the root as she did. It was as though she was running atop her foe's arm as a display of her power. The root trembled as it rose into the air. Before it could come crashing down, though, Elisabeth yelled. \"Nail Gun!\" Darkness and crimson flower petals ran across the top of the root in a spiral. Then a thunking noise rang out in succession. Rusted nails appeared out of the air and nailed the root into the road and buildings. It looked like they'd run through a set of human genitals. Shuddering in pain, the flower began releasing foamy mucus from the bottom of its sepals. Kaito reflexively scowled. Mercilessly stepping on the nailheads, Elisabeth ran like an obsidian meteor. Kaito stared at her, entranced. However, Hina called out to him, and he returned to his senses. \"Master Kaito, we must set out as well. Take care not to stray from my side.\" \"Oh yeah, right. Let's go.\" Nodding, Kaito broke into a run. The two of them ran up the stairs, making their way toward the direction they'd just heard the screams come from. The town, wrapped as it was in roots, felt like a ruin that hadn't been inhabited in a millennium. The fact that signs of life could clearly be seen made the scene feel all the more eerie. As they continued down the main road and passed a bay window filled with well-maintained houseplants, the two of them discovered an underling. The underling, who was wearing scaly armor made of leaves, slowly turned to look at them. As it blinked its enlarged eyes, its last remnants of the human it had once been, Hina swung her halberd sharply. \"Hiyah!\" Her aim unerring, she chopped off its flowery head. However, even as it wobbled, it reached out for Hina. Perhaps because it lacked a brain or a spinal cord, losing its head hadn't proved fatal. \"Don't get cheeky with me!\" With a sharp rebuke, Hina chopped off the arm reaching for her. Perhaps sensing the difference in their power, the underling reached out with its other arm and extended a thorny vine toward Kaito. Hina immediately made to swing her halberd. However, Kaito stopped her with a look. He then held his sword at the ready, as if to block the underling's arm. Calm down and act rationally. If I can't deal with something of this level, I'll never stop being baggage. Right before the ivy could coil around his sword, Kaito focused his senses on the wound on his palm and then called out. \"La (burn)!\" A dazzling blaze burst forth. The magical flame spun in an ominous spiral, latching onto the ivy and devouring it. Its arm burning, the underling let out a cry of anguish. Seeing the corpses littering the town had actually calmed Kaito down due to his intimate experiences in life involving hating and getting angry at horrible situations. However, his physical tension was another matter. Having seen that his magic worked, he breathed a sigh of relief. His trembling hand finally settled down. That's Elisabeth for you, always on the ball. The flaming weapon seems like it'll be effective against these guys. The underling ripped off its burning arm and began fleeing with an awkward gait. Kaito made to chase after it. Suddenly, though, it turned around, waving its arm around as its body burst into flames and it charged at Kaito. \"Gah!\" It looked as though Kaito was about to pay for his carelessness. A second later, however, a thunderous noise rang out and the underling went hurtling to the side. After blinking a few times, Kaito finally realized what had just happened. Hina had mowed down the underling with the reverse side of her halberd, and it had"}, {"text": "gone flying and slammed into the wall of a building. The fire had largely gone out in the impact, but the underling was twitching and convulsing nevertheless. Merciless attacks were raining down upon it. \"Even! If! Master! Kaito! Himself! Desired! It! Know! That! Being! Beaten! To! Death! Is! A! Light! Punishment! For! Your! Rudeness!\" With the expression of an ogress, Hina shouted as she struck the underling between every word. Her attacks were focused on its chest, and its vegetal body was all but reduced to mincemeat. Her gaze was ice-cold, and after she'd confirmed its death, she gave a light nod. \"...And stay dead, filth.\" Her voice frigid, Hina turned back toward Kaito. When she did, her expression made a complete about-face. She exhaled reverently, a bright smile floating to her face as she sandwiched her halberd between her bountiful breasts and hugged herself tightly. \"Splendid work, Master Kaito! Given your skill, nobody would suspect that this is your first battle since you began learning magic! I would expect nothing less from my beloved! How lovable you are, how gallant, how cool, how I wish to hug you!\" \"Th-thanks? Although I'm pretty sure you were the only one who did anything impressive there. Like, for real.\" \"Oh my, no, that wasn't the case at all. How humble you are. But even though these creatures are mere underlings, their resilience is nothing to scoff at... This trash is quite a handful. From here on out, I'd be better off crushing them than cutting them.\" Then they heard a scream. Kaito and Hina looked up with a start and then nodded to each other and ran off. They ran by some residences and an area near the rock face to the west where the locals would sell fish from carts before reaching a group of buildings made from thick, sturdy walls. A voice was audible from within an open door to the east. \"There!\" When he charged inside, Kaito witnessed Hell. What would happen if you tied someone's limbs together with barbed wire and then pulled on them until they reached their limit? What would happen if you stuck tentacles into someone's abdomen while they were still alive and then churned them around? What would happen if you squeezed someone's body until their bones broke and they vomited up all their organs? Within that building, all those questions had been thoroughly answered. The two underlings had dispassionately slaughtered the family, as if it was just another day on the job. The remains of the grandfather, father, and mother were stuck to the tiled floor. It looked as though they'd been killed in that order. The room was fairly large, and alongside the wall, harpoons, fishing tackle, boats, and old nets were lined up on sturdy wooden racks. Among them, jars of colorful preserves and heavy-looking sacks were crammed together. Apparently, this building was a storehouse. Based on the fact that it had no windows, the family within must have missed the Church's evacuation order and been discovered by the underlings. That had resulted in the dreadful spectacle before Kaito. However, there were yet survivors hiding among the jars of pickles. The survivors were a pair of children. A young boy and girl with flushed cheeks were huddled together. Having just finished crushing flesh, the underlings hadn't noticed Kaito and Hina yet. The underlings trampled over the remains of the mother\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmore specifically, her stomach, which was hanging out of her mouth like a fish pulled up from the deep sea\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand reached for the children. The young boy was in shock, and he stood motionless. His ankle was hanging out from the hiding spot, and ivy was about to wrap around it. Right before it could, though, the boy's body was pulled into the space between a jar and a rack. The young girl was yanking on the boy's arm and trying to force him to move. She was probably his older sister. She raised both her arms to try to conceal him and then glared at the underling. However, the brave front she put up soon vanished, like the flame of a candle. Her face scrunched up, and she let out an animalistic moan. Still, though, she never stopped defending the boy. There was something in her eyes, something surpassing familial love and the resolve of a sister. Suddenly, a particular memory flashed through Kaito's mind. There was a time when a boy with red hair had sacrificed himself to shove Kaito out of harm's way. Muttering a small curse, that boy had a smile that looked like he was about to burst into tears before he was pulled away by the spider. Then he was eaten alive. Even though he hadn't wanted to die, the boy had wished for Kaito's happiness and instinctively protected him. ...Neue. Ever since he'd survived that, not a day had gone by without Kaito recalling that name. Before he noticed, he had pierced the underling through the back. Kaito plunged the whole blade, along with the fragile-looking rubies that adorned it, deep into the underling. The underling, dumbfounded, turned around. As their eyes met, Kaito grinned at it. \"La (burn to death).\" As he spat out the word, his mana burst forth. The sword burst into flames within the underling's body. The underling let out an incomprehensible cry and lashed out. Then it turned to charcoal from the inside out. Kaito, not letting his guard down for a moment, released a second and third burst of flame before ripping his sword free. The remaining underling frantically extended ivy toward him. Then Hina landed behind it. \"Hiyah!\" After receiving her two-legged kick, the underling crashed headfirst into a rack. A jarful of fish pickled in oil fell down and shattered. The rack swayed and then came collapsing down upon the underling. Not missing her chance, Hina picked up her halberd and held it aloft. She wielded it like a meat tenderizer, bringing it down on top of the rack and striking the underling again and again and again. With each loud, rhythmic strike, the rack grew flatter and flatter. A green, foul-smelling liquid spread out, mixing together with the oil and the vinegar. As the smashed rack came as close to the ground as it would go, Hina stomped on it with one foot before softly snorting. Kaito, too, kicked the carbonized underling in the stomach. Like a bad joke, it fell into pieces and crumbled to the floor. His anger momentarily abated, Kaito realized that he was trembling. \"Wh-what's...happening to me? The underling was dead. There was nothing more to be afraid of. Kaito, trying to suppress his trembling with logic, knelt down on one knee. Trying desperately to feign composure, he called out to the dumbfounded girl. \"Are...are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?\" \"...Da...y...\" \"Huh?\" A hollow voice leaked forth from the girl's mouth, and Kaito responded carelessly. His prompting acting as a trigger, the girl suddenly opened her mouth. Her throat rang a little as a heartfelt scream poured forth. \"Da...ddy... Mommy... Grampa... No, no, nonono, n\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039! N\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039o\u00e2\u20ac\u2039!\" \"Yeah...right... I'm sorry. We didn't make it in time, did we?\" As if Kaito, too, was an enemy, the girl lashed out at him and continued screaming like a wounded animal. Realizing that letting this go on would put her in danger\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe might bite her tongue or go into convulsions\u00e2\u20ac\u201dKaito immediately stuck his hand in her mouth. Her eyes widened as she bit down on his fingers. *** Hina was about to make a move, but Kaito reined her in with a glance. Kaito was all too familiar with the despair that accompanies events that can't be undone; in his case, it had been his own untimely death. So he rubbed her back and patiently said the same thing again and again. \"Settle down; you're okay. You're gonna be okay, so I need you to settle down.\" Suddenly, the girl's body went limp. However, it wasn't because she'd calmed down. It seemed that her spirit had simply been wound too tight and had gone slack. Even so, they didn't need to be concerned about her going into a panic anymore. Kaito pulled his bloody, spit-covered fingers from her mouth, wiped them on his shirt, and then extended a hand to the young boy. The boy's eyes were dead, but he still reached back and squeezed Kaito's wet hand. Kaito gave a short nod. If he could still grab on to proffered hands, he was probably okay. Picking up the girl and holding the boy's hand, Kaito stood up. He closed his eyes and then shook his head. \"Yeah, there's no other way... I'm sure I can manage. Definitely. It'll be fine.\" Mumbling ambiguously as he thought, Kaito opened his eyes. Nodding once more, he spoke in a voice full of determination, completely unlike the one he'd just used. \"Hina, I need you to take these two to the teleportation circle, the one to the castle, and then come back once you've made sure that they're safe.\" \"Wh...? You say that, but that will require a good deal of time! You'll be in danger!\" \"I can't activate the circle on my own. They'll be in danger if we take them with while we fight or if we leave them here while we fight...and time's too precious for us both to take them. Please.\" \"...That certainly is a decision overflowing with mercy toward these siblings as well as the people of this town. However, to me, your safety is of the utmost\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"My body is immortal. As long as I'm careful not to lose too much blood, my soul won't disappear. No matter how much I get I hurt, I'll be able to survive. Please. I don't want to see anybody else die like Neue did.\" Kaito bowed deep. Back when things were peaceful, he'd filled her in about Neue, little by little. He'd told her that the only reason he was still alive was because a boy had sacrificed himself to save him. Hina sucked in her breath as though she'd been struck. Kaito's sense of justice wasn't particularly on the strong side. He and self-sacrifice didn't belong in the same sentence. And he knew that he didn't have the strength to back up his words. However, even if he had to put himself in danger, there were some things he never wanted to see again. He never wanted to watch someone sacrifice themselves like that again. Yeah...that's right. I dunno how many more times I can take that. And to that end, he had to do whatever he could. His face still pointing toward the ground, he made his request to Hina. \"Could you think of those kids' lives as my life for me?\" \"Please, Master Kaito, raise your head. I've been being exceedingly rude.\" Immediately, Hina dropped to one knee. Not having expected that response, Kaito was flustered. As she did, she bowed even deeper before eloquently speaking. \"I failed to consider your resolve and, in doing so, caused you to lower your head... I have been indiscreet and oh so very rude. Later, I shall hand down the punishment for my irredeemable error myself. For now, I shall abide by your orders and momentarily withdraw. However...\" In a flash, Hina brought her head up. She looked directly at Kaito, his reflection cast in her emerald-green eyes. From within them peeked a sense of love and heartbreak and powerful anxiety and concern, like that of a woman leaving her husband alone on the battlefield. \"You asked me to think of these children's lives as your own. However, I have long since thought of your life as my own.\" \"Hina, I told you to stop saying that.\" \"Indeed, but to me, it is the absolute truth. Master Kaito, it is precisely because we are in this situation that I tell you this. My place in life is by your side, my love, and should I"}, {"text": "lose you, then my life, too, would end. In following, if you deign to think of me, then please believe in me\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand no matter what the situation may be, all you must do is tell me either to protect you or to fight together by your side.\" \"Hina\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"That is what it means to be companions. Please, if you must remember nothing else, remember that. While I shall now follow your orders and leave your side, I beg that you take care of yourself. All right now, you two, what good children you've been. Let us be off.\" Once she'd made her decision, Hina acted quickly. As gently and reliably as a mother, she scooped the two children up in her arms. She looked directly at Kaito, nodded at him, and then took off at a dash. Taking off through the open door, she ran like the wind. \"...Trust her. Companions, huh?\" Murmuring quietly to himself, Kaito furrowed his brow as he thought. However, he then quickly shook his head and turned to survey the storehouse. With their flesh torn, their innards scrambled, and their bodies squeezed, the corpses could barely be described as human anymore. They'd no doubt endured the pain for far too long. After a few seconds of silence, Kaito bowed his head low. \"Thanks to you all holding out for so long, the two kids survived. I don't know much about families or parents, but the fact that you didn't use the kids as human shields... That's pretty amazing. At least, I think it is. Rest in peace...and know that the three of us are going to avenge you. Me, Hina, and most of all, the Torture Princess.\" His eyes burned with silent rage as he spoke, and when he was finished, he left the storehouse. He stopped for a moment and looked around. Dim light was shining down from the cloudy gray sky. The slick, unsettling roots glistened atop the buildings and the pavement. Littered around them here and there were the leather bag\u00e2\u20ac\u201clike corpses. As he gazed at the hellish spectacle, Kaito shook off his nervousness and began making his way back to the main road. When he did, he heard a hoarse scream from the back of an alleyway. Kaito looked closely at the space between the buildings. Then, to make sure the blood didn't stop flowing, he stuck his finger into the wound in his hand and reopened it. The blood flowed down the hilt of his sword and into his pocket. The stone quivered lightly from within. He could feel a phantasmal hand on his shoulder. Vlad laughed, as if to mock him. \"My, my, my, quite the heavy role you've taken upon yourself. Now then, even if your foes are mere underlings, can a man as green as you survive? How do you wish to place your chips?\" \"...I'm gonna make it. If I can't handle this much, then staying by Elisabeth's side till the end was never going to be possible. And I've got to consider what Hina said to me, too. I'm gonna stay alive, no matter what.\" \"I see. How gallantly tragic your resolve is and how wonderfully foolish. In that case, out of deference to your obstinance, I too shall place my bet on the side of your survival.\" \"Bet? You don't have squat to bet with.\" \"Your words cut like knives. It's rather difficult to entertain oneself with the body of a dead man, you know. I will have my fun, even if it's a mere matter of attitude\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand I hate to lose. Do take care not to leave me unsatisfied.\" With those threatening words, the phantasmal hand separated from Kaito's shoulder. Clicking his tongue, Kaito began running again. He passed by the increasingly sparse buildings and made his way onto a path built into the side of the mountain. Unlike the brick surfaces that had been laid out for buildings\u00e2\u20ac\u201dinns, public facilities, and the residences of the wealthy\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe bare rock face here sported only a wooden pathway stuck onto it. It appeared be a hidden shortcut down to the inlet, which looked to be quite a way off. Perhaps it was only designed to be used by the locals, as it didn't have any handrails. However, the wood looked sturdy, and the wide pathway seemed stable. Simply walking along it should have been safe enough. However, if one was carrying a baby in one arm and holding an ax in the other while inching backward, that was a different story altogether. Atop the pathway, a bearded man was holding off a number of approaching underlings in that manner while letting out beastly shouts. After confirming the count of the underlings attacking the man and the baby\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnumbering five in total\u00e2\u20ac\u201dKaito's eyes opened wide in rage. You're kidding me! A flaming sword's not gonna be enough for me to deal with that many! \"Now then, what's the plan? Luck seems to be against you right from the onset. It would not be wholly reasonable to abandon them to their fate and flee, but... Hmm, if you did that, would that entail a deferment of our bet from earlier? While it would be fun to watch you die, it would also be a bit of a waste.\" Vlad spoke, uninterested. Kaito, frozen in place, clicked his tongue as he racked his brain. Even without using the sword, I know how to materialize fire. But as to whether or not I can muster enough firepower to reach the five of them... Yeah, I've got no confidence in that regard. And if my surprise attack fails, they'll gang up on me. What can I do that would be effective? As he was thinking, the underlings were extending their ivy forward. The bearded man swung his ax even more frantically\u00e2\u20ac\u201das he'd apparently been doing up until then\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand barely managed to repel the vines. However, he looked dangerously close to stepping off the path. At this rate, more people were going to die. The negative emotions assailing Kaito's brain won out over the tension running through his body. As his rage reached its limit and straightened out his thoughts, he came upon an idea. Then he screamed at the top of his lungs. \"Hey, assholes! Over here! Look this way!\" The underlings turned to look, as did the bearded man. Vlad's voice rang with exasperation. \"Well, well, well, what exactly do you think you're doing?\" \"Shove it!\" The underlings, unsure of who to attack, stopped for a moment. Kaito, seizing that opportunity, banished Vlad from his thoughts and dove into their midst. He then took the ruby spiral's edge and pressed it against his throat. The jewels, magically stretched long and thin, were as sharp as razors. Kaito then spun them once around his neck. Blood splashed in all directions, drenching the underlings. Kaito imagined the pain in his throat transmitting to the blood and then shouted. \"La (burn)!\" The blood burst into flames. The underlings began burning up, and Vlad roared with amused laughter. \"I see, I see, so you had that method available to you! Absurd as it is to wound oneself, I see it was quite effective! You're an even more forward-thinking fool than I expected!\" Annoyed, Kaito kicked one of the burning underlings in the flank and sent it tumbling down the side of the cliff. The bearded man, suddenly understanding the situation, brought the back of his ax to bear on the underling closest to him. After watching to make sure it had properly fallen, Kaito turned his blade on an underling who wasn't burning as bright as the others and ran it through. Eventually, all that was left of the underlings were scorched corpses. \"Looks like...I pulled it off.\" As blood dripped down his neck, Kaito was overcome by dizziness and knelt on the spot. The bearded man frantically rushed over to him. As he adjusted his grip on the crying baby, he called out to Kaito. \"Hey, you! Are you okay?!\" \"Yeah...I'm fine. My soul won't vanish just from losing this much blood.\" \"Can't say I followed a word of that, but...you saved us! You saved my buddy's daughter! I wasn't able to protect her on my own. Thank you, son.\" The man roughly grabbed Kaito's hand. But as he was about to shake it up and down, he stopped. He seemed to have noticed the deep cut on Kaito's palm. The man eyes widened as he spoke. \"Son...you're drenched in blood.\" Kaito didn't hear him. A violent, metallic noise like thunder rang out above their heads. As if he'd been called, Kaito lifted his head and looked toward the top of the mountain. At the location where the Church brand office had once stood, hundreds of chains glittered as they burst forth. At that moment, admiration and yearning shone in Kaito's eyes. As he spoke her name, his tone was like that of a child extolling a hero. \"...Elisabeth.\" The beautiful girl who brought judgment down upon demons was standing in front of the giant flower. Rusted nails were piercing through the base of the flower, where its roots were the thickest. As she stood atop it, her dress fluttered in the wind. Chains were wrapped around the body of the flower, encircling it again and again. The tongue in the center of the petals was being crushed by a sturdy iron wheel. The flower trembled, unable to spit out its heart. From the back of its throat, it let out a bestial moan. The resulting wind pressure blew back Elisabeth's hair. However, her expression showed no signs of changing. She whispered, her crimson eyes focused on the hideous flower. \"You tyrannized others, took from them, and killed them, and in the end, you had everything taken from you. Ironic, is it not?\" \"Elithabebebebebeeeeeeeeeeeth!\" \"Worry not, Grand Earl. I, the Torture Princess, shall grant you a punishment and death befitting your life.\" Elisabeth held the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal before her face, like a knight. Likely terrified by the premonition of inescapable death, the flower petals' sepals writhed as they shot out seeds and saliva-like nectar. While most of them got flicked away by the chains, some of them were saved by their mucus and managed to slip out of the loop. The seed shells closed in on Elisabeth. However, before they could reach her, she leaped high into the air. As she elegantly glided through the air, Elisabeth swung her sword, as if trying to rend the very sky. \"Pied Piper of Hamelin!\" Crimson flower petals and a vortex of darkness painted over the gray clouds. The sky turned an ominous color, the black and crimson joining at its center. Then something came from within, making a comical whizzing sound as it fell. A round iron cage plopped down on top of the flower. Rats began raining down around the cage. Kaito, not having anticipated that ridiculous sight, instinctively tilted his head to the side. \"...Rats?\" The rats squeaked as they ran about. Some of them were eating the seeds that had fallen about, their eyes glittering with satisfaction. However, none of them were larger than normal, and they seemed rather harmless. Right as that thought went through Kaito's mind, the sound of a loud pipe became audible. He then saw Elisabeth sitting atop the cage and playing a transverse flute. From just looking at her closed eyes, serene expression, and elegant finger movements, she was the very image of a proper young lady. Wait, she knows how to play that? ...And for that matter, where'd she pull that from? As Kaito pondered those questions, the rats looked up in unison, their noses twitching. In tune with the jaunty rhythm, they squeaked and ran up the root in a line with their tails pointed straight up. Their destination was a small heart-shaped door on the side of the cage. The rats energetically piled in. For some reason, they resembled a mob of"}, {"text": "children, scrambling to be the first ones into a domed theater. As the last rat entered, the door closed. Slabs of metal clanged as they barred it and sealed the entrance. \"Now then, it's showtime!\" Elisabeth spun her pipe in a circle. It transformed into the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. As she tapped the tip of her sword against the metal cage, a crimson flower garden spread across it. When she tapped the cage a second time, the flowers burst into flames, like candles on a cake. Elisabeth then shrugged, stood up, and returned from the top of the cage to the head of the nail she'd been on previously. At first, it was quiet. The flowers quietly continued to burn atop the cage. However, before long, things inside the cage got noisy. Kaito, finally realizing the comical method by which the torture worked, recoiled in horror. The heat is circulating through the cage. The rats, unable to bear the heat from above, began fleeing downward. They bit and chewed their way through the petals and into the flower. And the entire flower was made out of the Grand Earl's flesh. A scream rang out. The rats gnawed their way farther into the flower. Their tiny mouths ripped into the petals, ripped into the sepals, ripped into the stem, and caused the Grand Earl to faint in agony. Putrid nectar spilled forth from within it. Suddenly, though, something wholly unforeseen followed and came out as well. It was a naked, elderly man. The man, drenched in nectar, was no doubt the Grand Earl's original form. In seemed that in accordance with the Grand King's orders, he'd caused his fused form to swell up while hiding his proper body within the flower. A needle was stuck in his neck. Even so, he blinked and looked down reverently at his restored body. He tried to thank Elisabeth. Pitter-patter, pitter-patter. Rats came raining down around him. \"...Huh?\" \"Grand Earl, you do realize that this is torture, yes? There will be no saving you. You shall simply die in agony.\" Hearing her gentle warning, the man's eyes went flush with shock. As they did, the rats began gnawing at his shoulders, gnawing at his ears, and gnawing at his nose. One after another, the rats filled the man's body with holes as they burrowed deeper. He grabbed rats like mad and hurled them away. However, their numbers proved far too great for him. As the rats rained down in succession, they gnawed at him as if he were a block of cheese. \"Aah! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!\" The Grand Earl's screams were hoarse and monosyllabic. He began dancing like a madman at the pain. His urine, blood, and chunks of flesh spilled out and mixed with the nectar at his feet. However, Elisabeth showed no signs of granting him pity. Just as she'd said, there would be no salvation for him. Eventually, the Grand Earl collapsed where he stood. A few rats made their way into his exposed stomach. One dug out his eyeballs, and another made its way inside his skull. The rats had eaten through almost the entirety of both his body and the flower. Having eaten their fill, they rolled about, their original task all but forgotten. All at once, black feathers scattered into the air. The roots, which had crept throughout the town, were all transforming into feathers. The underlings loitering among them, having lost the support of their demonic master's mana, collapsed one after another, their innards having likely caved in. Like an out-of-season snowfall, the black feathers poured down upon the seaside town. One woman stood as she basked in them, as fiercely sinister as she was beautiful. The bearded man rubbed his eyes repeatedly. Beside him, Kaito removed his gaze from Elisabeth and surveyed his surroundings. Seeing that the underlings' corpses had crumbled into dust, a smile spread across his face. But then something he saw out of the corner of his eye made his face freeze. As Kaito's entire body stiffened, the bearded man murmured in shock. \"What...what in the world...? What could that...? I mean, what's happening?\" \"Don't worry about it... Just take that kid and run for the remains of the Church's office! Now that the demon's dead, the land should be safe. Just hurry and get as high up as you can!\" \"Wait, but what are you going to do, son? You're covered in blood...\" \"Don't worry about me, just go! Hurry, before...\" Struggling against the dizziness that still ate at his mind, Kaito rose to his feet. He glared at the putrid crimson sea. Either due to having noticed the Grand Earl's death or due to having received prior orders from the Grand King, a change was occurring in the corpse-filled sea. Kaito spoke, his expression grim. \"...before the tsunami hits.\" The crimson sea was slowly receding. The flesh-colored jellyfish, the Grand Duke, smiled at its center. \"Hey, Elisabeth! Did you see what's going on with the sea? What're we gonna do?!\" \"Master Kaito, Lady Elisabeth! Are you two all right?\" \"Good job finding us, Hina! How were the kids?\" \"I used floral scents to calm them down and get them to sleep. Then, Master Kaito, I followed the smell of your blood and arrived here! Your blood has a sweet smell to it, you see.\" \"The fact that you know what my blood smells like is convenient but also kinda creepy.\" \"Eeeeeeeeeeeek! Master Kaito, your wounds! You're even more wounded than before! Damn you, demons, even if you all fell into Hell, I would never forgive you! May you all die another two thousand deaths! If they had graves, then I should like to go defile them right\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Settle down, you lot. You're worsening my headache, which is no mean feat.\" Hearing Kaito and Hina's vigorous exchange, Elisabeth was pressing down on her forehead. There was nothing to block their view. The only thing before them was the crimson sea, transformed as it was into a pulpy corpse soup. The three of them had gathered at the lighthouse overlooking the sea from the edge of the cape. The first floor of the building, which had been constructed from pure-white stone, contained the lighthouse keeper's lodging. The second floor was where the fuel was kept, and atop the cylindrical building was long iron scaffolding where the fire was lit. Seashells and colored tiles were embedded in the spiral staircase winding around the tower, and a statue of a holy woman shedding tears of blood hung beside the fire basket. Based on how tall and decorative it was, that lighthouse was likely one of the town's symbolic buildings. After watching Elisabeth leave behind the remains of the flower to travel there, Kaito had hurriedly followed her. Hina arrived right as he did. The situation was chaotic, and as the two of them hurried after Elisabeth, she studied the sea's transformation. The jellyfish was sucking in the viscous seawater, causing it to recede. Each time it did, its translucent cap swelled even further past its limit. \"Ah...so that's it.\" Elisabeth crossed her arms. The runes stretching across her pale skin, up from her wrist to her shoulder and exposed sides, were an even deeper shade of crimson than they'd been before her fight with the Grand Earl. \"No demon with the power to cause a natural disaster has yet descended to our world. This tsunami shan't be caused by a tectonic shift; rather, that rotting jellyfish, the Grand Earl, plans to store seawater within its body and then violently release everything at once.\" \"Is there any way we can stop it?\" \"If we kill it before then, the water it's stored shall likely still result in great waves, but the damage can be minimized. However, if it's able to expel the water as planned, a town of this size will be washed away.\" \"All the more reason to kill it right away.\" \"However, therein lies the problem. The jellyfish is far out at sea, and any ship we could use to reach it has long since degraded. Attacking it directly is impossible. Even launching missiles with a catapult would not be effective at this range, and given my current mana situation, the odds it could repel such an attack are high. That being the case, our best option is execution by animal.\" Elisabeth snapped her fingers. Darkness and crimson flower petals swirled in the air. The black and crimson converged and then burst. From there, a large, beautiful raven spread its wings. The wise, sly-eyed bird sat respectfully atop the metal fixtures on Elisabeth's arm. \"With this, our ability to damage it is assured. However, using this method will take time. Transforming even a few of these to be able to inflict instant death would require more mana than I currently possess... Truly, this design is infuriating. Now then, what to do.\" Elisabeth lightly bit her lip. While she did, the tide was receding farther, and the jellyfish continued to swell. Glaring at the sea with her emerald eyes, Hina raised her voice. \"If it is as you say, would it not be best to withdraw to the castle for now? Most of the town's residents have already evacuated. Even if the buildings are washed away and destroyed, the loss of life will be minimal. We could even use the ruins as footing. If we left now and returned later, we could obtain much better conditions for our rematch.\" \"Aye, if only we could. But should I overlook so much as the destruction of one little town, I would likely be estranged by the Church. Such are the restrictions placed on a shackled hound. 'Tis most troubling indeed.\" As he listened to Elisabeth and Hina talk, Kaito turned his eyes down and ruminated. Everything about the situation was terrible. The Church was placing unreasonable demands on Elisabeth. However, as far as the matter of fleeing went, Kaito too was against it. If we flee now, even though the damages will be minimal, people will still die. Kaito had told the man from before to escape to high ground. However, there were likely others who hadn't made it to shelter. There were probably also people who were injured and unable to leave. That said, though, even Kaito could tell that Elisabeth was running low on mana. She couldn't do the impossible. What to do, what to do, what to do...? Think. At the end of the day, is there anything I can do here? Or was he simply as powerless as always, unable to do anything? The sea roared. As it did, Kaito felt his eardrums tensing up. All sounds seemed distant to him. The change in his surroundings wasn't due to any spiritual abnormality on his part. His consciousness was growing dim due to blood loss. He felt the blood dripping down his neck and sticking to his clothes, and his skin grew oddly hot. Kaito instinctively turned his attention to the unpleasant heat. It crawled along his body and reached the stone in his pocket, and the blue roses within began burning. Right as he realized what the sensation was, the phantasmal hand landed on his shoulder once more. He could distinctly feel the hand's cold weight. \"Now then, what to do indeed, my dear successor?\" The sweet, honeyed whisper reverberated in Kaito's ear. The hand snapped its fingers. Before he knew it, Kaito was standing alone in the darkness. Before him sat the extravagant beast-bone chair, replete with pelts. Vlad sat upon it, gently stroking the skull armrests with the arrogance of a king. His nobleman's coat fluttered as he rose from the chair. As the soles of his shoes clicked against the ground, he spoke in a familiar yet dignified voice. \"Given the situation you're in, shall I continue my lecture? I believe I mentioned it to you already. You can use your own pain as a fulcrum to ignite the mana within"}, {"text": "your body, but the magic that method will unlock for you is tragically limited. Creating mana itself from the pain of others is far more efficient. In order to do that, you must either consume the meat of a demon...or summon one yourself.\" Vlad looked at Kaito, gauging his response. However, Kaito offered no answer. Vlad shrugged and then resumed walking. He waved his white gloved hands in the air like a conductor. \"Hearing that all of a sudden no doubt leaves a vague impression. To that end, I'm going to give you a chance to test it out. After all, I am something akin to your teacher. And what is a teacher if not one who looks after their pupils?\" *** \"I and he no longer have any relation to each other. However, even without a contract and even with my death having caused him to return to a higher dimension, we spent enough time united that I can at least reach his tail. Demons feast on the pain of men. Using him, even if all you can manage is to reduce the pain you just felt into mana, it should prove rather interesting indeed. Now then, time for your real practical exam!\" Vlad stopped in his tracks and then clapped his hands loudly. Sparing not a thought to the possibility of Kaito refusing him, Vlad turned to him and made his theatrical declaration. \"At this moment, you shall take your first step toward greatness!\" \"Man, you just love the sound of your own voice, don't ya?\" For the first time since he'd arrived in the darkness, Kaito spoke. His voice was low and hollow. As he looked at Vlad, Kaito's eyes were full of fierce animosity. Vlad smiled and then tilted his head as if to ask Kaito what he planned to do. Of course, Kaito had already made up his mind. He took a step forward. He felt as though the young red-haired boy who had wished him happiness was watching him. The boy looked at him with eyes that questioned whether or not Kaito was really okay with this and a gaze full of worry and reproach. Yeah, Neue, I know. This is a mistake. Understanding that, Kaito spoke. \"If you've got something I can use, then hand it over already. I need it, for the sake of my future.\" \"A most splendid answer!\" The next moment, Vlad reached out his hand and thrust it inside Kaito, into his very soul. Kaito could feel a hand squish around in his abdomen. He was assailed by a sharp pain as azure flower petals and darkness swirled around his organs. A sinister light flashed behind his eyes, and his nasal cavity was filled with a sharp animal stench. A roar rang in his ears, and his leg brushed against high-quality fur. He could feel canine footsteps vibrate throughout his whole body, as they were causing the ground to shake and the air to vibrate. Finally, he felt damp, rusty breaths near his face. Is it sniffing me? The first-rate hound was appraising the being before it. It was checking to see if it was a person or if it was food. ...And then... \"Congratulations. You passed the first test.\" Before he'd noticed, Vlad had vanished from the darkness. A black dog's tail, unconnected to anything, was dangling in the air in front of Kaito. Dumbfounded, he raised his palm. Then, using the pain gathered within it\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnot just his but the pain he'd magically caused in the underlings, as well\u00e2\u20ac\u201dKaito grabbed onto the tail. Geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, fu-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. He could hear humanlike laughter. Then Kaito opened his eyes. \"...Huh?\" When he came to his senses, Kaito found himself back on the roof of the lighthouse. The crimson sea was still spread out before him. There was nearly no change in the position of the tide. Apparently, not much time had passed. Elisabeth and Hina, their faces grim, were still carrying on their discussion. \"Then, what if we were to develop the animal execution and the catapult simultaneously?\" \"It will be rough, but that seems to be the best option... Failure is a possibility, but there's nothing to be done for that.\" As he blinked, Kaito looked Elisabeth over. The force within her body was definitely weakened. However, it still boasted a thorny, dark, roselike beauty to it. When I look closely, I can see that even now she has enough mana that I wouldn't normally even be in the same league as her... That's the Torture Princess for you. Now, as for me... Kaito looked down at his hand. He could still clearly feel the velvety sensation of the black dog's tail in it. Furthermore, there were sticky black hairs mixed in with blood pouring out from the wound. Huh...I guess that really wasn't a dream. Frowning, he focused his attention on the uncomfortable sensation and checked the quantity of new mana swirling within his body. His calculations functionally amounted to sticking his hand in a pool of water to tell how deep it was. When he was finished, he nodded. All right, with this, I can pull it off. Kaito silently drew near Elisabeth and then touched the back of the large raven roosting on her arm. He ran his hand along its beautiful feathers, as if he were comforting it. His blood stained its feathers, and the dog hairs extending from his palm twined around its wings. As he did, its spine began to warp. As the violent magical energy forced its way inside, the raven underwent a transformation. \"Hmm? ...Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?!\" Elisabeth looked up with a start. When she saw how the raven had mutated, she looked as though she'd been punched in the gut. After she looked doubtfully at Kaito, her eyes gradually filled with comprehension and rage. \"Kaito, you wretch...!\" Elisabeth's arm shot out like an arrow, and she grabbed Kaito by the collar. As she did, the raven's transformation continued. For an instant, hellfire burned in its jet-black eyes. Its small, slender face burbled and squirmed horrifically and transformed into that of a hound. The raven was on the verge of resembling a gargoyle, with the head and torso of a beast and the wings of a bird. However, the transformation settled into a gentler configuration. At the end, the raven was left several times larger than it had been originally, with enormous wings, cruel talons, and a sharp beak. It was a creature without peer, one who readily resembled raven royalty. The raven flapped its wings boastfully. Elisabeth, on the other hand, was trembling with anger. She raised her arms, and Kaito's toes dangled in the air. She screamed in rage. \"What have you done?! What is that power?! Where did you obtain it?!\" \"Wait, Elisabeth...more importantly... Could you make three more of the base birds? With my technique, I can strengthen them, but I can't make them from scra\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"You fool! There are some things you mustn't involve yourself with. Who knew you were so insipid?!\" \"I haven't...obtained it...yet... It's supposed to be...a trial...\" \"This is preposterous... Vlad should be dead! Why, then?\" \"Elisa...beth... We can talk later. Now, we should focus on the ravens. At this rate, both of us are gonna be in deep shit.\" Kaito made his argument dispassionately. As she looked at his calm\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand in a sense, insane\u00e2\u20ac\u201ddemeanor, Elisabeth ground her teeth and roughly set him down. Coughing, Kaito gave a light nod. Yeah, that makes sense... I expected her to be pissed. Everything, including Elisabeth's reaction, was unfolding within the bounds of his expectations. He had no reason to be afraid. Feeling another pair of eyes on him, Kaito turned. For some reason, Hina looked to be on the verge of tears. Unsure of how to respond to her, he elected to wave to her. He then turned his gaze back to Elisabeth, serious. She was clicking her tongue, her face twisted in anger. However, frustrated as her expression was, she once more called forth the swirl of darkness and petals. \"After this, I expect you to tell me everything. And should you refuse to talk, I'll break out the thumbscrews.\" As she made her furious declaration, Elisabeth created ravens one after another. Insisting that he'd confess without need for torture, Kaito touched their backs as though baptizing them. Eventually, the four kingly ravens were completed. \"Sky Burial.\" As Elisabeth spoke, the four birds took off in a circular formation. They flapped their wings harder than any raven should have been able to, crossing the sea and closing in on the jellyfish. The four of them perched atop its translucent flesh and then dug their talons in and grabbed. They then each flew off in a cardinal direction. The jellyfish's skin tore, and seawater and bodily fluids came spilling out. \"Urgh... Ah, ahhhhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!\" The jellyfish screamed as it writhed in agony. However, even with the flesh pulled to its limit and starting to rip, the ravens showed no signs of stopping. As the jellyfish lost more and more seawater and fluid, it eventually ripped open into four sections resembling flower petals. Massive decomposing chunks of flesh were expelled and floated gently on the water's surface. At the same time, the seawater it had vomited out rushed violently toward the lighthouse. \"Hold tight! 'Tis every man for himself!\" On Elisabeth's mark, the three of them leaped into action. The wave of seawater that had billowed forth from the jellyfish was taller than the lighthouse. If they'd been ordinary people, they would have had no choice but to simply be engulfed and swept away. All three of them grabbed hold of the sturdy saint statue and used their mana to help fix themselves in place. Countless corpses washed by them as the bloody water rushed up and surrounded them. Hey, if this is all there is, then we'll probably get away with only a couple of the buildings on the coastline getting washed away! As he desperately held his breath, Kaito felt relieved at that. Then a fish locked eyes with him. Upon further inspection, while it was indeed a fish, it was also not. It was swimming easily against the current, and it looked at Kaito and the others with a solemn male human face. In fact, human faces were sprouting all over its fat body. There was no vitality whatsoever in its dull eyes. It slowly opened its plump, odious lips. Then the human-faced fish spat out its heart. \"...............Huh?\" A certain scene flashed back across Kaito's mind. A naked man had been inside the Grand Earl's flower. He'd hidden his real body within the petals. However, after the Grand Duke's jellyfish had been ripped open, nothing like that was there. If the Grand King had forced the Grand Duke to change even his form and ordered him to vomit out his heart... And if the flashy show the Grand Earl and Grand Duke put on had all been a trap... \"Elisabeth!\" The heart ruptured. Hundreds of arms passed through the wave and swam through the water. The crimson arms latched onto Elisabeth. All the power went out of her body. Kaito quickly grabbed her from behind before she was swept away by the wave. However, his own hand was about to slip off the saint statue. \"Master Kaito!\" With astounding reflexes and grip strength, Hina caught him by the collar with one hand. Before long, the torrent of water passed. The rooftop was riddled with crimson puddles and piles of dead fish. Kaito shook Elisabeth's limp body as it lay slumped over on the ground. As Hina ran her drainage systems, she knelt beside them. \"Elisabeth! Elisabeth, c'mon, snap out of it!\" \"Lady Elisabeth, please respond! Lady Elisabeth!\" She didn't reply. She had fought so heroically, yet she gave no response to their cries. The jellyfish's body, torn but not collapsed, was transforming into black feathers. Eventually, they collapsed in a surge and floated gently down"}, {"text": "onto the crimson sea. Azure flames burned atop the waves. The subjugation of the Grand Earl and Grand Duke was complete. And as for the result of the battle, Kaito and company had lost. 4 Heroine and Lover Ever since he was a child, Kaito Sena had held heroes in disdain. He had learned of the concept during the short period in which he'd attended school. For a time, he'd hoped that one would come and save him. But no matter how fervently he yearned, he continued receiving cigarette burns all over his body, getting his elbows scorched by lighters, having his toes broken, and being forced to beg for scraps of food from his father and his mistresses. As a result, he'd come to regard the concept of heroes as well as the various stories in which they appeared as ludicrous from the bottom of his heart. Such a person couldn't possibly exist. If there existed someone who amended the injustices of the world, then Kaito's pain and sorrow\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor rather, his very existence itself\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshould have long been stripped away. Ironically, the cruelty and pain accumulated within Kaito served to discredit the possibility that heroes existed. In a sense, he played the role of a villain, as his very life was the personification of how nonexistent and meaningless heroes were in the world. Up to the day he was strangled to death, that perception of Kaito's had never changed. Furthermore, his new world was devoid of heroes as well. While it was a fantastical world rich with swords and sorcery, the land was plagued with demons. There were no noble crusaders or legendary champions. The only person fighting was the Torture Princess, a peerless sinner. She was absolute evil, standing atop a mountain of corpses\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyet those she crushed were even more evil than she. Kaito Sena held heroes in disdain. However, as far as villains went, the same didn't necessarily apply. Kaito sat upon a plain chair in the stone bedroom. He had dark circles under his eyes. Like a reenactment of the previous scene, Elisabeth was lying down on the bed in front of him. The crimson runes creeping along her body had grown even further, covering her pale body like briars. Periodically, she let out pained, feverish moans. Each time she did, Hina, who was standing at the ready by her bedside, stiffened up a little. Other than diligently wiping away Elisabeth's sweat, there was little she could do. A few days had passed since they'd returned from the port town and released the two children to their relatives, who had come alongside members of the Church. However, in spite of Hina's devoted care, Elisabeth hadn't resumed consciousness. Powerless, all that Hina and Kaito could do was wait for her to wake up. Not being able to do anything sucks. Atop his chair, Kaito put strength into his crossed palms. His wound had properly healed, and the power he'd temporarily gotten ahold of had vanished. He no longer felt the sensation of the black dog's tail on his skin. Kaito still hadn't talked to anyone regarding what had happened then. Hina had cast a number of questioning looks in his direction but ultimately decided to focus on nursing Elisabeth. Having agreed with her decision, Kaito had kept his mouth shut. As he gazed at Elisabeth's slender, crimson-encircled body, he let out the same murmur he had numerous times before. \".........Elisabeth.\" \".........Excuse me.\" Suddenly, the two of them heard the voice of a third party. Hina grabbed her halberd from the floor and then snapped to her feet. As she did, Kaito fluidly drew a knife from his pocket and pressed it against his palm. However, the presence on the other side of the door simply stood still, unmoving. Kaito and Hina tilted their heads. For some reason, the other party seemed frightened. \"Hina, can you handle this?\" \"Of course. Master Kaito, you should stand somewhere you aren't visible from the doorway.\" After confirming that Kaito had taken cover, Hina approached the door and quickly threw it open. She swung her halberd, pressing it accurately against the scruff of their neck. The black mass threw up its hands in alarm. A grieving voice called out from beneath a hood. \"I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI come in peace! I'm a bystander and an ally! I am your humble Butcher, friend to gourmands and vagabonds alike! I bring delicious meat! Every day! That's right, it's me!\" \"Oh, hey, it's the Butcher.\" \"Me friend!\" \"Please relax. I'm very sorry for my conduct. However, um...I believe that due to Elisabeth's poor condition, we requested to put a hold on deliveries for the time being.\" Hina tilted her head to the side. The Butcher nodded in assent. He slowly lowered his hands and then brought the large bag covered in X-shaped patches he constantly carried with him into the room. Perhaps in relief, he clutched his chest as he cast a pained gaze at Elisabeth. \"Oh, poor Madam Elisabeth... How could this become of a lady with such vigor?\" \"Sorry, but she still hasn't woken up. If you came to wish her well, then you're out of luck.\" \"No, that wasn't my intention. I came here on a delivery\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto deliver meat.\" \"But we placed a hold...\" Hina's reply fully conveyed her bewilderment. However, the Butcher shook his head back and forth. \"Indeed, my lovely Ms. Maid, you did put in such a request. But if Madam Elisabeth awakens and finds herself without fresh meat on hand, I think she would be sorely disappointed.\" \"...Mr. Butcher.\" \"It is disgraceful for a butcher to allow a client to go hungry. I have brought her usual selections with me, and as for payment... If it goes bad before Madam Elisabeth finds herself able to eat it, I will waive the fee.\" \"Butcher, man, you...\" \"Madam Elisabeth is quite the faithful patron of mine. And it brings me great joy when she cries out, ''Tis delicious!' as she does. I pray that she recovers quickly that she may eat meat to her heart's content once more.\" Tugging on the edge of his hood bashfully, the Butcher looked down and whispered rapidly. Kaito and Hina glanced at each other in surprise. They then spoke to the Butcher, their eyes full of emotion. \"My deepest thanks, Mr. Butcher. As Master Kaito's eternal lover and servant, the spirit with which you carry out your duty has resonated deep within my gears. The thought alone is enough. I will gladly pay the fee out of my wages, so please accept it.\" \"No, I'll pay it. Thanks, Butcher... I'm sure Elisabeth will be overjoyed.\" \"No, no, no, I'm simply doing my job. Hee-hee-hee, huzzah, huzzah! Success!\" \"Hold up there.\" The Butcher danced around in delight. Realizing that he'd probably foreseen this turn of events, Kaito looked at him with half-dead eyes. However, after dancing and shaking his posterior around in joy, the Butcher suddenly stopped with a serious expression. \"Now, now, you two. You really don't need to wear such gloomy expressions! Knowing Madam Elisabeth, she'll be back on her feet in no time! Ah, that's right, I also have a get-well gift for her!\" The Butcher rustled around in his bag. At the end of the day, it seemed that his concern had been real. Kaito and Hina watched over his actions warmly. The next moment, though, their faces froze over. The Butcher had pulled out a huge, droopy, mulberry-colored cut of meat. \"Aren't you surprised? It's troll liver!\" \"Get out.\" \"They say it makes the body grow big and strong.\" \"You're sounding like a swindler.\" \"I am no swindler! I am a butcher! Everything I sell is as genuine as can be!\" \"Ah, but my dear fellows, don't they say that some things are problematic precisely because they are genuine?\" This time, for sure, Hina grabbed her halberd, and Kaito cut open his palm. Hina positioned herself to protect the other three. As he protected Elisabeth and the Butcher, Kaito turned toward the window from which he'd heard the easygoing male voice. At some point, its slatted shutters had been cut open, and the man responsible for butting in on the conversation was sitting on its frame. The strange man had bandages draped all over his body, and he was pressing the soles of his feet together. He lifted his silk hat. \"My a-apologies, is this a bad time?\" The man was strangely slender. Other than the hardened, dirty-looking bandages and the silk hat, he wore nothing. His mouth, which peeked out just barely from beneath the bandages, was curved into a crescent-shaped grin as he introduced himself. \"I, my dear fellows, am the Marquis! I apologize for this unseemly state I'm in! I was on the receiving end of some pu-nish-ment from our lovely Majesty the G-g-grand King, you see? Fuuuuck that infernal bitch! Damn, damn, damn, damn? Damn! Damn her to hell! M-my apologies.\" The Marquis gave a quick bow. A silver, brain-shaped needle was glittering on his nape. Goose bumps ran down Kaito's spine. Upon closer examination, the Marquis's skin under his bandages was hideously burned. His white bandages were stained yellow with bodily fluids, his hair was missing, and his eyes were exposed and swollen. But what scared Kaito and Hina more than the details of his punishment was his name. As the fourteen demons go, the Marquis is pretty high up there. He wasn't a foe that the two of them could hope to take on. Even so, they stood in front of the bed to protect Elisabeth and the Butcher. His voice hoarse from tension, Kaito pushed out noise from the back of his throat. \"What do you want, Marquis?\" \"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, ho-ho-ho-ho-ho, heave-ho? Eep!\" As he sang, the Marquis leaped off the window frame and dropped talkatively down to the floor. He then shook all over, like a stray dog. Immediately afterward, though, he rose up straight, as if yanked by a string, and placed a hand on his chest. Kaito narrowed his eyes. Something was springing out from beneath the bandages. Is there something stuck in his chest? \"P-p-p-p-p-p-p-please look, if you woul\u00e2\u20ac\u201d No, no, no, stop it, stop it, I'll stop, I'll stop, forgive, forgive me, I'll do anyshing, please, no, stop, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!\" As he uttered words of reluctance and fierce screams, the Marquis grabbed the thing springing out from his chest and yanked it forward without pausing. Before Kaito and Hina's eyes, both of them stunned into silence, he tore himself from his chest to his crotch and pulled out something rectangular. It was a dressing table, and no small one at that, adorned with a snakelike chain. \"Gah... Ack, argh... Blergh...\" Blood and mashed-up organs dripped off the mirror's frame. As the Marquis frothed at the mouth and spewed up mucus, he used the last of his strength to stand the dressing table up on the floor. His wound had probably had magic applied to it beforehand, as it immediately sealed up. Still propping the dressing table up, the Marquis fainted, his eyes rolling back in his head. The mirror was filthy, covered in his blood and tallow. Suddenly, an ominous light burned within it. Then a scarlet figure appeared. Cheers, upbeat music, and most distinctly of all, a beguiling female voice rang out. \"So is this thing on? Oh, not yet? Is that so...? I feel as though it should have been properly activated. Are you certain? Oh dear, my, it is on! You fool, I'm through with you! Now then, begone! ...And as for you, Elisabeth, how do you do? So sorry for all the commotion.\" The Grand King shook her crow-feather fan and smiled. However, she seemed displeased with the image she was projecting and moved her head around in search of an angle that better showed off her beauty. Each time she did, the ample breasts peeking out from the top of her dress jiggled precariously. As carefree as her behavior"}, {"text": "was, her presence was as sinister as ever. \"...Fiore, the Grand King.\" Kaito groaned in a low key. The blood and tallow were stuck especially thick near the mirror's edges, so he couldn't get a good sense of the Grand King's surroundings. However, there appeared to be a great throng of people behind her. He couldn't tell what was going on, but occasionally he heard voices calling out the Grand King's praises. Finally satisfied with her face's angle, the Grand King nodded. She adjusted her hair and then sighed. \"Oh, I had the perfect introduction prepared and everything...but I suppose things don't always go according to plan. In any case, I had something to discuss with you, so I had the Marquis bring over a mirror for me. Is he still alive over there? If he's not too incontinent, would you be so kind as to praise him for me? His ability to control minds is similar to mine, and on top of that, he's quite the narcissist. He's a very bad boy, who rarely does as he's told. Recently, though, he's been serving as a rather obedient mutt. I'm really quite grateful.\" Her voice sounding truly appreciative, the Grand King inspected the blood running down the mirror from its reverse side. The cheering from behind her had grown conspicuously rowdier. She turned and then waved and blew a kiss into the air. She then turned back toward the mirror before joining her hands in front of her face. \"Ah, that's right. I mustn't let the Marquis's efforts go to waste, so I really ought to get to the point. With the second Sacrifice having taken hold successfully, I plan to take the Marquis over there, the Grand Marquis, and over a thousand of my underlings and familiars and boldly attack your castle\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut that would cause you some problems, wouldn't it, Elisabeth?\" The Grand King smiled sweetly and tilted her head to the side. Her eyes filled with compassion, she snapped her fan shut. Then, with the poise of an empress, the Grand King Fiore pointed it directly at the mirror and made her haughty invitation. \"Fleeing will do you no good. I will track you down to the ends of the earth, you see. You are a fish on my hook, and as such, I have a proposition for you. Bend the knee and serve me, little princess. I doubt you'd properly listen to my orders if I stuck a needle in you, so I'll simply accept you as you are. You would make a fine pet. I love all who are strong, not just men, and you...you aren't half-bad.\" As far as the Grand King was concerned, that was probably one of the highest compliments she could give. Kaito and Hina frowned and looked at each other. Unconcerned about their reactions and Elisabeth's silence, the Grand King went on. \"In fact, I'll even allow you to bring that automaton with you as a dowry. As for that lover boy, I could do without him, but I'm sure I can find somewhere to store a piece of rubbish or two. And I'll treat you well. After all, now that I think about it, you are the beloved daughter of my dear friend Vlad. I'll cherish you from your head to your toes, as if you were my own child.\" \"That's not the kinda thing you're supposed to say to your children.\" \"While I am fond of Lady Elisabeth, I am Master Kaito's maid and Master Kaito's alone.\" Kaito and Hina spoke simultaneously. However, the Grand King paid them no heed. Loud voices of praise rang out once more from behind her. She turned toward them and waved merrily. As she did, the blood and tallow staining the mirror dripped lazily onto the floor. Then the Grand King turned back toward the mirror. Upon seeing her face, Kaito reflexively frowned. Her expression had changed so drastically that he almost thought she was a different person. When she spoke, her features looked so elegant that she reminded him of La Guillotine. \"Now then, Elisabeth, enough with the tomfoolery. Let's speak earnestly.\" The Grand King inhaled quietly and then took her time before continuing to speak seriously. \"The Church won't save you. You will die. I will kill you, and you will die. Why, then, do you still insist on fighting? You have the right to stain yourself deep to the bone with evil and the power to do so, as well.\" Her thoughts inscrutable, she spoke on in a kind motherly tone. \"...Perhaps a story is in order. When I was a child, a good-hearted, foolish gardener caught my eye.\" Suddenly, the surface of the mirror wavered. A moody young girl and a gardener with a face that looked practically like a squished frog\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut with a simple, genial expression\u00e2\u20ac\u201dappeared on it. The Grand King's voice carried on. \"Day in and day out, the adults in my life showered me with sweet, affectionate lies. They hated my father, who'd come into wealth suddenly, but no matter what happened, they kissed up to him and constantly visited nevertheless. I was like a little queen. No matter what I did, the people around me never scolded me...but he alone did, and to make up for it, he never lied to me. 'If you do bad things, punishment is sure to come, young miss.' 'God is always watching you, so you must strive to be a good person.' Oh, what foolish things he said to me. But I liked that about him... Oh, I did. Laughable, isn't it? I liked that about him.\" The Grand King spoke in a subdued voice, almost as though she were embarrassed. The next moment, however, a grim spectacle flashed across the mirror's surface. The man from before had been stripped naked and hung up from a tree. His body was swollen so badly he looked like a fresh-baked loaf of bread. He had been struck all over and was dying. A young girl carrying sweets was looking up at him in a daze. The basket in her arms had enough baked sweets for two, so it seemed she'd been planning on sharing them with someone. \"But he died after being framed for a crime by the other servants. They said that he'd stolen my mother's golden comb and went out womanizing with the proceeds from selling it... What a lark. No other man was as straitlaced and devout as he, but...nobody lent an ear to that unattractive man's clumsy explanations.\" The basket tilted over, and the baked sweets tumbled out. They rolled along, accumulating dirt from the ground as they went. Then the image faded away. The Grand King returned to the frame. Her lips were twisted ever so slightly, and her eyes were narrowed, as if she were glancing into the distant past. However, she eventually shook her head lightly from side to side, as if to say there was no use crying over spilled milk. \"It's a trivial little tale. Yet, as a fable, I find it ever so relevant. Elisabeth, some day you, too, will understand. No matter how we amuse ourselves, live out our days, and die, that's all there is to the world. Good, evil\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's all the same. None will praise us, and none will punish us. And for the world to condemn you and then refuse to reward you for your efforts...I can't bear to sit by and watch.\" The Grand King then brought her story to a sudden, somehow lonely end. \"You remind me of myself, in my youth.\" After hearing what she had to say, Kaito gulped. Her thoughts aligned with his, if only a little. The Torture Princess needed to atone. And she deserved to die grandly atop the pile of corpses she'd created. But was the punishment truly designed to shove all the responsibilities onto her and then look away? I, for one, don't think it is... And she's right. I can't bear to just sit by silently and watch it, either. Kaito bit down on his lip. Elisabeth had yet to respond even once. Even so, the Grand King finished talking. She turned around, and her crinoline dress shook as she walked away. Pulled by her rings, a number of underlings followed after her. The mirror had cleared up, and the scene behind her was finally visible. *** As he saw it, Kaito suppressed an intense urge to vomit. The Grand King was inside a massive circus tent. Countless men and women clamored from the audience. They were weeping, fervently clapping, and shouting out the Grand King's praises. The audience's gaze was focused on a circular stage, atop which was a carousel. It was decorated as colorfully as a cake, and the people riding its blade-maned horses had their mouths stuffed with barbed wire. An underling with a bag over its head was supplying the carousel's power and changing the speed at which it cranked the carousel's handle on a whim. Each time the wooden horses jerked up and down, the oscillations of their victims' bodies caused their cuts to deepen and fountains of blood to spill forth. The men and women in the audience raised their voices frenetically. However, one of them raised their voice a beat too late, possibly due to shock. An underling dragged her up to the stage. Her fierce screams were cut off when her mouth was stuffed full of barbed wire. The Grand King turned around. The chains on her hands rattled as she raised them to gesture to the Hell behind her. \"Good, evil\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's all the same.\" \"She's a monster!\" Kaito retracted what he'd thought earlier. He couldn't agree with a single thing that came out of that woman's mouth. Anyone who enjoyed a spectacle like that was worthless. Kaito could have said it aloud. However, there was nobody there with the power to convey the truth of those words to that arrogant woman. The Grand King spoke softly, as if she were looking down from above on humanity like they were worms. \"We have the right to oppress them, Elisabeth.\" \"What do you think you are, sow, a god?\" A sharp noise rang out, and a lance pierced through the mirror's face. Shattered fragments of silver glittered as they danced through the air. Awakened by the impact, the Marquis's toes scraped against the stone floor when he took the attack after it passed through the mirror. He somehow managed to remain standing, supporting the dressing table all the while. From beyond the mirror's cracked surface, the Grand King's smile grew even deeper. The image she now gave was quite twisted, and a cold voice bored down on her. \"None possess that right. Not you, nor I, nor the people, nor kings, nor gods possess it.\" As he turned his gaze toward the source of that forceful declaration, Kaito breathed a sigh of relief. A beautiful woman was standing atop the bed, as sharp as a blade. \"Elisabeth.\" The bondage dress she wore, crafted from her mana, seemed to be on the verge of dissolving. Its black cloth, which barely covered her body, hung in the air with the uncertainty of a shadow. Her skin was even more exposed than usual, and it was covered in the invasive crimson runes. However, her violated body didn't stop her from looking down on the Marquis. She clicked her tongue and then went on a displeased tirade. \"And who is it you're saying you were in your youth? What a joke, Grand King. Care not to misunderstand me. Worldly rewards have naught to do with my actions as the Torture Princess. All I'm doing is paying the fee for the plate I licked clean, the plate topped with meat and blood and pleasure. A fattened sow such as yourself who refuses to acknowledge the annihilation waiting at the end of her road of slaughter and tyranny has no right to speak.\" \"Elisabeth, you...\" \"Why"}, {"text": "have you failed to notice? Good and evil\u00e2\u20ac\u201dall the same? What a riot. Evil carries with it retribution. What you try to play off as the truth of the world is naught but your own arrogance.\" Elisabeth stared straight at the Grand King, her gaze filled with deep, frigid scorn. With her animosity as bare as a wolf's, the self-proclaimed sow carried on. \"Don't use the past to justify yourself. All you're doing is taking a single convenient aspect of it and speaking as if it is a unilateral truth. You know, Grand King, I pity you. You can't bear to sit by and watch? Spare me your mercy. If you wish to torment me, then do so. If you wish to kill me, then do so. In any case, my death will be a cruel, solitary one. So be it. However, I've no intention of going down quietly. Should you cut off my head, I shall latch on with my teeth and rend you limb from limb.\" Her position was overwhelmingly disadvantageous, and Elisabeth's face contorted even further. With a smile the very picture of evil, she made one more declaration. \"I look forward to it, Your Majesty the Grand King! Let's see just how far the face of a hag who forces others to praise her can twist!\" \"...Don't get all cocky at being shown a bit of kindness, little girl.\" The Grand King's mask ruthlessly peeled off. Her beautiful, composed, showy-but-merciful expression had vanished. As she turned toward Elisabeth, her sinister appearance truly befitted the demon she was. \"I'll make a declaration, then. I won't let you die peacefully\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI will ravish you, violate you, rip out your intestines while you yet live, put them back, and grant you all the pains this world has to offer until you desperately beg and plead to me, cursing your own existence.\" \"Splendid, what a fitting end for a torturer! But as you have your fun, the world will no doubt strike back at you...and I would have it no other way, Grand King. Here in my castle, I shall wait for my death and for your blood to be spilled.\" \"You bark well! I hope you won't regret this, Elisabeth Le Fanu.\" The Grand King snapped her fingers, and the light faded from the mirror's surface. As it did, the Marquis pitched forward. His whole body trembled and convulsed as he groveled on his hands and knees. However, he suddenly placed his hands on the ground and then leaped high into the air like a grasshopper. Worried that he was planning to vomit out his heart, Kaito and Hina put up their guards. However, the Marquis successfully landed on his feet, gave a deep bow, and began awkwardly walking toward the window. Hina aimed her halberd at his back but then lowered it. Kaito nodded, agreeing that she'd made the right decision. The Marquis has the power to control minds. Honestly, I'm not sure if he can use it while the Grand King is controlling him, but...we shouldn't carelessly attack him. The Marquis scrambled over the window's frame and then vanished from sight as though he'd fallen. At the same time, Elisabeth collapsed to one knee atop the bed, her power spent. Kaito and Hina gasped. The first one to react had been the Butcher. He'd leaped out from the shelves that he'd hidden himself in to support Elisabeth. He shouted as he held her shoulders in his scaly arms. \"Madam Elisabeth, please snap out of it! Look, it's me, the Butcher! Your friendly neighborhood Butcher has you! Come now, Mr. Dim-Witted Servant, Ms. Lovely Maid, make haste!\" \"I'm coming! Elisabeth, are you okay?!\" \"Lady Elisabeth, please don't push yourself! You must lie down!\" \"My apologies. I've caused you all trouble... These runes truly are an annoyance.\" Elisabeth laid down on the bed, and Hina pulled a blanket over her. As her head sank into her pillow, Elisabeth gazed at her two servants. Her face lit up a tiny bit. For an instant, her eyes softened with the distinct shape of a smile. She then let out a small breath. She spoke softly, almost as if she were an aged king discharging an important adviser. \"The situation is as you heard. Over a thousand foes now make for the castle. I intend to fight, but I've no wish to get you lot mixed up in it. If you wish to flee, then do so. I've lived the solitary life of a wolf, and I shall die the pathetic death of a sow. All on my own. There's no need for you all to come with me\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou may help yourself to whatever riches you please as you go.\" \"What're you talking about, Elisabeth?! That's nonsense!\" \"I concur. Think about what you're saying, Lady Elisabeth!\" \"Hina, you've served me well. I shan't forget your delicious cooking, nor how devoutly you nursed me... From here on out, live as you wish, with as much energy as your heart desires. I wish nothing but happiness upon you... And as for you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Elisabeth then looked up at Kaito. She snorted and then spoke quietly but firmly. \"You fool... You utter imbecile...\" \"Geez, Elisabeth, even now, of all times?\" \"You had the fortune of obtaining a second life... Just stop already. It's...fine.\" Kaito swallowed. A gentle smile spread across Elisabeth's face before him. \"You've done enough.\" For a moment, Elisabeth reached out. Right as her elegant fingertips were about to touch the wound Kaito had inflicted on his palm, though, she stopped and tightly grasped her own hand. Gazing at Kaito and Hina both, she continued speaking in a distant, hazy voice. \"Don't let yourselves be chained down by anything... Serve only...yourselves... 'Tis...for the best. I...\" Her eyelids slowly drooped. Kaito and Hina\u00e2\u20ac\u201dKaito in particular\u00e2\u20ac\u201dswallowed down the words that were leaping into their mouths. Elisabeth, as if in a dream, continued speaking, her eyes hollow. \"I killed, I killed... And I continue to kill... My father, the...demons...\" Then she gently fell asleep. Even assailed by pain and extreme fatigue, she had rejected the Grand King's invitation. She fell back into a comatose state. As he looked at her sleeping face, Kaito ground his teeth so hard they could have cracked. He desperately fought against himself to avoid letting out the anger bubbling in his chest. What do you mean, there's no need for me to come with you?! What do you mean, I've done enough?! We've still got plenty of time left together, right? I told you that, didn't I?! \"And hey, you bringing me back to life and summoning me here must have been some kind of fate... So until you start walking the road to Hell, I'll try and stick by your side for as long as I can, even if I'm the only one.\" Kaito had once said that to Elisabeth. Elisabeth would die alone. Not even a demon would be by her side then. But perhaps it wouldn't be so bad for one human to stay by her side until that time came. Throughout Elisabeth Le Fanu's bloody life, she was accompanied by a single foolish servant. Kaito had thought that sounded just fine. And there was one other important truth that he recalled. The Torture Princess had taken pleasure in killing and slaughtering her people. Perhaps her heinous deeds, committed without fear of God, were all for the sake of extending her own life. Or perhaps they were for the sake of defeating her \"father,\" whose power and allies had grown well past the point where any normal person could stand against him. Her motives would remain a mystery. She hadn't once said. \"Mr. Dim-Witted Servant...are you all right? That's quite the face you're making.\" \"...Master Kaito, pardon me, but\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Hina and the Butcher cautiously called out to Kaito. However, he wasn't listening. He clenched his fists and then took off in a dash. \"Mr. Servant!\" \"Master Kaito!\" Kaito left the two of them and Elisabeth behind as he ran off and pulled open the door. He raced down the deserted hallway. His breath was ragged, and his eyes were burning with passion and fixated on the end of the passage before him. He felt that something was wrong. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that there was something off about the whole situation. The gray sky peeked in through the hole in the throne room's wall. It was overcast again. The thick clouds looked like the belly of a whale as they sat above the trees. Buffeted by the damp wind and dim light, Kaito stood in the center of the room's stone floor and held a knife over one of his hands. He spread out his palm, which he'd split open slightly during the Marquis's raid. After giving a short nod, he deliberately plunged his knife into the cut. The knife buried itself in his flesh with a horrible squelch. After cutting to the depth he needed, he held the knife directly over the floor. His overflowing blood fell in a line on the stone. Using his blood as ink, Kaito drew a rectangular symbol. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (open).\" At his command, the blood loudly transformed into crimson flames. The fire burned fiercely atop the stone floor and then vanished without a trace. A black door appeared in its wake. Kaito didn't touch it, yet it opened on its own from within like clockwork. A dimly lit space spread out inside it. It was the entrance to Elisabeth's Treasury. \"Oh, good, that worked. Go me.\" Kaito breathed a sigh of relief. He'd seen before how Elisabeth opened the Treasury. However, that alone wouldn't have been enough to let him unlock it. In spite of that, though, he'd spontaneously trusted his intuition and managed to open it up. Elisabeth had said that \"all it takes to become able to use magic is a small trigger.\" Until then, whenever he'd been on the verge of death, his soul had resonated with the powerful mana in her blood and played back her memories. Now that he was able to call forth the mana in her blood that flowed within his body, perhaps some information had spontaneously passed through it as well. Kaito took a step inside the Treasury. Rectangular steps floated in the gloom at fixed intervals, forming a gentle spiral. When he peered down from the edge, nothing but the steps were visible. A tepid wind simply blew upward. Kaito nodded once and then leaped down onto the second step. \"Here we go.\" The stairs had no handrails, but Kaito took wide, unfaltering strides down them. After a short while, rubbish and torture devices began coming into view around him. \"...Somewhere around here maybe?\" Kaito stopped and then began looking for something. The thing that he was looking for was something that didn't get used incessantly but not too infrequently, either. Elisabeth had probably tossed it in the Treasury's upper levels. Eventually, Kaito spotted his target at the feet of a bloody, rusty Iron Maiden. It was an orb made of thin paper, a magical device that the Church had used to contact Elisabeth when they were ordering her to carry out the Kaiser's subjugation. \"There we go. Now, as for turning it on... Although even if I can, there's no guarantee it'll connect...\" Kaito nervously set it atop his bloodstained palm. Blood soaked into it, turning the paper crimson. However, it suddenly made a noise and then returned to its original shade of white. The blood had vanished, pigment and all. The orb then began emitting a pale-blue light, as though it had used the vanished blood as a power source. It then floated in the air, shining as it began rotating. Eventually, a figure appeared on the orb's surface. Having won the first of his gambles, Kaito clenched his fist. The transmission had connected with someone. The next problem was where and who it was connected to. Kaito"}, {"text": "tried to make out who the figure was. However, the image was blurred, as though covered in a layer of fog, and it was difficult to even make out their features. Kaito frantically strained his eyes, knowing that if he could at least make out the front of their neck, he'd probably be able to tell if they were a member of the Church or not. While he was doing that, the figure suddenly spoke curtly. Kaito recognized that overly characteristic voice. \"...What business do you have, Elisabeth?\" \"Godd Deos... For real? Damn, looks like I pulled a winner.\" Kaito mumbled in amazement. It looked like he'd successfully contacted the person he'd expected to. Godd Deos was a head executive of the Church and the person solely responsible for dealing with Elisabeth. Kaito doubted that he was the kind of person who one could just randomly get ahold of. It appeared that his hypothesis\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat the orb was a special piece of magical communication equipment, a rare item with a direct link to Godd Deos\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad been correct. Godd Deos was also the person who'd passed down the order to believe in Elisabeth's vow not to form a contract with a demon, promising that in the unlikely event that she did, he would offer up his own life to seal her away. He was quite possibly the best person to make an appeal to regarding Elisabeth's poor condition. However, he was also the person who'd ordered her to defeat the Kaiser, telling her to do some good for the world before she died. Kaito braced himself. However, before he could talk, Godd Deos spoke in his usual calm, doubtful voice. \"That voice isn't Elisabeth's. Who are you?\" \"I'm Elisabeth's servant, Kaito. Kaito Sena.\" \"Ah, the 'Good Soul' Elisabeth summoned from another world. What business do you have with me? Did you get Elisabeth's permission before using my precious orb?\" \"Godd Deos, Elisabeth is in critical condition right now. Please hear me out. Her death would cause problems for you guys, too, right?\" \"Give me details.\" Godd Deos's response to Kaito was to the point. He then closed his mouth. Kaito took a deep breath. It appeared that he didn't need to worry about being immediately hung up on. He'd cleared the first hurdle. The rest was all up to his explanation. He wet his tongue and then began rapidly thinking and talking. \"First of all, the Kaiser's death set the Grand King into motion. By using up the hearts of the other demons, she can cast Sacrifice...and with it, she sealed away Elisabeth's power.\" Stumbling over his words, Kaito somehow finished his explanation, up through the back-and-forth battle at the port town and the Grand King's declaration. He should have been able to properly convey Elisabeth's poor state. He finished with an entreaty. \"At this rate, the Grand King is going to kill Elisabeth. At best, they'll take each other out. You guys over at the Church have to do\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"I see. That's more or less how we perceived the situation from our end.\" \"...Say what?\" Unable to parse the information he'd just been given, Kaito let out a dumb exclamation. Godd Deos offered no reaction to his display of impoliteness. You mean...the Church already knew? Finally, Kaito understood what that meant. He flared up at the silent orb. \"What are you talking about?! Elisabeth's about to get killed! If the Torture Princess dies, that's a problem for you Church guys up in your spectator seats, right?! If you already knew all that, then why\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"If the Church were to send every paladin in their employ to reinforce the defenses at Elisabeth's castle, there is a possibility that they could turn around her situation. However, doing so would amount to throwing away the defense of the capital and all our major cities.\" \"Say what?\" Kaito let out another dumb exclamation. Godd Deos spoke in a tone without sentiment, a tone far removed from anything so imprecise as sentiment. \"The capital accounts for three-tenths of our total population and is the center of our economic and political systems. If it were attacked, humanity would find itself in quite the predicament. The Grand King is no fool. If we deployed our paladins, she would strike in their absence. And a few reinforcements would amount to nothing more than a drop in the bucket. After all, there's no guarantee we could defeat her, even if we were to deploy our entire forces. And what about transporting Elisabeth to the well-defended capital, you might ask? There was great backlash to even leaving her alive. At worst, she could be taken to the stake on the spot.\" \"That's\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"In short, we have no cards to play. Losing Elisabeth is regrettable, but at the moment our best option for victory is to have her fight the Grand King. With no risk of dragging others down with her, the Torture Princess should be able to go into the fight prepared to conclude it in mutual defeat. Afterward, we plan to attack the Grand King in her weakened state. The worst-case scenario would be deploying all our paladins and then having them wiped out along with the Torture Princess and losing all our defense. That is a gamble we are not prepared to make.\" \"All that option amounts to is buying yourselves a little extra time. Or are you saying that you guys can take on the rest of the demons?\" \"We likely won't be able to destroy them. However, with the Kaiser gone, we should be able to fortify the capital and major cities to the point where they can stave off invasion. Many in the outlying regions will die, but humanity won't perish. After that, we'll likely enter a long period of equilibrium with the demons. During that time, we plan to search for options.\" \"...But you're just going to throw her away? You've made her fight all this time. Now you're saying that you don't care if she dies?\" \"We are not throwing her away. We simply have no cards to play. And don't forget, servant. While she is an effective tool, she is also a sinner. In the end, she will be executed without fail. It's no different if she dies now\u00e2\u20ac\u201deither way, her death will be ghastly.\" Godd Deos laid out the truth dispassionately. He spoke mechanically on the nature of Elisabeth's offences. \"That woman has left far too many corpses in her wake. The slaughtered masses will not permit compassion, and the butchered knights will not approve of amnesty. No matter how many good deeds she piles up, the numbers of the dead will never shrink. In following, the fact that she is a sinner is the reason that we unsparingly whip her like a bound dog.\" Kaito clenched his fists. A kind of truth lurked with Godd Deos's cold words. The reason the Church was making Elisabeth pile up good deeds was not to commute her sentence but likely to save her soul after she died. No atonement she could make would reach the dead. The sentence for the crimes she'd committed in life had already been handed down. Furthermore, it made complete sense for the Church to prioritize the safety of the people over that of the Torture Princess. Leaving the capital exposed for her sake would be like sacrificing one's king in chess to protect their queen. In spite of that, though, anger bubbled up in Kaito's chest. He wrung a dry, composed voice out of his throat. \"So basically, it's all your guys' fault for being weak, right?\" \"...Excuse me?\" \"You guys, who didn't pay a dime, who sacrificed nothing, are casting stones at someone who pulled a sword out from a mountain of corpses. You commit no crimes, and you don't falter for an instant. And that amounts to jack shit. You're doing jack shit, after all. But you still see fit to hand out your lofty opinions. Still, you call others sinners.\" \"Servant.\" \"If you guys had just been stronger, the Torture Princess wouldn't have even been born, would she?\" Kaito ripped into one of the Church's chief executives. He didn't know why the Torture Princess had chosen to fight. She'd never once said. He didn't know if that interpretation was right. But he would spit on anyone who ignored that possibility and cast stones at her. After a few seconds' silence, Godd Deos surprisingly affirmed the rebuke in his unchanging tone. \"Indeed, our powerlessness is a sin.\" \"If you agree, then\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"However, servant. At this point, it is impossible for us to muster enough power to be of support to Elisabeth. And the fact remains that the Torture Princess is a person who deserves to be reviled. As the representatives of the masses, we cannot pardon her of her crimes. Elisabeth Le Fanu pulled a sword out from a mountain of corpses. We are the representatives of those corpses. Just as you stand by the side of the Torture Princess, we stand with the long ranks of the deceased and their bereaved.\" Kaito stared silently up at the orb. He couldn't make out the eyes or nose of the figure within, but he felt a gaze back from it. Godd Deos was staring directly at Kaito, without a shred of shame. \"She trampled corpses, drank their blood, and obtained power. Do you think that we can praise anything built with that power? No matter what reason she may have had, evil is evil. Without judgment, the world's order will be thrown into disarray. That is the kind of thing she became. And she knew that.\" \"Elisabeth...\" \"I ask you again, servant. Did you receive her permission to use my precious orb?\" This time, Kaito glued his mouth shut. An awkward, heavy silence fell. Then Kaito curtly responded. \"No. I didn't get permission.\" \"I suspected as much...fool. However, as a friend of her father's, it brings me joy to know that she has a servant who worries for her. For her to have obtained a companion such as yourself at the end of her bloody path... Surely, she too is the recipient of God's grace.\" \"...God's, huh?\" Murmuring softly, a deep frown stretched across Kaito's face. He began pondering something. The orb was probably designed primarily to transmit sound, and as such, Godd Deos most likely couldn't see his expression. Even so, when he continued speaking, his voice contained a surprising degree of sincerity for someone talking to a servant of the Torture Princess and a boy who was the target of an inquisition. \"As Elisabeth is one of God's children, we sincerely hope that she overcomes the trials placed before her and that the good deeds she commits allow her soul to find salvation in the afterlife.\" \"...God, huh?\" Again, Kaito responded with that word alone. Suddenly, all his tension drained away. As a matter of fact, his entire body relaxed, and he sat down upon the stairs. Dangling his legs off the stair's edge, he gazed absentmindedly off into the gloom in a pose that made it look like he was relaxing. Out of nowhere, his eyes flashed with the innocent light of a young boy. Abruptly, Kaito began talking about something completely unrelated. \"You know, I don't think heroes exist.\" \"Heroes? I don't quite follow.\" Godd Deos's response was one of confusion, which was perfectly reasonable. Kaito laughed foolishly at him. With distant eyes, he looked off at somewhere other than where he was. \"You know, like crusaders or champions. At first, I wanted someone like that to save me. But before long, I stopped thinking that anything like that existed in this world. There's nobody who unconditionally protects the weak, who saves others, who puts an end to injustices or brings about righteousness. If there was, then there wouldn't be people like me who get beaten up and eventually killed off, would there? And you know...\" *** \"...that sounds a whole lot like God.\""}, {"text": "Kaito spoke quietly and bluntly. Godd Deos's reply was a beat late. As one of the heads of the Church, it was a declaration that he could have denied, even if he had to lie. The argument was crude, certainly not something that could be used to cast suspicion on long-standing religious doctrine. Perhaps the reason Godd Deos's response was delayed was because Kaito's voice had the awkward, pure tenor of a child's to it. With the voice of a child asking if God exists, Kaito talked about how he didn't. \"I guess He doesn't exist, after all.\" \"God is one who offers prayers, one who saves\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"No, your doctrine's all well and good. But I'm talking about me here.\" As he spoke, Kaito's energy returned, and he rose to his feet. He looked as though he'd forgotten something. He stuck his hand in his trouser pocket and then heaved a heavy sigh. \"I'm sure there are places where God and heroes exist. But what I'm saying is, they don't exist where I am. I'm saying that they weren't there for me... But your explanation made sense to me.\" \"It certainly doesn't sound like it did.\" \"Nah, I can see that I was being a dumb-ass. If someone were to ask if the Torture Princess was good or evil, then obviously the answer would be evil. It was crazy to ask the allies of her victims to come and save her. If I were on the side of her victims, then I'd be cheering from the rooftops to work her to the bone and then put her to the stake. Which means that this doesn't have anything to do with you guys. I'm the one she summoned, and this is really all just me being selfish, so it's really my problem.\" \"Servant...what do you mean to say?\" \"What I'm trying to say is that person who saved me wasn't God or a hero. It wasn't faith, and it wasn't you guys.\" Kaito looked up directly at the orb. The things he was saying were little more than a joke. There was no meaning or logic behind them. Even so, he spoke his mind, the uncertainty and anguish in his expression gone. \"It was the Torture Princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe most evil woman in the world.\" Once, a woman had forced a miracle onto a young boy who lived in a world without gods or heroes. She'd granted a second life to a person who'd been worked to the bone and known nothing but pain. That had been\u00e2\u20ac\u201d It had been a pain in the ass, it had been awful\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand it had been wonderful beyond compare. \"So I'm not going to rely on you guys, Godd Deos; I'm just going to do what I can. I've made up my mind.\" \"Wait, what do you intend\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"I don't have any regrets. So no matter what outcome awaits us, you guys should make sure that you don't, either.\" Kaito raised his bloodstained hand. A spear of ice shot out of his palm. With a sharp sound, it pierced through the orb. The call cut off. Kaito stuck his hand back in his pocket. He breathed in deep and then exhaled. Then he tightly grasped the stone, which was emitting heat from within its cloth confines. Kaito ascended the gentle slope of the Treasury's stairs. The higher he went, the more the gloom cleared up. Light shone down from the rectangular entrance at the top. As he followed the light with his eyes, he saw Hina standing beside the hole. Her face was strained with tension, and she was looking down into the gloom. \"Hey there, Hina.\" \"Master Kaito...\" As she noticed Kaito and their eyes met, her beautiful face relaxed and she breathed a sigh of relief. Kaito, having finished climbing the stairs, stood in the throne room. At some point, the sky outside had taken on the hue of twilight. It appeared that the thick clouds had drifted away in the wind as though swimming through the sea. The room was filled with golden light. The massive, delicate tapestries decorating the walls were also lit by splashes of light, and Hina's silver hair shone even more beautifully. Facing her, Kaito spoke. \"Sorry for running off on you like that. How are Elisabeth and the Butcher?\" \"Lady Elisabeth is sleeping at present. As for Mr. Butcher, he said that due to the late hour, he plans on leaving after having dinner. Until then, he plans on watching over Elisabeth, which is why I came here.\" \"Still sticking around after all that... I can't say I'm not grateful, but damn, that guy's got nerves of steel.\" Kaito spoke with a voice full of admiration, although the fact that his mental image of the Butcher was giving him a big thumbs-up irritated him somehow. Then he realized that his hand, which was sticking halfway out of his pocket, was drenched in blood. His butler uniform was covered in dark-red stains. Realizing how bad it must look to Hina, Kaito frantically tried to explain. \"Uhhh, Hina, this is, uh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Please forgive me for my rudeness, Master Kaito.\" After murmuring rapidly, Hina dashed across the room and wrapped her arms gently around his back. She then stooped down a bit and buried her face in Kaito's shoulder. Her silver hair rustled pleasantly against his cheek. Hina spoke to Kaito, who had stiffened up in surprise, in a muffled voice that sounded like she was on the verge of tears. \"I'm so glad you're all right... I feared that perhaps you weren't going to return.\" \"Wait, Hina, why? I only... I just went to go get something.\" \"Recently, it feels like you've been becoming more and more distant, Master Kaito... And it feels like you're getting hurt in places where I cannot reach you. The magic you're using has a dangerous aura to it...and that pit down there is dark and hollow and terrifying. I thought that you might have been sucked in by it. Please don't go down there on your own. Please don't leave me alone... I beg of you.\" \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? Huh?\" Kaito's voice was full of confusion. It was true that the Treasury was a magical space filled indiscriminately with things brought over from Elisabeth's old castle. It lacked so much as handrails, and if one touched the wrong thing within it, they were liable to die. Even so, there was no reason for a powerful automaton like Hina to fear it so. Thinking on her words, Kaito suddenly recalled a certain scene. There was an illuminated wall, and iron shackles were growing from it. A naked girl hung crucified from them, on display like goods in a store. Having mistaken her for a human, Kaito had unfastened her restraints. Does Hina have memories from back then, from before I turned her on properly? \"Hey...Hina...\" The question on the tip of his tongue, Kaito closed his mouth. She was lightly trembling as she held him in her embrace. Apparently, she hadn't even noticed the wound on his hand. After thinking for a moment, Kaito wrapped his arms around her. Taking care not to sully her maid uniform, he put strength into them. Uh...I think I saw a mom and her kid playing like this at a park once, right? Kaito then grunted and tried to lift Hina up in his arms. However, it was beyond him. She was heavier than he'd expected. As cute as her appearance was, she was metal on the inside after all. A few silent seconds passed, and Kaito grunted and gathered his strength once more. Hina tilted her head to the side in bewilderment. \"Um, Master Kaito, may I ask what it is you're trying to do? Wait, I smell blood... Eek, Master Kaito, your wound!\" \"Don't worry; it's fine. We've come this far. Hina, can you, like, do a spin?\" \"It is most certainly not fine, it's... Hmm? If you say so, but a spin?\" Hina moved her feet to match the way Kaito was tilting his body. The two of them spun. As they did, Kaito tilted his body even more. Hina frantically shifted her feet. They spun, and they spun, and eventually began energetically twirling atop the stone floor. The hem of Hina's maid outfit gently swayed. Rapidly blinking her emerald eyes, Hina held Kaito tight so as not to let him go as she followed his lead and shifted her feet even faster. Before long, the centrifugal force was lifting Kaito off the ground. Supported by Hina, he spun around in her arms. \"No, no, Hina, the other way around! I wanted to do this to you!\" \"Pardon me? But Master Kaito, forgive me for saying this, but I feel that lifting an automaton body would be difficult, given your physical strength... Ah, but this is really quite fun. It makes my gears feel all warm and fuzzy\u00e2\u20ac\u201deek!\" \"Hwah!\" Kaito had tried to recover by putting down his feet, and the two of them teetered over as a result. Hina maneuvered her body under his to break his fall. The two of them collapsed on the stone floor. \"M-my bad! Hina, are you okay?\" \"Yes, very... As a matter of fact, this situation is rather lucrative for me.\" With an ecstatic expression, Hina hugged Kaito to her ample bosom. It was a rather problematic position, and he squirmed to get free. He couldn't exactly just stay surrounded by that marshmallow-like softness. Kaito quickly made his escape. Pretending not to notice how regretful Hina's expression was after they parted, he collapsed to the floor next to her. The floor was cold and hard, but the two of them reclined as though they were lying on a bed of flowers. Amid the orange light shining down upon them, Kaito murmured briefly. \"Is the fear all gone now?\" \"Master Kaito...\" \"I saw a kid playing like that at a park once a long time ago. The kid was crying, and their mom picked them up and spun them around and around.\" \"Around and around?\" \"I didn't really understand what I was watching at the time. It didn't really click. But now, I understand that it's for times like these. So I thought I'd try it out.\" *** \"Well, if you're not afraid anymore, then I guess it worked.\" *** \"Hina? Can you hear me? Did it not work?\" \"Oh, I can't take it anymore! I love you so muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch!\" Suddenly, Hina let out a shout. Kaito lay there, surprised, and she covered her face and rolled and rolled and rolled far away from him. Then she bonked into the wall of the room. As Kaito silently wondered what he should do, she came rolling and rolling and rolling back, her face still buried in her hands. \"I'm not totally following what you're doing, but welcome back.\" \"What am I going to do if you make me wuv you any more, Mashter Kaito...? I weally, weally can't take it anymore...! Shomebody shave me...!\" \"Hina, you're slurring your words a bit.\" \"I wuv you sho, sho mush I can't even talk...! My shinsherest apologiesh...! Tee-hee.\" Still covering her face, Hina curled up into a ball and rocked from side to side. After trembling from lovesickness for a little longer, she quickly stopped. Remaining curled up, she murmured. \"I told you, Master Kaito. I told you that I'd eventually explain why I chose you, why it couldn't have been anyone else.\" \"...Yeah, you did say that.\" \"To put it all into words would take a week. However, allow me to tell you about the beginning of the beginning. Before you turned me on, before you established my settings... Even in my base state, I could perceive the outside world.\" Kaito nodded, his suspicions affirmed. It had seemed like she was able to tell what had been going on around her, even when she seemed dormant. She hadn't been turned on at the time, but it"}, {"text": "was impossible to tell how active the consciousness born within her gears was from the outside. \"However, while I could obtain information, I was unable to feel, nor was I able to think. When I was brought into the world, and when I watched those around me get activated and dispassionately serve their masters, I could do nothing... Do you remember the automaton maids that were with Vlad? They were not furnished with the start-up setting wherein one out of the four options\u00e2\u20ac\u201d'parent and child,' 'siblings,' 'master and servant,' or 'lovers'\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis selected. They were designed to serve as servants...and I was designed to be presented to others.\" \"...Presented to others.\" \"A twisted gift Vlad enjoyed giving his guests. For those he wasn't fond of, he would give us to them without telling them the correct answer, and to those that he was, he would tell them the answer and give us to them as toys. The girls who were successfully gifted met miserable fates. When I was at that man's estate, I saw dolls who had three extra breasts added and genitals installed in their cheeks yet still smiled and served their masters as their lovers.\" \"That's messed up...\" \"At that time, I was unable to think. All I did was silently perceive. However, due to the start of the battle between Vlad and the Torture Princess, I was not gifted to anybody and instead was set so as to not freely activate and then stashed away in a storehouse. One day, though, I found myself frivolously transported from the castle's storehouse to Lady Elisabeth's Treasury. Then I stayed there...and ages and ages passed. At some point, even the renewal period for the temporary master I had been assigned so that I wouldn't disobey him, Vlad, lapsed, and I returned to a clean slate. And just when I realized that nobody was ever going to come there, you arrived.\" \"I did?\" \"You did.\" Hina nodded deeply. She closed her eyes, as if thinking back to that time. \"I sensed your warmth and felt your gaze upon me. But instead of rudely appraising me or inspecting me, you simply called out and asked if I was okay and then unfastened my restraints.\" \"I mean...that was because I thought you were a human.\" \"Among all the people I knew, not one of them would have saved a bound girl who they knew nothing about. When they're initially activated, most dolls are filled with rage\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe rage of having their tranquility shattered and being made to yield. Unless they receive orders, they will abide by their rage and destroy everything in their path. And I, being no exception, attacked you. However, when I found myself bound from head to toe and determined that I was at a loss, I thought fervently to myself that I wanted it to be you.\" Kaito thought back to that time. The doll, affixed to the Ducking Stool, had looked at Kaito. She had focused her emerald-green eyes directly on him, as if imploring him. \"...That was the first powerful urge that ever sprouted within me. You had released me to no personal gain, and you saved me from being demolished even though I nearly killed you. That was when I decided that I wanted it to be you. You were different, so I wanted it to be you. If I were to serve, if I were to be granted feelings, then it would be unthinkable for it not to be under you. Even after you formally decided for me to be your lover, I never doubted those powerful feelings I felt then.\" \"Hina...\" \"Allow me to say something arrogant: You are a man well deserving of my love.\" Hina opened her eyes and then turned to her side. Her cheek made gentle contact with the stone floor, and her emerald eyes glowed as she turned to face Kaito. The love in her expression was as real as could be. She then reached out a hand and gently enveloped his blood-soaked palm. \"Oh, how terribly wounded you are. Even so, you understand the pain of others. You are full of fear, yet you still hold others precious to you, and you still try to treat people with kindness. And amid the deep rage and despair we find ourselves in, you still hold a heart that values our daily routine.\" *** \"When I watch you trying to preserve kindness and warmth despite knowing the madness and terrors of the world...what reason would I have not to love you? You say that you have given me nothing and that you are nothing more than a man, but that is hardly the case. I have received so, so many things from you. So many wonderful things.\" Tears began spilling out from the corners of Hina's emerald eyes. They fell to the floor, glittering in the golden twilight. As her teardrops scattered against the stone floor, Hina gently smiled. \"Do you know how much joy preparing food every day brought me? Do you understand how blessed I felt at cleaning the grounds, at laughing together with Lady Elisabeth, at hearing her compliment my cooking, at greeting you, at working alongside you, and at being able to tell you about my love for you?\" \"Hina...all that made me happy, too. Before I came here, I'd never experienced anything like it. Even after seeing all the terrible things the demons did and getting mixed up in those gruesome battles...even then I was happy. Ever since I came here, I got to experience so many things for the first time.\" Spurred on by Hina's words, Kaito thought back to his old life. His days back then had been filled with nothing but pain and despair. With his broken ribs and twisted body, he'd moaned every time he lay down on his tatami mat. He hadn't even had the strength to shoo away the flies that would gather above his eyes. Hina gently combed back his bangs and stroked his forehead as though to console him for those days he'd left far behind. She smiled through her tears. It was a warm, kind, affirming smile. \"...It looks like we're a perfect match, aren't we, Master Kaito? You are a man of tremendous value. That kindness you possess that you managed to maintain despite all your sorrow is like a diamond in the mud. It is impossible for me not to love you. And I don't want to lose you.\" Hina squeezed Kaito's hand in hers. He could clearly make out the strong feelings in her grasp. \"Hina...\" Kaito understood whether he wanted to or not. She had noticed something. Even if she didn't know the specifics, she had probably sensed what he was thinking and planning. Tears pouring from her eyes, she tried to stop him. \"...Master Kaito, I cannot say that I know what you're thinking. But please, please...I beg of you...\" Hina made a vague plea. Still feeling the warmth of her hand, Kaito closed his eyes. He thought back to everything that had happened up until then. He thought back to Elisabeth punching the table and tearfully proclaiming that Kaito's cooking was vile. To Hina, bringing out new food with a troubled smiled on her face. To Elisabeth, rejoicing with such vigor it seemed like cat ears would sprout atop her head. To Hina, gently watching over her. He thought back to the conversations the three of them had shared and to the peaceful days they'd spent despite how twisted their situation had been. He was on the verge of losing all that. He was going to lose it in a manner as cruel as the way all the powerless people who'd been killed by the demons up until then had lost their peaceful lives. \"I'm sorry...but I refuse to give this up.\" Kaito murmured softly and then opened his eyes and shook off Hina's hand. She looked shocked. However, he quickly reached his arms back out. Still lying on the ground, he tightly embraced her. It was the first time he'd ever properly reached out and hugged her. Blood seeped into her maid uniform, but he ignored that. He put strength into his arms, the way someone would hug a sister, a child, a lover. Hina's face went pink, and she began flapping her mouth open and closed. Before she could say anything, Kaito whispered to her. \"Sorry, Hina... Even though you think so highly of me, I might become someone different than the person you love.\" \"Master Kaito, what are you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Please just hear me out. I can't tell you the specifics. But I might change. But even if I do, there's one thing I need you to believe. I want to protect this life of ours. I want to protect this life that you and I love so much. I can't stay powerless anymore. I want to protect you and Elisabeth. No, I will protect you. That's all. So even if I become completely different... If even then...\" Kaito licked his lips. It scared him to put it into words. Up until then, he'd always lived life on his own. And he didn't even know if such a thing was permissible. Maybe it wasn't right to even ask. But even with those thoughts running through his mind, he squeezed the words out of his throat. \"...If even then you still love me, then please fight by my side.\" \"Master Kaito...\" \"You said that no matter what happened, you would stand in the way of all my enemies. And you told me that if I thought anything of you, that I should tell you either to protect me or to fight together by my side... If you don't mind me taking you up on that, if you don't mind me believing in you, then I'll do everything in my power to live up to those feelings of yours...and if you don't think that I'm worthy of your love anymore after I've changed, then so be it. But even if that happens, there's one thing I want you to remember.\" As he continued speaking ambiguously, he put more strength into his arms. He couldn't tell her the specifics. If he told her what he was planning on doing, she'd probably try desperately to stop him. That was precisely why he was keeping his intentions hidden as he hugged and conveyed his heartfelt feelings to her. \"I love you. Please never doubt that.\" \"Master Kaito...\" \"I love you, Hina... Ah, I see. So this is what love is like.\" Kaito laughed foolishly. He rested his chin on Hina's shoulder. Tears began leaking from the corners of his eyes. He spoke in a voice tinged with happiness and sadness. \"You know, I never expected to fall in love after I died.\" Hina quietly trembled as she hugged him. She whispered gently back to him, as though they were exchanging wedding vows. \"No matter what kind of person you become, you will always be my dearest, my darling, my destined one, my master, my one true love, and my eternal companion. And I shall always be yours. No matter what kind of life awaits me, I don't mind... So if you must fight, then I beg of you, call upon me. I shall accompany you to the depths of Hell.\" \"...Thank you, Hina.\" The two of them silently embraced each other atop the stone floor. That was how spent their peaceful moments together. The twilight faded, its golden light swallowed up by the darkness of night. The wind carried a slight chill as the moon ascended into the sky. Eventually, Kaito slowly rose to his feet and began walking away from Hina. He didn't turn to look back. Understanding, Hina didn't call out to stop him. He left the throne room alone. After descending the stairs, he made his way down the hallway. After reaching the bedroom, he paused for a moment, unsure of whether or"}, {"text": "not to knock, and then opened the door a hair. He could hear two people sleeping within. He slid into the room to check up on them, being careful not to make a sound. It appeared that the Butcher had dozed off. His face was as hidden as always, but Kaito could make out strands of drool dripping onto the sheets from within the man's hood. Kaito wiped away a little of the saliva. The Butcher mumbled something or other. \"Eh-heh-heh, I'm afraid I can't eat any more. Oh, but if you insist, then three tarts for me.\" \"Man, you really do have nerves of steel, don't you?\" After muttering earnestly, Kaito turned his gaze to Elisabeth. Illuminated by the moonlight, her face had a sort of otherworldly beauty to it. After staring for a moment, he whispered to her. \"You're probably going to be livid. But I've made up my mind, Elisabeth.\" *** \"See you later. When you wake up, I'll make you some purin.\" No response came from Elisabeth who was still in a deathlike slumber. Kaito reached out to stroke her cheek and then stopped himself midway and grasped his hand tightly. He instead gave her a light wave and then left the bedroom with silent footsteps. \"Sweet dreams, Elisabeth.\" After murmuring as though he were calling out to a child, Kaito shut the door. As he basked in the light shining down from the skylight, he took a deep breath and then exhaled. He walked through the hallway and then made his way down the stairs to the basement. When he reached the underground passageways, he reviewed his mental map before advancing deeper and deeper into the complex corridors. Upon reaching the empty room and the edge of his memory's range, he stuck his hand in his pocket. He grabbed onto the transparent stone with his bloodstained hand. Its azure rose was already in full bloom. Suddenly, the stone emitted heat, enough that it felt like it would sear his skin. Black feathers danced before Kaito's eyes. Azure petals swirled as well, and together they blanketed the room. An overwhelming amount of black and blue flooded his vision. A bloody animal's scent came in from somewhere. A strange wind whirled, feeding the feathers and flowers to the surrounding darkness. A single man stood in their wake. He sat upon a seat of beast bones, and he whispered as if he knew everything. \"Well then, have you decided?\" \"Yeah, I've decided all right.\" Their exchange was concise, as though they were close friends. Then Kaito Sena made his declaration to Vlad Le Fanu. \"I'm going to form a contract with the Kaiser.\" The words he spoke were absurdly foolish and far too reckless. This was also the only method he had come up with to overturn this situation. 5 A Desperate Decision Kaito and Vlad exchanged silent gazes. Vlad's expression was filled with unmitigated glee. He slowly narrowed his crimson eyes and then gave a faint nod and stood up. He snapped his fingers, and the chair made of beast bones disappeared. The stone room was empty once more. He then looked at Kaito, checking him over from head to toe. Suddenly, his beautiful expression crumpled and was replaced by a wicked smile. \"I see, how splendid. Then I take this to mean that you've finally worked up the resolve to join the side that takes from others?\" \"Nope, nuh-uh. Not even a little bit,\" Kaito responded indifferently. Vlad's eyebrows twitched. A few seconds of silence passed. Vlad's expression screamed that this development was far outside his expectations. However, Kaito received his gaze coolly. Vlad crossed his arms and then began speaking in a displeased voice. \"You've already passed the first ordeal. Congratulations, you've graduated from being offal. The Kaiser has acknowledged you as a candidate for forming a contract. I call it a trial, but back then, there was a considerable chance that you would simply be devoured. After all, he is a beast who could test a thousand men and then devour all of them. Delightfully, you managed to meet my expectations and catch his eye. And yet...\" \"Yeah, I more or less figured. It would have honestly been more of a surprise for you to put a safe contract in front of me.\" \"And yet while you wish to form a contract, you say you have no intention of coming to our side and taking from others. What exactly are you thinking? If your desire is shallow, it will eventually swallow you whole. If you don't possess the capability to wear the tyrant's mantle as though you were born to do so, the odds you'd even be able to make a contract are low.\" \"Yeah, I don't doubt it. But even after I make a contract with a demon, I don't plan on tyrannizing people. That's one thing I'm not going to budge on.\" Kaito obstinately shook his head. Doing that would make him sink to the level of his father, who had abused him throughout his life. And he had no intentions of joining ranks with the spider who ate Neue. There had been a time where he'd wanted to carry out his revenge, even if it meant joining the side that tormented others. But now that the spell his father had put him under had been broken, that choice was no longer available to him. Kaito had no plans to forgive those who tyrannized others, even if that person was himself. Vlad frowned upon hearing his words. \"Demons seek the pain of men and turn it into power. How do you intend to fight the Grand King without the will to take from others? If all you do is form the contract, you will remain baggage. Do you mean to say that it's possible to face off against demons, hurling stones at them without getting your hands dirty?\" \"Damn right. I had this idea, see\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Will you hear me out?\" Then Kaito began telling Vlad about the method he'd thought up. Vlad silently listened to Kaito's explanation and then eventually twisted his lips in amusement and exasperatedly looked up at the ceiling. A mixed light burned in his eyes, one that suggested that he was both displeased and highly intrigued. Once he was finished explaining, Kaito asked Vlad about his plan's viability. \"...And that was pretty much what I was thinking. Would that work?\" \"It is possible, but it's a plan utterly devoid of sanity from the moment of conception. I never expected you to be such an out-of-the-box, forward-thinking fool. What a foolish, foolish man you are. Hats off to you.\" Vlad rubbed his chin as he surveyed Kaito with his crimson eyes. Kaito returned Vlad's gaze. Seeing the resolve\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand thus, in a sense, the madness\u00e2\u20ac\u201din Kaito's determination, Vlad spoke. \"A question, though, if I may?\" \"Shoot.\" \"Why go to such lengths?\" It was a clear, straightforward question. Kaito tilted his head to the side a hair. Vlad raised his index finger and elaborated on his natural doubts. \"If you wished to flee, you could do so, carrying vast riches along with you. And with a doll to serve as your bodyguard and companion, no less. A man's life is short. It would last you long enough for a rather enjoyable life on the run. In a sense, Elisabeth brought this on herself. After becoming the Torture Princess and battling demons, being captured by mankind seems an obvious fate for her. And as you hail from another world, the demons' savage acts should have little to do with you. Why, then, would you go to such lengths?\" \"Because she's my hero.\" Kaito spoke frankly, responding with the answer he himself had reached before. Vlad probably didn't understand the implications of the word hero. However, he didn't seek any further explanation. After all, Kaito's face was filled with undisguised admiration. At the same time, there was a fact that Kaito came to understand. After all, Elisabeth had saved him out of nothing more than a whim; egoism. At one point, having sensed how irrational that was, there was even a time when Kaito had wished to die again. As a result, he'd told her that if he felt like he was in danger, he'd just go running to the Church and that he had no intention of accompanying her down the road to Hell. However, even so. To such an extent that it had made him believe heroes could exist in a world devoid of them... To such an extent that it had made him feel like God could exist in a world devoid of gods... Elisabeth had brought about an absurd, lovely miracle. \"For her sake, I'd be willing to meet a fate worse than death. That's all there is to it.\" That was how much he valued her for granting him, who had known nothing but fear and pain, a new life. In order to save the person who'd given him that, there was something Kaito needed to do. \"For my sake, Elisabeth Le Fanu has to exist. That was what I decided.\" Throughout Elisabeth Le Fanu's bloody life, she was accompanied by a single foolish servant. Kaito had promised to live a life that would result in the story going that way. And he couldn't go back on his word. \"I won't regret this\u00e2\u20ac\u201dno matter how much I may want to, I won't accept any regrets.\" \"To destroy oneself out of admiration, to press deep into the darkness out of hope, and to choose pain in order to fight, hmm. How naive.\" Vlad let out a deep sigh. He shook his head, as if lamenting, and covered his face. His eyes gleamed through the gaps between his fingers and spreading across his face was a smile so unseemly it seemed that his lips would tear. \"Truly, my favorite kind of arrogance.\" Vlad loudly clapped his hands together. Wind reeking of beasts blew fiercely around them. Thousands of feral howls rang out. They echoed high and low and began forming an orchestral tune. Azure flower petals and darkness burst forth from between Vlad's hands. His palms began tearing open, spilling massive amounts of blood onto the floor. Kaito squinted to discern the ichor's true nature. It wasn't real blood. This was Vlad's mana, seeping out from the stone and crawling around by his feet like a living creature as it began tracing an intricate summoning circle. As the wounds on his palms grew so deep that the bones became visible, Vlad's laughter boomed. \"Very well, my dear successor! That tragic resolve of yours! That foolish determination! That mad judgment! Show me just how far they can take you! My body is already dead! Let us bet on whether you will be able to abide by your ideals or whether you will fall and become my true successor! My goodness, this shall be most entertaining, no matter how the die lands!\" His crimson blood changed colors in a flash and went up in an azure blaze. The glyphs on the summoning circle melted together, and the long and short hands of a clock sprang forth from the circle's center and became etched into the floor. However, the two were yet to overlap. Vlad extended a blood-soaked hand to Kaito. He spoke in a lilting tone, as if inviting Kaito to dance with him. \"Now then, dark magic is accompanied by pain, and the power of demons demands it! Show me the depths of your resolve!\" Kaito gently lifted up his own bloody hand. The moment he did, the scene from just before flashed back through his mind. Hina had smiled as she cried and wrapped his wounded hand up in hers. Kaito clenched his hand shut, reopened it, and murmured. \"Sorry, Hina.\" He then placed his palm atop Vlad's hand. His left hand was then cleanly chopped off at the wrist. Huge amounts of blood spurted from the cut. Vlad laughed"}, {"text": "happily, and Kaito stifled a scream. The blood, which had poured down on the summoning circle, breathed fresh energy into its magical glyphs. The two clock hands loudly snapped together. The beasts' howls grew louder. The sound of a door opening rang out from somewhere. The cell door of something that ought not arrive in the world of man had temporarily been thrown open. An incomparable hound, spurred on by the praises of all the beasts of the world, raced down the path it had once before. The sound of its indomitable footsteps echoed in Kaito's ears, and its damp breath brushed against his nose. Vlad released Kaito's hand, and it vanished into the maw of the beast that had appeared from the summoning circle. The first-class hound's sleek black hair glistened as it elegantly forced its body through the air. A roar that sounded like human laughter rang out. Geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, fu-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. A human voice could be heard overlaid in it. *** The Kaiser's wrathful howl filled the room. Without a shred of hesitation, the hound opened its jaws toward Vlad Le Fanu, its eyes and mouth burning with hellfire. Its fangs mercilessly skewered his body. But Vlad simply stood there, calmly shrugging his shoulders. \"So sorry, but I no longer have a physical form. Dear Kaiser, surely you knew that this body was nothing more than a phantom, no? Heh\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhen I think about it like that, perhaps being dead isn't so bad after all.\" \"Quit flapping your lips, you lowly scrap of meat who went off and died beyond my reach. Your ungainly death has sullied the name of the Kaiser and sullied my pride as a hound. Do you think you are forgiven, Vlad? Do you think that is something I shall forgive, Vlad, O He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind? I listened to the speech you gave when you refused to merge with me, and I approved it. I did not want to sully myself with a lowly human form. However, O Arrogant Mage, know shame for showing me an end such as that!\" \"What's done is done, my friend. Would you be so gracious as to give this lecture to the 'me' from before? While I could certainly muster up an apology even now, I'll be damned if I let you hold me accountable.\" \"Hey, uh...Vlad...?\" \"What is it, my dear successor?\" \"...So...the Kaiser can talk?\" Kaito posed the question despite his shock. In the past, Kaito had only ever been able to hear his voice in the roar that sounded like laughter. He'd had no idea that demons could talk like people. However, when he listened closer, those words weren't truly reaching his ears. The Kaiser's words were simply resonating in Kaito's mind. \"Ah, that he can. Although to be more precise, I should say that he can send words directly into his contractor's mind. Aside from him, the Grand King, the King, the Grand Monarch, and the Monarch can all use human speech as well. Although the Monarch is a bit suspect in that regards.\" \"That's a surprise... Do demons and humans have similar thought patterns?\" \"That isn't it\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbefore they're summoned, they exist in a higher dimension. They don't possess human thoughts, they cannot use speech, and they aren't equipped with senses. When the higher-ranked demons materialize, they reflect their summoner and lower themselves to a point where they can understand each other as simple, evil souls. If they didn't, we humans wouldn't even be able to comprehend their existences.\" \"...So they use their summoners as reference points to restructure themselves?\" \"Indeed. Hence, as I was the one to call forth the Kaiser, I influenced him a great deal. Well, that would explain his pride. However, some of the other unsummoned demons\u00e2\u20ac\u201dones with the power to rival God\u00e2\u20ac\u201dcould no doubt force all the creatures of our world to understand them without needing to lower themselves and would come already furnished with overbearing intellect and vocabulary... But it will take another two thousand years before any who could summon them will\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Oh, careful there.\" As Vlad spoke, the Kaiser's jaws made another attempt to gouge his body. His phantom form wavered for a moment but quickly returned to normal. Vlad shrugged. Even so, the hound's attacks didn't subside. It appeared that the Kaiser was in a violent tempest of rage. \"Would you be so kind as to give that a rest? Even if my death did cast doubts on your strength, that has little to do with me now... Oh, well, I suppose saying that was just fuel on the fire, wasn't it?\" The Kaiser's fangs dug into Vlad again and again. Kaito thought back to how Vlad and the Kaiser had been defeated. The Kaiser had been powerful enough to completely overwhelm Elisabeth and Hina. But due to the death of his contractor, Vlad, the Kaiser lost his anchor to this world and subsequently vanished. \"He has his pride as a first-rate hound to consider,\" Vlad had once said. Vlad's death had no doubt made a mockery of the Kaiser. \"Unforgivable, unforgivable, unforgivable! What an unforgivable, puny creature you are! I shan't forgive you for this, Vlad!\" The Kaiser was mad with rage. But after learning that his command of the human language was solid, some of Kaito's tension had faded away. Even if the Kaiser was a demon, at least he could communicate his intentions. As if having read his mind, the Kaiser lifted his head and looked at Kaito. His gaze\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat of a creature on a whole different level than the rest of the hideous, unseemly demons\u00e2\u20ac\u201dpierced through him. Assailed by a strong aura of \"death,\" Kaito's stomach dropped. The Kaiser narrowed his eyes and then spoke in a low voice. \"Ah, the one I let grab my tail. You possess a false body. So your blood is that of a witch, and your heart is that of a man? Your soul is worthless\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand yet intriguing. Very intriguing. Its form is warped. Very well, you will do. Yes, you will do nicely.\" \"Won't he, Kaiser? I thought he might catch your eye, given your repulsive taste.\" Vlad spoke jubilantly, practically singing. He walked along the black dog's flank and then placed a phantasmal hand atop Kaito's shoulder. Gracefully presenting Kaito, he urged the Kaiser on. \"Now then, shall we get on with the ceremonial trial?\" The black dog offered no reply, simply expelling air through his nose. In the next moment, the Kaiser bore down on Kaito, his movements possessing an efficiency that bordered on beauty. Although it was filled with azure flames, his gaping maw smelled surprisingly like that of an ordinary dog. ...Huh? Then the black dog's jaws crunched mercilessly down on Kaito. It hurts. It hurts so much. The pain was the only thing occupying Kaito's thoughts. The black dog's jaws had bitten off the bottom half of his body. Vlad was standing overhead and saying something in a bewildered tone. \"Well now, this is unfortunate. Did he fail to meet your interest? Even so, doing that out of the blue was a bit ruthless... My, my, I didn't expect him to die in such a manner before even getting started. How disappointing.\" Kaito was twitching and convulsing at Vlad's feet. Each time he did, filth and blood spilled out of his torn entrails and onto the floor. Normally, losing that much blood would be enough to make his soul fade away. However, possibly because he was in the middle of summoning the Kaiser, his soul, which was being used as an intermediary, got caught in the black dog's fur and stopped there. Terrified due to being trapped halfway between life and death, Kaito tried to scream. However, all the air was leaking out of his abdomen, and he couldn't gather his voice. \"Ah\u00e2\u20ac\u201d... Ah\u00e2\u20ac\u201d... Ah\u00e2\u20ac\u201d...\" \"Well, I suppose it can't be helped. This, too, is a valid way for the curtain to fall. Bets can be won, but tragically, they can be lost as well. He was lacking in both fortune and ability. That was all there was to it.\" With affected movements, Vlad shrugged his shoulders. His body was beginning to transform into black feathers and azure flower petals from the toes up. It seemed that he was quickly giving up on the plan of using Kaito's mana to remain in the world. His judgment was as gracious as always. Then Vlad vanished, leaving Kaito without even enough time to beg him to stay. The black dog, too, turned tail and began making his way back down the path he had come from. The wicked energy that had kept Kaito's soul in place left as the fur it had been wound through faded away. Kaito's soul began leaving his body along with his blood. The next moment, instead of a light at the end of a tunnel, Kaito was assailed by an intense vision of the future. Hina's probably going to find my corpse after this. Given Elisabeth's current status, it would be impossible for her to summon Kaito's soul again. Hina would apologize to Kaito for making him wait a little bit, assist Elisabeth in fighting the Marquis and the Grand Marquis, and get destroyed. And the Torture Princess, too, would have all the pain the world had to offer bestowed upon her by the Grand King before being brutally killed. She would die a lonely, solitary death. The only thing that would go on would be the world of man. All would be well in the name of their God. That's no good. I can't let that happen. I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d! Kaito didn't want to die helpless like that, not being able to give anything back to the other two. Awash in despair and his own lamentations, Kaito fainted in agony. The moment he did, the blood in his body began releasing a strange warmth. His entire body began heating up, as though it were transforming into flame. It was like some sort of magic had gone and activated on its own. As he was being toyed with by that sensation, Kaito's field of vision went dark. In the deep darkness, all he had left was the unpleasant pain of the heat within his body. When he came to his senses, he found himself lying atop a damp tatami mat. ...H-huh? Flies buzzed noisily over his eyes. He surveyed his surroundings. A dirty fluorescent bulb was swaying from the ceiling. The cracked window was covered in packing tape, and his ripped-out teeth rolled about beneath the tea table. The bits of his gums stuck to them were raw. Then Kaito looked at his body. The shirt stuck to his scrawny torso was hardened from all the sweat and vomit staining it. His right arm was covered in shallow lacerations, and his left arm hung unmoving and was covered in dark-red stains. His ankle was twisted at an odd angle and had stuck that way. And it was possible that the pain in his stomach was due to a ruptured organ. This is...the room I was in when I died back in Japan... Wait, did I do something? Kaito tilted his head to the side. When he'd been assailed by despair and regret, his blood had released so much heat he'd felt as though it were burning up. He could only conclude that he'd subconsciously activated some sort of magic. Don't tell me I went back in time? That was the conjecture Kaito arrived at based on the scene around him and the familiar pain racking his body. Maybe souls had no conception of time. Only bodies, living in reality, were bound by that concept. Maybe his soul, on the verge of fading from the golem body Elisabeth had made, had burned up the remaining mana in its blood and gone backward in time. Although his brain was addled by pain and malnutrition, that was the conclusion Kaito arrived at. \"In that case...no time to waste,"}, {"text": "huh?\" He murmured quietly and then forced his body to move. There wasn't so much as an uninjured hair on him. His body was practically skin and bones. Simply breathing sent waves of pain washing over his body. He also couldn't stop convulsing, possibly as a result of dehydration. But none of that mattered to him. He wriggled, his body having become little more than a ball of pain. He had to hurry up and get back to the other world. I'm going to save them. This time, I'll make sure I do whatever I can. Limping on his broken leg, he struggled forward. He made for the ashtray covered in cigarette butts, the same one that had been used to smash his cheek a few days back. He then threw it at the window so hard he almost dislocated his shoulder. The conveniently cracked glass made a loud noise as it shattered. \"Urgh, ack, blurgh.\" The shock had sent his body reeling, and he retched where he stood. However, the contents of his gut were minimal. Tears welled up in his eyes at the unpleasant convulsions that struck his empty stomach. In spite of that, he crawled forward, propelled by willpower alone. His father would be coming home soon. And when night fell, he would strangle Kaito to death. However, Kaito didn't have time to wait for that. He had to get this over with as quickly as possible. \"I gotta hurry, I gotta hurry, I gotta hurry up and get going... I gotta hurry.\" With shaking fingers, Kaito grabbed a large shard of glass. It sliced his palm, but he barely felt any pain. The thought of Elisabeth and Hina getting brutally murdered was far more terrifying. More than anything, he wanted to spend as little time as possible in this place far away from them. Even if I end up not being able to do anything, I still want to be by their sides. Elisabeth was the person he admired. Hina was the woman he loved. And he had met both of them for the first time after he died. This world didn't have a single person in it who would call out his name with affection. Then he heard the front door open. That man had returned earlier than usual, possibly related to the fact that Kaito had smashed the glass. His father was running violently down the hallway. He opened the sliding door and was about to shout out something in anger, when, due to how unexpected the scene before him was, he displayed an unusually flabbergasted expression. \"Kaito, you little shit, what're you doin'?\" \"Escaping to another world.\" After answering frankly, Kaito pressed the shard of glass against the nape of his neck. In the space of a breath, he severed his carotid artery. Blood gushed out, and the ceiling was dyed bright red. As the heat gradually left his body and a chill ran through him\u00e2\u20ac\u201da decidedly different sensation compared to the warmth of blood loss he'd felt earlier, and one that filled him with a vivid sense of loss\u00e2\u20ac\u201dKaito finally realized a certain possibility. Huh? Wait, all that stuff that happened up till now...that wasn't just a dream, was it? At that point, his thoughts came to an abrupt halt. Kaito Sena's one and only life had ended. Normally, someone who was killed as meaninglessly as a worm in a death most pitiful, unseemly, cruel, and gruesome wouldn't get a second shot at life. It would be ridiculous for anyone to expect to be able to go to the world of their choice after they died. In short, the conclusion was simple. There was no such thing as miracles. That was all there was to it. When he came to his senses, Kaito found himself floating in the darkness. He had no body. All that existed was his consciousness. In fact, he couldn't even say for sure whether or not even that existed. They say \"I think, therefore I am,\" but in a meaningless space with no sense of touch, sight, or hearing, it was difficult to say that the presence of self-consciousness alone was enough to prove one's existence. There was nobody there to observe him. No one was there to touch him or define him. There was nothing there that he could use to confirm his own sensations. That fact was an extremely cruel one. Just how long am I going to be here? Kaito thought this to himself. Even the passage of time here was ambiguous. He was unable to suppress the sense of curiosity as to how his consciousness hadn't vanished despite his brain being gone. All he was doing was idly existing. I guess this is probably the afterlife. Kaito was familiar with the concepts of Heaven and Hell. He'd concluded that he and Elisabeth were both probably headed for the latter. However, he hadn't suspected that its true nature would turn out to be like this. The fact that humanity had yet to obtain information about the afterlife was, in a word, obvious. And the harshest part about being in that darkness was the fact that he had no definite memories that he could cling to. In a place like that, where everything was vague, the only thing that could be relied upon was one's own consciousness and memories. However, Kaito didn't even have faith in those. Are the memories I have of the time I spent with Elisabeth and the rest in that world even real? Or were they nothing more than a fabrication Kaito had conjured up to escape the pain? At this point, there was nothing he could use to verify them. They might have been nothing more than an incredibly realistic daydream. Given the way Kaito was now trapped in the afterlife, that possibility seemed the most likely. Kaito had wallowed in his fabrications and then had eventually lost sight of the line separating them from reality and killed himself. If that were the case, then Kaito Sena's life would truly have been beyond salvation. There could probably be no greater sadness. Eventually, even the time he spent despairing passed. Surrounded by darkness that continued on forever, Kaito sank deeper and deeper within himself. Searching for salvation, he rummaged through his memories, checked them, and then, on the verge of descending into madness, he arrived at a certain state of mind. He was incredibly pissed off. Hold up a minute. I mean, hypothetically, even if that world was false... Did that really mean that it had no meaning? Throughout all seventeen years of Kaito Sena's life, his memories of that world were the only ones with vivid colors. In that place, even if it had been a figment of his imagination, the experiences he'd accumulated had brought about undeniable change within him. Enough of a change that he could muster up rage, even when in the midst of such irrationality. Am I really fine with just staying here, wallowing in regret? Was my whole life really worthless to the very end? And before that, did all of it really just revert to zero? Amid the darkness, Kaito violently forced the cogwheels of his nonexistent brain into motion. His recollections of that world stirred. Terrible, horrible memories that contained within them a single spoonful of radiant brilliance. They jump-started Kaito's spirit. There was no way that he could think of those memories as meaningless, after all. Wasn't this situation trying too hard to get me to think that all was a dream, a fabrication that never really happened? That was right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor what it was, it had all lined up too well. Kaito began noticing the incongruities in the recent developments, all of which had practically whispered in his ear that his memories were false and that he should fall into despair. That's right. I've got a hunch that someone's trying to get me to feel regret. They had tried to get him to spend all his time crying. To spend the rest of his days in endless despair. But Kaito wasn't about to have that. At first, he had definitely despaired. Kaito had spent a few hours, a few years\u00e2\u20ac\u201dat worst, perhaps even a century\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwithin his mind on the verge of madness. However, little by little, he had regained his composure. Even if that world had been a lie... \"No matter what kind of person you become, you will always be my dearest, my darling, my destined one, my master, my one true love, and my eternal companion. And I shall always be yours.\" \"You fool... You utter imbecile... You had the fortune of obtaining a second life... Just stop already. It's...fine. You've done enough.\" ...the memories he'd made there had still been beautiful, and the things he'd experienced there had been real. Even if it had been fake, the fact that there had been someone who cared for Kaito was real. And the fact that, in a world devoid of heroes and gods, there had been a woman he had been able to believe in was true as well. If that's the case, then there's no need for me to grieve, right? Depending on the situation, if someone really set this up, then I don't have to waste time feeling sorry for myself. From within the darkness, Kaito picked up on incongruities over and over again. That place was unnecessarily dreadful. It was like the personification of the situation Kaito feared the most\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat he'd never actually gone to that other world and just cruelly died at the end of his abuse. The darkness had silently imposed anguish upon him and tried to render his precious memories meaningless again and again. Something about it was strange. As such, he had to confirm it. Even though he lacked feet to walk with, a body, a soul. Even if this isn't something that someone set up. As long as he didn't give up, he might eventually be able to discern the truth. Kaito was there, after all. That entire line of thinking had been absurd. It had no logical basis to it. But despite knowing that, it was the conclusion Kaito had arrived at. As he did, he slowly began speaking. \"I don't care if it's a fabrication. That's the conclusion I reached. I'm gonna keep trying to pin down the source of these incongruities. As long as I have my memories, I'm never giving up, and I'm never gonna lose myself.\" His mouth shouldn't have existed, yet his voice came out all the same. Furthermore, he now clearly sensed another entity. As though a fog had lifted, Kaito's perception grew rapidly. There was something standing before him. Kaito faced it and then spoke his thoughts freely. \"Hey, could you cut it out already? Even if you keep this up, nothing's gonna change. No matter how much time passes, I'll always know I'm being tested.\" Suddenly, Kaito felt a sharp pain run across his body. The nostalgic sensation traced the contour of his body, formed it, and bound him. When he came to his senses, he found himself impaled by a number of dog fang\u00e2\u20ac\u201clike wedges. Chains extended from them, fixing his body in place. He was dangling in the air, held up by a thousand chains. If he took so much as a step, he didn't doubt that his body would be torn open and his blood would run freely. A boy stood before him. The red-haired boy gazed directly at Kaito. His gaze seemed to ask if Kaito was really okay with this, as well as reproach him, as the boy knew he was in the wrong. For a second, Kaito was assailed by a sensation resembling vertigo. Had that boy really existed? Had he really wished for Kaito's happiness? Even now, he wasn't certain. Still, though, he faced the boy and smiled. \"It's okay, Neue. I'm just protecting the things that I want to protect.\" Kaito shifted his body. The chains rattled,"}, {"text": "and blood trickled down. The wedges dug into him, tearing his flesh. His arms ripped apart as he extended a hand forward, and his legs were severed as he began to walk. As he did\u00e2\u20ac\u201dinsane as his actions were\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe made his promise in a bright, cheery voice. \"I'll make sure to protect the promise I made with you, as well.\" As his body tore, Kaito extended his hand toward hope. Then, in the deep darkness, he grabbed on to a black dog's tail. Geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, fu-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. \"Very well, very well, very well, very well! Very well! I have taken a liking to you! Your blind devotion to hope, your madness! Your unnatural familiarity with pain! O glass marble, hurled about and horribly twisted, yet remaining clear all the while! Very well! You possess the capacity to entertain me, to entertain the Kaiser!\" An azure flame roared to life. The black dog kicked at the stone floor with his graceful paws. Each time he leaped, the smell of wild beasts filled the area, and the whole room shook. Vlad's eyes were twinkling, and he laughed as his coat and hair were blown about by the wind. Before he'd realized it, Kaito was standing back in the room at the end of the underground corridor. His left hand was still gone, and he was covered in blood. Even so, he cast his fierce, antagonistic gaze at the Kaiser. The summoning circle shined blue atop the floor. Azure flower petals and black feathers danced vigorously through the air, as though giving their blessings. Amid the hymnal-like roar of countless beasts, the Kaiser made his declaration. \"Henceforth, you shall be my master! Kaito Sena! O Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain!\" Then everything went quiet. With a whiff, everything vanished from the room. The Kaiser, Vlad, and the madly dancing feathers and petals all disappeared. All that was left was Kaito. Nothing about the room was different from when he'd entered it. He surveyed its rocky walls in amazement. It was like it had all been just a bad dream. That was no dream, though. Kaito gingerly lifted his left arm. There, at the severed end, sat the massive, pitch-black forepaw of a beast. He turned his lips up into a faint smile. Then he closed his eyes and inspected the amount of mana within his body. The power of a demon dwelled deep within his heart. However, it didn't seem like he'd be able to freely use it just yet. The aggregate sum of all the pain he'd experienced to date was far from sufficient. What to do next? Kaito began analyzing the initial plan he'd put forth to Vlad. It was right when he'd just finished putting that thought in order. The door shook. Someone was shouting from outside it. Suddenly, the blade end of a halberd split through its heavy planks. The door shattered, and splinters of wood went flying. Hina stood on the other side. She'd probably heard something, whether it was Kaito's screams or the Kaiser's roars. She shouted out in a tense voice. \"Master Kaito, are you al\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Hina.\" As she heard him say her name, Hina's eyes went wide and she lost her voice. She stared at him. After checking his left wrist, she grimaced faintly as though she'd understood something. Kaito smiled back at her. ...There's the face I missed. He had missed her so much and loved her so dearly. With all the trust and affection that he could muster, Kaito stared at Hina as if trying to sear her image into his mind. Then he deliberately opened his mouth. \"If even then you still love me, then please fight by my side. \"You said that no matter what happened, you would stand in the way of all my enemies. And you told me that if I thought anything of you, that I should tell you either to protect me or to fight together by my side... If you don't mind me taking you up on that, if you don't mind me believing in you, then I'll do everything in my power to live up to those feelings of yours...and if you don't think that I'm worthy of your love anymore after I've changed, then so be it. But even if that happens, there's one thing I want you to remember. \"I love you, Hina... Ah, I see. So this is what love is like.\" Then he met her emerald gaze and asked a question of the woman he'd once professed his love for, the person he'd asked to fight alongside him\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhis eternal companion, who had then nodded in agreement. \"Hina, could you die for me?\" Hina stared back at him. Her face slackened. A warm smile spread across her face. It was filled with true delight and possessed not a shred of lies or falsehood. \"Yes, gladly.\" Hina answered and then knelt before him. Kaito simply nodded in response. 6 The Bride's Mortal Struggle A solemn procession wound its way through the deep mountains surrounding Elisabeth's castle, looking like guests bound for a funeral. They knocked down trees and tore up their roots as they went. Familiars made of flesh bound together by barbed wire swung axes with untiring arms, clearing a path for their mistress. The trees had taken centuries to grow, and now they were being mercilessly chopped down by sullied hands. Whenever the trees groaned and were about to topple over, a man floating in the air wearing black, cylindrical clothes and a mask modeled after a crow's head breathed fire out from his beak and burned them to ash. The man's majestic conduct was steeped in dignity. However, the very act of a demon going out of his way to tidy up a path somehow resembled a street performance. The demon, the Grand Marquis, had a needle shaped like a brain glittering in the nape of his neck, and he worked obediently to serve his mistress. At his feet, the Marquis gasped as he was transported around in an iron birdcage. Each time the familiar shoved the sideways birdcage forward, the Marquis within tumbled about and let out an ear-curdling scream as the skin beneath his bandages was scraped. Trampling over the bizarrely colored jet-black ash, they made their way forward. Far behind them, collared underlings were shouldering an extravagant palanquin. Atop the golden palanquin were an elegant throne and a white wolf's pelt, and atop the throne sat a beautiful, haughty woman. As she exposed her long legs from beneath her scarlet crinoline dress, the Grand King fanned herself with that crow-feather fan she loved so much. She occasionally let out a yawn as she gracefully rode along. The way the thousand troops advanced was oddly quiet yet lively. As ominous as a nightmare yet as flashy as a parade, they made their way toward the mountain peak that the castle rested upon. Eventually, they made it through the tree line. A barren hill stood beyond the trees' end. Their destination, the fortresslike castle that overlooked the trees in every direction, stood atop its bare rock surface. The procession's aim was the tightly sealed castle gate and the head of the castle's lord, Elisabeth. However, the procession was beset by an unexpected commotion and the underlings swayed on their feet as they stopped in their tracks. A bride stood before them. A beautiful bride who looked like she'd just been plucked from a wedding hall. The snow-white figure she cast was nonsensically comical, irregular, and out of place. \"...Now whatever might that be?\" The Grand King involuntarily frowned at how bizarre it was. But no matter how many times she double-checked, the figure in front of the castle was still there. The girl wearing a lovely wedding dress was standing in their way like a gatekeeper. Her silver hair was covered in a delicately embroidered veil. Her beautiful, pale cheeks cast a soft shadow. Her dress was simple yet elegant and made entirely out of white cloth, and her exposed shoulders were adorned with charming flowers. She wore long silk gloves that covered her slender, graceful forearms. And her skirt, which was comprised of many layers of lace, tidily covered her down to her ankles. She was standing atop the barren hill as though she were waiting for her bridegroom. For her to stand like that before a thousand troops seemed downright comical. However, the object she clasped in her dainty fingers in place of a bouquet served to prove that her proper place was, in fact, a battlefield and not a wedding hall. The bride was carrying a peculiar halberd, one that looked almost like an executioner's ax. Its matted jet-black metal handle had a tassel made from an animal's tail attached to it, and its massive, vicious blade evoked the image of a carnivore's jaw. Squinting at the girl's whimsy\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor what else could one call a bride who stood upon a battlefield carrying an executioner's ax but whimsical?\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Grand King, driven by curiosity, advanced to the front of her troops, palanquin and all. As if to greet her, the bride slowly opened her closed eyes. She fixed her emerald gaze on the embodiment of death, the Grand King, who stood before her. Recognizing the fierce will burning in her eyes, the Grand King snapped her fan shut. \"I see. I suppose this is no farce or idle whim.\" Murmuring softly, the Grand King concluded that the absurdly dressed person before her was, without a doubt, her enemy. She'd acknowledged that the girl in her wedding dress was fit to stand upon the battlefield, even more so than a knight clad in armor would have been. Without pause, she called out to the bride\u00e2\u20ac\u201dHina\u00e2\u20ac\u201din a quizzical voice. \"Ah, I remember you. You're the young automaton lass, the one who was so fond of that feeble little lover boy, right? What might you be playing at? While you don't seem to have mistaken this for a wedding hall, you seem to be short a bridegroom. Have you come to die alone?\" \"Precisely. I have come here to die.\" Without a shred of hesitation, Hina flatly returned the Grand King's words. The Grand King frowned. She twisted her lips and then asked Hina a question from beneath her crow-feather fan's shade. \"You've come to die? On Elisabeth's orders? How tragic it is, you pup, to be used as a sacrificial pawn. And what of your attire? A manifestation of your lingering regrets?\" \"Don't make baseless assumptions. Master Kaito was kind enough to fulfill my final wish and prepare this dress for me. It is the manifestation of my will and of my feelings for him. Master Kaito was the one who ordered me to stand here, for he is my beloved and my one and only master.\" \"For that lover boy?!\" The Grand King's eyes went wide. After a moment, a derisive smile spread across her face. She shook her head and spoke in a voice as though she were consoling a cat. \"How pitiable indeed. I weep for you, girl. Make no mistake, you're being used as a sacrificial pawn. If he told you to stay here, to protect Elisabeth, then he may well have told you to die for the sake of another woman. As a woman myself, I can't help but sympathize with you.\" The Grand King commiserated with Hina, her voice full of earnest compassion. However, the corners of her mouth were curved into a wicked, muddy smile. She whispered to Hina with a truly unpleasant expression on her face. \"Say, lass. Elisabeth may have refused to surrender, but would you have any interest in becoming my subordinate? While you aren't as valuable as Elisabeth, the fact remains that you're a rare specimen, a doll of Vlad's creation. I would polish your gears for you every day, so you'd never have to fear rusting. There's no need for you to be used up and ruined by a"}, {"text": "man such as that.\" \"Don't you dare mock my groom.\" Her rejection rang out needle sharp. One of the Grand King's eyebrows twitched. Hina swung down her executioner's ax in front of her. It split through the air and kicked up a gale. Leveling her ax's blade toward the Grand King, Hina spoke quietly. \"That kind man told me to die. Do you fail to understand the meaning of that?\" \"I'm afraid I do. You were cast aside and told to die. What do you wish to say?\" \"After anguishing over it, that man decided to rely on me and entrust me with a grave order. And I understood. It had come from a place of love and trust. Loving me from the bottom of his heart, he finally asked me to fight alongside him. At long last, he included me in his thoughts and his strategies. For that kind, cowardly man to trust me so fully, to think of me so intimately...do you have any idea how great a joy that is?\" She gripped the handle of her ax tightly. Tears devoid of sadness gradually welled up in her emerald eyes. The Grand King grimaced in disgust and shook her head even harder. When she spoke, her tone was exasperated. \"And that's enough for you to willingly die. Faced with a thousand troops, you plan to throw your life away.\" \"Indeed, and with utmost gratification.\" \"That's...a surprise. You...you aren't sane!\" As she peered into Hina's burning eyes, the Grand King forgot herself and shouted. Her seductive red lips parted, and her expression was overtaken with shock. She cast her gaze skyward and then continued speaking in bewilderment. \"You've gone mad.\" \"Very. Didn't you know, Grand King, love is madness! The day I met Master Kaito, my love for him began driving me mad!\" Hina loudly made her declaration. She swung her ax again, this time to the side. The air split, and a powerful gust rocked the soldiers. The wedding dress's hem twirled brilliantly. Her snow-white dress and veil shook as she cried out. \"Now then, demons, come face me! My name is Hina! I am my beloved Master Kaito's eternal lover, his faithful companion, his soldier, his weapon, his love outlet, his sex doll\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand his bride!\" Upon hearing the loud introduction, the Grand King closed her fan and then wordlessly swung it down in front of her. \"Very well\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif that is what you say, then I shall have that body of yours trampled.\" In the next moment, a wave of underlings and familiars rushed the bride. Their countless footfalls rattled the earth, and Hina readied her executioner's ax and assumed a low stance. As her foes reached her position, she kicked off hard against the ground and plunged into their ranks. She swung her blade sideways, mowing them down by their stomachs. Familiars trampled on the innards, drew swords from the sheaths on their backs, and advanced. The battle had begun. However, the Grand King quickly lost interest. Amid the clamor, she leaned far back in her throne. \"Hmm... I wonder what that all was about.\" The Grand King stifled a yawn as she muttered listlessly. After all, the bride's show of courage couldn't possibly last. Not even automatons could run forever. Given the number of soldiers she faced, the battle was bound to end momentarily. The Grand King shrugged as she made an underling pour her a drink. She downed the golden goblet full of wine, elegantly passing the time. A handful of heads flew in front of her, accompanied by fountains of blood. However, she hardly minded losing a few dozen men. She cast a drowsy gaze over the battle unfolding before her. \"She's giving it her all, isn't she...?\" Blood sprayed, heads went flying, and severed torsos toppled to the ground. The bride's dress fluttered. All at once, the underlings and familiars came down upon her like a wave. She broke their formation and forced them back. No matter how much time passed, the sound of her blade cutting flesh never ceased. Sensing that something was wrong, the Grand King's face stiffened. Something seems off, no? Something impossible was happening. Before she'd noticed, a mountain of corpses had piled up in front of the Grand King. A great many bodies had fallen to the ground, and more viscera were heaped up on top of them. Another scream rang out. Another underling's head went flying. The ax loudly whooshed through the air, shaking off blood as it went. The Grand King's eyes went wide. The golden goblet dropped from her hand. Seeing the person standing atop the mountain of corpses, her voice leaked out. \"This must be a joke...that whelp\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" There stood a fierce Valkyrie, a being who defied all logic. Her wedding dress stained a deep red, the bride was holding her executioner's ax at the ready. Her veil was soaked crimson, as though she'd just been caught in a rain of blood. The bloody bride stuck an approaching underling hard in the chest with the handle of her ax, then turned to the side, dodged a familiar's attack with the grace of a dancer, launched herself from the ground again, and rolled into a backward somersault. Her veil traced a gentle arc though the air. As she landed, she brought her ax blade up and sliced one of her foes clean in two. Seeing her bloodcurdling movements, the Grand King reflexively clutched her crow-feather fan. That ax... Is that one of Elisabeth's torture devices? No, that's not it. What is it, then? The sharpness of the black executioner's ax that Hina wielded was beyond the pale. It was like one of Elisabeth's summoned torture devices. But Elisabeth should have been in a coma. She shouldn't have had nearly the leeway required to make a weapon and give it to the automaton. The Grand King was baffled. What she was even more amazed by were Hina's movements. The way she was moving in order to kill her opponents had long since passed the realm of praiseworthiness and transcended to the point of being repulsive. There wasn't so much as the tiniest gap in Hina's defenses. She maintained oversight in every direction, straining her entire body with such force that the blood vessels in a human's brain would've probably burst by now. The speed at which she responded to the varied attacks would normally have been unthinkable. With efficient movements, she severed the heads of her enemies, tore open their chests, and at times used their corpses as shields as she murdered everything in her path. The only thing that could be felt from her motions was an absolute resolve to kill her foes. It was then that the Grand King recalled a certain fact. \"Say, Vlad. Your dolls are well crafted, but aren't they a bit dull?\" The words she herself had once said to Vlad flashed back through her ears. His automatons had been generally high functioning, but the range of their emotions was limited. They had been lacking in passion, and their movements generally fell into patterns. As a result, they couldn't be used as anything more than sacrificial pawns. At times, determination, impulses, and strong emotions\u00e2\u20ac\u201dboth negative and positive\u00e2\u20ac\u201dcould grant people unusual amounts of power. The Grand King recalled a man who, despite being an ordinary human, had been able to fell five underlings when he was defending his son. If she were to assume that the automaton, whose abilities were far beyond those of humans, possessed emotions of equal\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor perhaps even greater\u00e2\u20ac\u201dintensity... Could love...bring about such a\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? What had been born could not be considered anything as pedestrian as a bride. She was nothing short of a monster. \"I can do this a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039l\u00e2\u20ac\u2039l day!\" As she howled, Hina used one leg as a fulcrum to spin around and mow down several more underlings at once. The guts that came flying out of their stomachs sprayed her in the face. As she violently spit out the flesh that had landed in her mouth, she held her executioner's ax firm and punctured the lung of the underling who had just rushed at her. Maintaining her stance, she dashed forward. She skewered her foes, shattered their bones, and then kicked them to the side as she screamed. \"Send as many as you wish! My love is unbreakable!\" The Grand King shuddered at the impetuous timbre of her voice. Despite her overwhelmingly desperate situation, the bride truly intended to win. For the sake of her beloved, for her bridegroom alone, she intended to slay each and every one of her thousand foes. How can this be? How can it be that I feel afraid? Realizing that fact filled the Grand King with humiliation. In that moment, she felt as though she could hear the sound of Vlad's laughter ringing in her ears. He had been the type of man to enjoy bizarre developments such as this. However, the Grand King was decidedly not. She was a woman who only held affection for herself. She had no love for unexpected turns of events. Curse you, Vlad! This is all your fault for devising such a bothersome creation! The Grand King stood. There were still some underlings and familiars remaining, but she couldn't leave this to them. She resignedly closed her crow-feather fan and then swung it down as though carrying out an execution. From atop her palanquin, she gave orders to the two that she'd been holding in reserve. \"Marquis, Grand Marquis\u00e2\u20ac\u201dgo forth.\" The black cylinder of a man slowly nodded. As he did, the rolling birdcage's door opened, and the Marquis came tumbling out. He let out shrill yells. \"Damn you, you bitch, you whore-ore-ore, oh yes, Your Majesty the Grand King, at oooooooooonce!\" The Grand King ground her teeth. While the Marquis was under her strong control, he was more or less unable to use his mind-controlling abilities. But if she loosened her leash on him, even just a little, the odds were high that he'd immediately turn on her. At any rate, I doubt mind control would have much effect on an automaton. Having reached that conclusion, the Grand King left her brainwashing intact as she sent the two after the bride. The Grand Marquis ascended buoyantly into the air, rising above the ranks of the underlings and familiars. He opened his crow's beak wide and then spewed black flames from it, catching his subordinates in the blaze as well. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dHiyah!\" In a flash, Hina raised her executioner's ax as high in the air as it would go and then brought it down upon the earth. The ground swelled wherever the shock wave passed, flinging the corpses of her foes high into the air. The corpses formed a barrier and took the billowing flames head-on. For a second, the charred mass of black ash blotted out the Grand Marquis's vision. Slicing it in twain vertically, the bride rushed forward. Beneath her bloodstained veil, her eyes glittered with an animalistic light. With a fierce battle cry, she leveled a diagonal slash at the Grand Marquis. \"Now I have you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d!\" \"True, if your foe was the Grand Marquis alone, you might have been able to land a blow.\" The Grand King spoke sweetly. As she did, a black shadow appeared beneath Hina. The Marquis, who had been crawling along the ground in agony, slammed his limbs into the earth. He leaped into the air like a cricket, with power and height no human would have been able to muster. Hina was raising her ax high, and he launched into her defenseless stomach like a bullet. She took the hit directly, and her body bent at a sharp angle. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dGah\u00e2\u20ac\u201d!\" Hina went flying into the distance and then crashed into the ground. As she rolled, she struggled to get to her feet. However, the Marquis had landed and was running alongside her. He reached out to stop her, and once he'd grabbed hold of her, he"}, {"text": "snapped her arms. Cogwheels and oil tumbled out from her beautiful white skin. \"Ah, gah, arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!\" She had been crafted too delicately, and the fact that she possessed a sense of pain was backfiring. Her body jerked up repeatedly, and her emerald eyes rolled back in her head. The Grand Marquis floated down beside her. Right before he could breathe fire at her, the Grand King called out from behind him. \"Halt. I've taken an interest in that child. I've never seen one of Vlad's automatons put on such a display. I want it...but at the same time, one can never be too careful. Burn away only her limbs.\" The Grand Marquis nodded and then released a controlled blaze. He carefully burned Hina's beautiful limbs to ash. Where her fist had been, only the executioner's ax remained. Clenching her teeth and trying desperately to stifle her screams, Hina glared viciously at the Grand Marquis. The animosity burning in her emerald eyes was untarnished. However, she quite literally didn't have a leg to stand on. The Grand King gazed at her, and eventually the forbearance returned to the Grand King's smile. \"I see you've finally settled down. You're quite the obstinate one, but certainly none could accuse you of being boring, young automaton lass.\" *** \"Now then, once I've killed Elisabeth, what to do with you? First of all, I'll have to take a good, long look through those gears of yours. Then once I've finished my examination, perhaps I'll leave you without arms or legs and just hang you up on the wall like that. Your mouth and your nethers should still function, so I'm sure that those who come to my tent will be pleased with you.\" A graceful smile found its way to the Grand King's face, and she covered her mouth with her fan as she made her vulgar remarks. As she did, Hina snorted and laughed at her. \"Ha, you sleaze. You're no different than the people who came to visit Vlad. Now, once more, I shall declare to you. Becoming that man's bride...made me joyous from the bottom of my heart.\" \"Good heavens, still trying to have the last word even in that state of yours. How adorable.\" The Grand King spoke magnanimously. As she did, Hina spat something out. It was a small animal fang, and it snapped tightly into an open hole in the halberd's handle. The next moment, Hina leaped with her torso alone. Her wedding veil, which had survived the fire, fluttered, and cogwheels came tumbling out of her. As she did, the ax's handle twirled from the point where the fang had stabbed. The curved ax blade snapped out of place and flew into the air. Hina caught it by the back with her teeth and then swung it with nothing but the strength of her jaws. \"Hwah?\" With it, she cut the Marquis's neck clean through. His head spun through the air and then landed on the ground with a thump. His eyes glanced left and right, as though trying to make sense of a bad joke. He didn't seem to quite grasp the situation yet. After a short time, though, the Marquis's mouth went slack, and he stopped moving altogether. His head and body crumpled, transforming into black feathers. \"...Oh...my?\" Unable to follow, the Grand King let out an uncharacteristically foolish voice. However, at the same time, her rational side was precisely analyzing the situation. Due to the brainwashing, no doubt. The strong bindings she'd placed on the two of them had backfired. Because they'd been ordered to \"burn away only her limbs,\" the Marquis hadn't been able to respond to Hina's attack quickly enough. Even so... \"An automaton...killed...a demon?\" The Grand King murmured, aghast. Reality had diverged too radically from her expectations. The Marquis had been weakened, it was true. Still, this was an unacceptable upset, on the level of a rabbit killing a lion or a servant defeating a king. It was something that someone like her, who stood high above others, absolutely couldn't allow. The Grand King put strength into the hand she was grasping her crow-feather fan in. Her favorite fan creaked and then loudly snapped. Having finally abandoned her elegance, the veins in her forehead throbbed as she screamed, \"Kill her! Kill her, kill her, kill her! That girl can't be allowed to live any longer! Burn her to nothing! Don't even leave ash behind!\" Hearing her howls dripping with naked bloodlust, the Grand Marquis nodded deeply. He opened the mouth of his crow mask. Seeing the hellfire swirl within his maw, Hina hung her head and murmured quietly. \"Master Kaito... Even if death separates us, I shall always be yours. I believe that I, too, have a soul...and it shall be waiting for you.\" A burst of flame shot forth, the largest one yet. The violent mass of black death bore down on Hina. As it did, a smile full of love and affection spread across her face. \"I beg of you, don't follow after me too quickly.\" In that moment, the bride was whispering as though in prayer, about to be burned to death. Far away, up in the castle, the groom watched over it all. A thousand chains were stuck into his body. He was suspended in the air like prey stuck in a spider's web. A certain magical formula was written on the ground beneath his feet. If anyone with knowledge of magic had seen the inscription, they'd have no doubt instinctively opened their eyes wide in shock. The ax that Hina had been using was linked to the arcane scrawl. Kaito had based it off Elisabeth's torture devices and had created it with the assistance of the Kaiser. The formula would transfer all the pain that the blade received to the chains and then straight into Kaito's body. Demons took little pleasure in the pain of underlings and familiars. To be able to give it to the Kaiser in the form of \"human pain,\" Kaito had to reexperience all the gathered suffering himself. The young man, who'd just experienced the death throes of hundreds, who'd just had his nerves burned to a crisp, and who'd just died countless times and been revived just as many, whispered. \"Can I go now? At this rate, my bride's gonna die.\" \"Oh yes\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthis should be sufficient, you madman.\" The next moment, the black flames trying to engulf Hina were devoured by shadows. All in attendance opened their eyes wide. At the same time, black feathers and azure flower petals began gently wafting down from the sky. They danced upon the battlefield, as if celebrating something. The beautiful color and sinister shade coalesced upon the blood-soaked ground. \"What...is\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" The Grand King's eyes were like dinner plates as they beheld the last person she ever would have expected. A madman drenched in blood had appeared. The jet-black cloth made by magic that adorned his body fluttered in the wind. The slender outfit called to mind a military uniform, and it was adorned with bloodred cloth and flared out partially into a long coat. Its hem whipped around. The figure bore a resemblance to Vlad but gave less of an impression of a nobleman and more that of a military officer. Stepping on the black feathers and azure petals, he spoke. \"Sorry for the wait, Hina.\" Kaito murmured in a gentle voice, one unbefitting the situation. Then the groom took his place next to his bride. 7 A Mage Is Born \"Damn right. I had this idea, see\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Will you hear me out? I can just give the Kaiser my pain. If I do that, I should be able to grant him a human's pain without having to hurt others.\" That was the answer Kaito had given when Vlad asked him how he planned to fight the Grand King without taking anything from others. Dark magic was accompanied by pain, and the power of demons demanded it. And Kaito's body was accustomed to pain. Those were the three points that Kaito had drawn his conclusion from. It was a method that wasn't available to Elisabeth Le Fanu, the Torture Princess. She wasn't contracted to a demon. Demon flesh had spread it roots throughout her bone and sinew, and she generated mana within her own body. In Elisabeth's case, self-harm would do nothing but cause her pain; she wouldn't be able to accept anything from others and still offer it up as human suffering. However, even though Kaito was contracted with the Kaiser, the two had yet to completely fuse, so the method was available to him. Still, as Vlad had said, it was a plan utterly devoid of sanity. Taking on the pain of hundreds of people wasn't a sensible course of action. The shock would cause cardiac arrest in most people, which would lead to a drop in blood pressure, rapid loss of consciousness, and likely death. However, Kaito was immortal. His soul was housed in a doll of Elisabeth's design. As long as all his blood didn't flow out of his body, he could come back to life as many times as he needed. As a result, he'd been able to continuously supply the Kaiser with pain. At that point, it became a matter of whether or not his soul could endure the agony. And Kaito Sena was well accustomed to pain. He'd placed his hand on the door that Elisabeth would never have told him to unseal and then boldly cast it open. The Kaiser had called Kaito \"Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain...\" ...and praised him as a madman. Kaito stood on the battlefield, his beastly arm raised straight ahead. The unflattering butler uniform he'd been wearing up until then had been completely replaced with a military outfit that looked right at home on the field of battle. Shadows swirled around his beastly arm, the proof of his contract with the Kaiser. It caught the flames as though caressing them and then swallowed them whole. Still limbless, faint tears welled up in Hina's eyes as she looked up at him. \"...Master Kaito.\" \"I'm sorry you ended up like this... It's all my fault.\" Kaito knelt to the ground. He then held the newly lightened Hina in his arms, cradling her as he would something precious. He gently pressed his face against her lovely silver hair. She closed her eyes and then nuzzled her cheek against him. After taking in his smell, fat tears began streaming down her cheeks. \"Oh, Master Kaito...I can smell your scent, I can feel your warmth. I beg of you, don't apologize. Being able to see you again brings me nothing but absolute joy.\" \"I'm really, really sorry. Up through the very last minute, I didn't know if I'd make it in time...so no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't make any promises.\" Kaito spoke softly. Would his method even work? Would the accumulated pain be enough to let the Kaiser wield the necessary amount of power? Until he tried it out for real, it had been impossible for him to predict. The amount of pain he could collect from single-mindedly torturing himself\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhich he'd actually done while he was waiting for the Grand King to show up\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas a far cry from what could be obtained by harvesting the suffering of many foes at once. Hina wielding the ax capable of sending pain to Kaito and fighting the thousand enemies had been indispensable to his plan. But he'd had to gamble on whether or not he'd be able to successfully save her. Consequently, when he'd asked her to help him, \"Could you die for me?\" had been the only thing he'd been able to say. He hadn't been able to give her any clumsy excuses or optimistic promises about their prospects. Even so, she'd nodded in agreement. As a result, he'd stacked Hina's chips atop his own, slid them across the table, and ultimately came out victorious"}, {"text": "in his mad gamble. Kaito raised his left hand, bristling with demonic energy, and fixed his gaze on the Grand Marquis. Hina, being cradled in his other, squeezed out her voice through her gasps. \"Master Kaito...did you merge with a demon? With the Kaiser?\" \"Nope. But because I didn't have enough mana to even make a contract, I had to give up the flesh and blood in my left arm, leaving the demon's flesh in its place. Because the blood running through me is still Elisabeth's, I can pull out more of the mana within it than before. And one other thing.\" At that point, Kaito stopped talking. The Grand Marquis had made his move. In order to carry out the Grand King's order, he attempted to remove the interloper\u00e2\u20ac\u201dKaito. The man, still clad in black, cylindrical clothes, bobbed through the air with the beak of the crow mask covering his wide-open face. He tried to spew yet more flames. Kaito calmly watched the Grand Marquis. The amount of mana at the Grand Marquis's disposal was far beyond what Kaito commanded. I may have collected all that pain, but I still don't have enough power. There was no way he could reach the lofty heights Elisabeth stood upon, and he was a long way off from matching the Grand Marquis as well. However, there were two facts that stood in his favor. The first was that the Grand Marquis was still in his human form. The Grand King might not have wanted something so hideous serving her, but in any case, the Grand Marquis still hasn't revealed his fully fused form. He isn't operating at max power. If he wanted to win, now was his chance. Kaito snapped his fingers. Darkness and azure flames swirled, gathering the corpses of underlings scattered around him and piling them up as though with a magnet. Their limbs cracked and bent as they formed a giant tower. It was a technique he was modeling after one that the necromancer Marianne had once used. Then he gave his order. \"La (become).\" As he did, the Grand Marquis released his flame. The stacked corpses' flesh burned up in a flash. However, their bones and bodily fluids had been strengthened by magic, hardening like tempered glass and repelling the flames. Additional flames swirled within the Grand Marquis's mouth as he tried to follow up on his attack. However, right before he could, the flames blinked out. \"...Did it work?\" Snapping his fingers, Kaito let his defensive barrier of bones collapse. After confirming what had happened, his lips curled into a wicked grin. The Grand Marquis's neck was snapped horizontally. Blood spurted out of his torn carotid artery with every heartbeat. A massive hound was resting its leg lightly atop the nape of his neck, as though holding down a plaything. The black dog, whose eyes burned with hellfire and who had attacked the Grand Marquis from behind, grinned as it bit his body from the head down. The Kaiser then tossed the Grand Marquis casually into the air and caught him in its mouth. As though it were eating a snack, the Kaiser crunched down on the Grand Marquis's body. Kaito finally listed the \"one other thing\" he'd mentioned earlier. \"Like Vlad, I can call upon the Kaiser for help.\" \"The Kai...ser? Why is the Kaiser here...? Damn you, Vlad! Vlad, are you listening? No...you should be dead. But this situation! Surely you must have made a copy of your soul or something, no? Oh, this is just dreadful... What in the blazes have you done?!\" The Grand King was screaming. The fact that she'd immediately suspected Vlad, despite the fact that he was dead, went to show just how well she knew her old friend. In response to her cries, Kaito drew the clear stone from his pocket. ...Is he planning on coming out? As he wondered, Kaito ran magical energy through the stone. The next moment, black feathers and azure rose petals swirled, and an aristocratic phantom appeared nonchalantly. As he stood grandly atop the battlefield, he gave a light shrug. \"Well, well, it's been a while, Grand King. I've been hearing quite a bit about you. You've been running a bit wild, haven't you? Good to see you're doing well.\" \"Is...is that all you have to say?\" \"Hmm? That was a fairly conventional greeting, no?\" \"What do you think you're doing, Vlad?! Allowing Elisabeth's servant to form a contract with the Kaiser?! Because of you, demons are fighting other demons! You've gone mad!\" \"Well now, this is a surprise. I'd rather not think that anyone who made a contract with a demon was could possibly be considered sane.\" Vlad stroked his chin in contemplation. The Grand King clutched her broken fan even tighter as her lips quivered in hatred. Seeing her bald-faced indignation, Vlad nodded once and loudly clapped his hands together. \"While it seems that you're rather displeased, I ask that you do overlook this! After all, I currently find myself sealed within a stone, nothing more than a pitiable replica of a soul\u00e2\u20ac\u201dindeed, an inferior version of what 'I' once was. Given my current situation, I'm more loathe than ever to give up sources of entertainment.\" \"Even so, you\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou wretch\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou mean to say you're betraying me?\" \"Betrayal is such a rude way to put it, I should think. When I was alive, I put a great deal of thought into the future\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand of course, into you as part of that\u00e2\u20ac\u201das I commanded the demons. However, you refused to rescue me, instead choosing to live freely and value yourself above all else. I believe most would describe that as breaking off our friendship. And more power to you! People should live their own lives. I died, you lived, and you chose to use our brethren to your own ends. And it was your right to do as such. But for you to do so and then accuse me of betrayal for simply living as I see fit is rather vexing.\" \"You abomination, that's your logic?!\" \"I mean, just look at the boy!\" After having carefully laying out his shameless reasoning, Vlad suddenly pointed at Kaito. He then began boasting, like a breeder who'd just found a good puppy. His expression seemed practically innocent. \"If Kaito Sena descends into evil, that would be splendid\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe will no doubt become my successor. However, if he sees his obstinance through, then my investment will have been for naught. It's an all-or-nothing gamble. I was never much of a gambler in life, but this is rather entertainingly mindless fun. If there ends up being a victim or two or several along the way, then so be it. Indulging and stealing are at the core of demon philosophy, are they not?\" \"You plan to steal from me, too, then?\" \"You pierced your own comrades with your needles when you could have simply taken over in my stead and unified them. Don't you think it's odd, then, that you so fervently wish not to be betrayed? And it's not as if I intended to betray you\u00e2\u20ac\u201das a side note, shall I tell you my true feelings on the matter?\" Vlad looked at the Grand King with eyes full of affection. When he spoke, the camaraderie in his voice was probably the exact same as it had been back in the days that they had livened up balls together. \"I would love if you let go of your grief and died to your heart's content for me.\" \"Oh, I'm well aware... Oh yes, I knew, Vlad; I always knew! I knew that was the kind of man you were! That's right... Ever since then, there hasn't been a single person deserving of my trust...! Oh, my poor, ugly gardener...\" The words tumbled out of the Grand King's mouth. Deep hatred and a complicated sadness crossed her face. \"...Why did you have to die on me?\" Her lip trembled a little bit. With the Grand Marquis and Marquis having met their untimely ends, the Grand King was out of pieces to play. She had no demons left that she could force to spit out their hearts. From her perspective, although the foe before her was far lower-class then she was, he was endowed with the Kaiser, whose abilities would normally be far greater than hers. However, her expression suddenly did a complete about-face. She laughed proudly and then grabbed the collar of her dress with both hands. \"Fine, then\u00e2\u20ac\u201dgood, evil, it's all the same.\" Then the Grand King pulled her scarlet dress down. Her bountiful breasts popped out. As her surviving underlings began raising their voices in excitement, she revealed her ample bust. However, her flesh started making a ghastly creaking noise, caving in, and dissolving. Her naked body, which looked like that of a goddess or a personification of beauty, was breaking down. Her skin rotted, her flesh peeled off in chunks, and her ribs became exposed. Her atrocious transformation spread. From within the frame of her crinoline dress, her legs rapidly became slender and skeletal as well. As she shed her unseemly flesh, what remained of the Grand King's lips curled into a sweet smile. \"No matter how I amuse myself, live out my days, and die\u00e2\u20ac\u201d that's all there is to the world. That's all there is to me. As such, I shall smile till the end. Oh, and lover boy? Make no mistake...\" For the first time, the Grand King turned her gaze to Kaito. Her scarlet eyes pierced through him. Her cheeks continued to erode, and her soft lips had split vertically and were dripping away. But even though only her skull remained, her voice called out from somewhere and made her declaration. \"...You may have become a decent man, but the fact remains that I hold the advantage.\" She laughed. By this point, her top half was completely skeletal. Suddenly, her scarlet dress began expanding. Her skeleton and the cloth grew in sync. Her rings popped off, and she loudly crushed her palanquin. A few of her underlings got caught beneath it and were crushed to death. Their screams were ecstatic. The surviving underlings fell to their knees and prostrated themselves. What remained was a massive skeleton wearing a fluttering crimson skirt, its birdcage-like frame peeking out. Her form was grotesque, yet somehow, she retained her elegance. While releasing an aura that would drive fear into any who saw her, her teeth rattled and clattered. \"Now, lover boy, rejoice. I, Fiore, the Grand King, have forsaken my unparalleled, world-famous beauty in order to face you.\" The skeleton gave a refined bow as she made her declaration. Still holding Hina, Kaito's whole body went tense. Vlad, who was standing beside him, shrugged and spoke in an exasperated tone. \"Forsaken her beauty, eh...? Now see, this is what makes women so troublesome.\" \"Y'know, Vlad... I'm pretty sure this happened because you pissed her off.\" \"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, perish the thought. This was bound to happen sooner or later. So what do you intend to do? The Grand King's power is mind control. In a one-on-one battle, her power is far below that of the Kaiser. However, that was only the case when I was his master. With you at the helm, the Kaiser is fairly clearly inferior\u00e2\u20ac\u201doh, careful there.\" \"Cease your falsehoods\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou say I would lose to that fool?\" The black dog's jaws gouged Vlad's back once more. Ignoring their little comedy routine, Kaito gently set Hina on the ground. Before she could say anything, he snapped his fingers. The strengthened bones from earlier danced and then formed a protective hemisphere around her. Hina frantically called out: \"Master Kaito, I can still\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Her voice faded to a mumble as she was enclosed in bone. After casting a lingering, affectionate gaze toward the bone wall, Kaito wrenched his eyes free. Shaking his head, Vlad continued speaking. \"Well then, shall we put an end to the tomfoolery and get serious for a"}, {"text": "moment? The only one who could hope to defeat the Grand King in that state would be Elisabeth, if she were freed from Sacrifice...so it seems there's little left for me to accomplish here. Best of luck. Go give it your all.\" \"Wait, you're just gonna rile her up and then bail?\" Declining to respond to Kaito's exasperated question, Vlad transformed into black feathers and azure flower petals and vanished. The Grand King puffed up her chest and cast her arms wide. Kaito snapped his fingers. Abruptly, the executioner's blade that decapitated the Marquis flew through the air. It split into four and then spread out around Kaito. Kaito carefully stopped them and gave his orders to the Kaiser. \"Sorry, but I'm going to have to devote all my attention to protecting myself. You should just focus on snapping her spine. If we can't break her stance, we're doomed.\" \"Now then\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI look forward to seeing if you can defend against her attacks or not, boy. Mind the needles. If she pierces your neck, I shall eat you myself.\" With a \"geh-heh-heh,\" the Kaiser left behind a human laugh as he raced across the ground. The Kaiser then circled around to the Grand King's back and leaped. However, the cloth of her crinoline dress suddenly moved and took on the form of a human woman. Then, like a shadowgraph or a puppet show, it attacked the Kaiser. He took a sharp turn to avoid the fabric twining around him and then calmly dug his claws into the scarlet curtain. But even after being shredded, it just took on a new, slender human form. \"Time for chaos! Time to play!\" As it did, the Grand King's main body swung its arms. Her sharp fingers bore down on Kaito. Kaito snapped his fingers a second time and then a third. As if driven by unseen threads, the executioner's ax's blades slid forward and loudly repelled the Grand King's five slashing fingers. It sounded like a sword fight, and the noise echoed across the battlefield. As though he were playing the keyboard, Kaito focused intently on turning back the fingers' terrifyingly fast yet elegant attacks. He repelled a finger flying toward his right arm, blocked an attack from overhead, and diverted a finger that had circled around behind him. At the same time, he had to swipe away thin needles that were aiming for the nape of his neck with his beastly left arm. However, at the end of the day, Kaito was no more than human. If you were to ask him, he would say that he was carrying out his defense with obstinance alone. His level of battle experience was overwhelmingly lacking. Seeing that Kaito was already at his limit, the Grand King opened her mouth wide. Her teeth flew out and then exploded at Kaito's feet. His right leg got blown off. However, darkness and azure petals swirled and reattached it before he could lose too much blood. As they did, the Kaiser grabbed him by the collar in his jaws and jumped. *** \"I shan't permit you to die in as ungainly a manner as that! You fool! Dying to one as inferior as the Grand King is a disgrace!\" The Kaiser's rebuke drilled into his skull. A bombardment followed after them, and Kaito blocked it with his blades. However, all he was doing was defending. Like it or not, he realized that he had yet to land a single blow. To make matters worse, while the Grand King had abandoned her human form, she still wasn't fighting seriously. She rattled her jaw to provoke Kaito. \"How adorable, lover boy\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhere is that charming demeanor of yours? When are you going to show me whatever it was that drove that girl so mad for you? I don't like to be kept waiting, you know.\" \"At this rate, I'm done for\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI guess people have limits, after all.\" \"Oh my, you're giving up already? In that case, do you plan to let me make you cry?\" The Grand King asked her question in a voice oozing with honey. It was unclear if she was using magic for the sole purpose of giving herself a voice, but now that she'd taken on her demonic form and lost her vocal cords, her whispers shook the air. Kaito briefly shook his head at her blatant provocation. \"Nah, I've got no reason to cry. I've already got a woman I admire, and I've already got a woman I love.\" \"My, I'm jealous. What's your plan, then, lover boy?\" The Grand King asked her question while reaching out her arms and cleaving the earth in an attempt to crush Kaito and the Kaiser together, raising great clouds of dust as she did. The Kaiser leaped, barely avoiding her hand, and put some distance between them and the Grand King. \"Well then, boy, do as you please.\" The Kaiser opened his mouth and hurled Kaito away. Kaito almost crashed into the ground but was able to catch himself in a cloud of azure petals at the last minute. He stood upon solid earth once more. Right before the Grand King could crush him flat, he spread his arms wide like a stage magician. \"I plan to do this.\" Then the executioner's ax's blade he was controlling sliced through his chest. Blood spilled forth. A massive amount of blood. Kaito dropped to his knee as he endured the incredible pain that shot through him. The sensation was almost nostalgic. Blood and viscera sloshed out of the wound in his chest he had made himself. His blood was tinged with heat, and it transformed into flower petals\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthis time, crimson\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand danced into the air. As she followed the trail of crimson up into the air with her hollow eye sockets, the Grand King let out a puzzled voice. \"You, what are you...? A suicide attack? No, that's not it. What is this?\" The petals ignored her, flying off in an unexpected direction. As they flitted through the air, they left the Grand King behind and eventually blew their way as one toward the fortified castle. As though announcing the arrival of spring, the stream of petals entered a bedroom through its cutout window. The way the crimson petals surged together resembled cherry blossoms raining down from their trees. At their destination\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe top of a bed\u00e2\u20ac\u201dslept a girl boasting peerless beauty. The Torture Princess was in a deep, deep slumber. A single petal caressed her neck with a sharp motion and left a sizable cut on her pale throat. Then the petals flooded the wound. They rushed into her body, one by one. It was the exact same as the way Elisabeth had once forcibly given Kaito a blood transfusion upon Clueless's torture rack at the Church. Kaito's blood was flowing into her body. Far away, down on the battlefield, Kaito donned a thin smile, his stomach still torn open. \"...Finally, huh?\" This was his true objective, the real reason he'd formed his contract with the Kaiser. Kaito had realized a few key facts. First of all, Sacrifice was a spell that dammed up the flow of mana in one's body, rendering it unable to be freely used. But the mana itself was still there. Second, the only way to dispel Sacrifice was to drive blood with mana more powerful than Elisabeth's into her body. Third, the blood running through Kaito's body was Elisabeth's, and thanks to his contract with the Kaiser, its power had been increased. Eventually, almost all the crimson petals swarming around her pale neck had vanished. The few remaining petals rested upon her face. Suddenly, the runes covering her skin began to crawl. After writhing like a snake in agony, they began gently fading away. Before long, they were completely gone. Elisabeth's body was freed. However, she was still asleep. Then suddenly, her lips parted slightly. With a small puff, Elisabeth sent the flower petals that had been resting atop her face fluttering into the air. She slowly reached out a finger and traced the cut on her neck, closing it. Then she scooped up a single petal and pressed it lightly against her lips. Kaito's blood gradually made her lips flush. Finally, as though she'd awoken from a century-long slumber, Elisabeth Le Fanu opened her eyes. She was silent for a moment. Eventually, she made a deliberate noise and removed her finger from her lips. Then she spoke in a calm, gentle whisper. \"What a foolish man. After this, it's the Ducking Stool for him.\" The next moment, the Torture Princess vanished from atop the bed. All that remained were a few crimson flower petals. A storm had arrived. Anyone would have thought that. After all, if not a storm, what else could it have possibly been? Immense shadows and innumerable crimson flower petals whipped about, far more than what had appeared alongside Kaito. They magnificently, floridly painted over the space. The maelstrom made a loud, rumbling noise as they forcefully permeated the space. It looked as though a thousand roses had scattered, like ten thousand flowers had been torn to pieces. The Grand King spoke in confusion as the petals pranced around her. \"This isn't... It can't be... This shouldn't be possible!\" The storm began contracting and shrinking. The wind and darkness compressed with alarming force. Petals shot across the ground and carved a crimson glyph into it. Atop that, the petals began taking on the shape of a person. A moment later, they exploded outward. Chains gushed out from within the mass. Streaks of silver cleaved through the air, tolling like bells ringing in the New Year. Along with the thousand rattling chains, a beautiful woman appeared. Her sleek black hair fluttered, and her bondage dress\u00e2\u20ac\u201cclad body curved seductively. The mantle-like fabric adorning her back waved in the wind, and her heels dug into the earth. She held the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal in her hand, and with it she sliced the air. As she did, the gusting wind vanished as though it had never been there. The woman opened her crimson eyes. Her beauty was unparalleled and world-famous. She looked at the Grand King. Then the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu, spoke at last. \"IIIIIIIIIII've made a full recoveryyyyyyyy!\" Out of all the things she could have chosen to say, that's what she went with? That candid remark was the first thing that crossed Kaito's mind. However, Elisabeth didn't notice his frigid gaze. Without a shred of elegance, she cracked her neck. \"Ah, what a bother. I overslept, and now I find myself thoroughly exhausted. And my body rather aches.\" Elisabeth exaggerated every motion as she rotated her shoulders. After cracking her neck one more time, she swung her sword. Stopping it cleanly in midair, she pointed it at the Grand King. Her gaze silently pierced the Grand King with beast-like intensity. \"It seems you've had quite the run of the place up till now, Grand King.\" \"Damn you, Elisabeth.\" \"Now that my servant, the most foolish man in the world, has returned my power to me, I'm sure you can guess at your fate, no? Your mind control technique is truly superb. I find it difficult to believe that your prowess in combat could possibly match it. That is exactly why you made use of Sacrifice, is it not?\" Elisabeth smiled maliciously. The Grand King offered no answer. She simply took a step backward. The ground rumbled as the massive skeleton withdrew slightly. She surveyed her surroundings in bewilderment. The Kaiser stood before her, his eyes burning with hellfire, as did Elisabeth, resplendent in all her pride. Eventually, a word dribbled out of the Grand King's mouth. \"...Elisabeth.\" \"I told you, didn't I, Grand King? Evil carries with it retribution. Your punishment has caught up with you at last.\" *** \"How pleasant it feels to hear you cry out my name, Grand King Fiore!\" Elisabeth brought down the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. Following her"}, {"text": "command, the thousand chains wound around the Grand King. Their pointed tips bound her arms, waist, and neck to the ground like wedges. She struggled violently, but the chains refused to break. Elisabeth raised her sword high. Then as she yelled, she brought it down, as though carrying out an execution. \"Ice Sculpture!\" An intense chill coiled around the Grand King. While Kaito tried to keep his gaping wound closed with what little mana he had remaining, his eyes went wide. Sparkling snow crystals danced around the Grand King. However, her bones felt nothing. She rattled her teeth, as if in disappointment. As she did, though, a massive statue of a goddess appeared beside her. The beautiful statue had snow-white skin and hair, and she smiled kindly at the skeletal woman. Then the statue tilted the water jug she was holding over her. Each time the water rained down onto the Grand King, it froze over. Her underlings, who were still prostrating themselves around her, were immediately encased in frost. The Grand King was going to be sealed alive inside an ice sculpture. She seemed to have realized the fate awaiting her. If she were trapped in the ice and the sculpture were smashed, it would be all over for her. She turned her hollow eye sockets toward Elisabeth. Elisabeth was still smiling. Distress ran across the Grand King's bony face. The composure she'd maintained up till now was gone, and her teeth rattled unbidden for the first time. \"No... I can't meet my end here, not in a place like this... Oh, Pierre...\" That had surely been her gardener's name. The Grand King's eye sockets were empty, yet Kaito could clearly see something resembling fear in her expression. The next moment, Elisabeth began rebuking the Grand King. \"How pitiable you are, Grand King, to retract your own words like that.\" *** \"Good, evil\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's all the same. No matter how we amuse ourselves, live out our days, and die\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat's all there is to the world. You were the one who said that, were you not?\" Elisabeth's criticism was cutting. Her scornful tone made it clear that she was asking why the Grand King was complaining. They both went quiet. Before long, though, the Grand King broke the silence, her shoulders trembling. \"...Ha-ha-ha... Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, ha-ha.\" Her scarlet dress shook as her chest heaved with laughter. The Grand King raised her voice in amusement. \"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, well said, Elisabeth Le Fanu! Indeed, everything is as you say!\" She laughed, her voice ringing gracefully. She scowled at her surroundings, as though to say she had nothing to fear or to be ashamed of. If she'd still been holding her crow-feather fan, she'd probably have made a show of unfurling it and covering her mouth. As the ice hardened around her, the woman who'd lived and breathed evil made her proud declaration. \"Quite so\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI, Fiore, the Grand King, intend to laugh all the way to the grave.\" And just as she'd said, the Grand King didn't scream or plead once. She was still alive when the ice fully encased her. Sealed in ice, her fate was the exact opposite of her friend who'd been burned at the stake. Still in her hideous form, she was transformed into a sculpture. Then the chains swung. Silver chains struck the Grand King's sculpture and smashed it to pieces. Chunks of bone sheathed in ice went flying and then transformed into black feathers as they whirled into the air. Then the feathers fluttered down upon the battlefield like snow, carpeting the corpses of the underlings and familiars. In the midst of all that was Elisabeth, who had closed her eyes, opened them, and thrust her fist into the air. \"How weak!\" The battle against their most terrible foe ended. As the reality of that fact sank in, Kaito snapped his fingers. The bones surrounding Hina dissolved and crumbled to the ground. Seemingly pleased with the Grand King's death, the Kaiser gave a deep laugh. Suddenly, though, he raised his snout and turned to face Kaito. As his eyes burned with a sinister glow, he spoke deep and bluntly. \"Bear this in mind, O Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain. I find your perversion pleasant. On the other hand, I do not take kindly to your refusal to destroy this world and mankind along with it. However, through no fault of my own, my power has been called into question, so I shall continue aiding you as you butcher the remaining demons to demonstrate my strength. I look forward to seeing how far your warped determination can carry you.\" Geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, fu-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. The Kaiser vanished, leaving behind his humanlike laughter. The afterglow from the hellfire in his eyes hung in the air and then disappeared as well. Kaito shook his head a little and then surveyed his surroundings. Suddenly, his eyes met Elisabeth's. \"Um\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Mm\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" She stared directly at him. He returned her gaze. Neither said a word. After a long, long silence, however, Kaito was eventually the first to lose his patience. \"I'm really sorry.\" \"I'll have your head.\" Their exchange was concise. Elisabeth seemed serious. Sensing how earnest she was, Kaito raised his arms. Elisabeth approached him with long strides. Then, with one hand, she hoisted him up by his collar. Her beautiful face twisted fiendishly as she laid her rage bare. \"What possessed you to make a contract with a demon? And the Kaiser, no less! Hmm?! What on earth was going through your mind? I'd been led to believe that there was some gray matter lurking in that skull of yours, but clearly, I was mistaken! Even idiocy should be practiced in restraint!\" \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d It's fine! I didn't hurt anyone, and now you're safe!\" \"That's precisely the problem, you imbecile!\" The emotion in her voice was stifled, and it hit Kaito unexpectedly hard. Elisabeth put more strength into her slender grip. Her crimson gaze landed on Kaito's left hand, the one that had transformed into that of a beast. As she glared at it, she quietly continued. \"'Tis not what I resurrected you for, nor why I made you immortal.\" \"Elisabeth...\" \"Fool.\" Kaito lowered his arms and then let the tension drain from his body. He obediently let Elisabeth hang him up in the air. Right as he was about to say something, he heard the sound of weeping. The two of them looked to the side in surprise. The next moment, Elisabeth tossed him away. He almost tumbled to the ground, but he managed to land safely. They both rushed forward, making their way over to Hina, who was still lying on the ground. \"Forgive me, Hina! Your wounds no doubt ail you! Oh, your beautiful limbs, what have they\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? Nay, 'tis no matter! I shall mend them for you, leaving nary a scar! Worry not!\" \"Hina, are you okay?! Does it hurt? It does, doesn't it? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.\" \"N...no, that's not it. That's, nod, id.\" As Kaito held her up in his arms, great, big tears came streaming out of Hina's eyes. Kaito and Elisabeth tilted their heads to the side, unsure of what she meant. Hina's face was as scrunched up as a child's. Hina struggled to elaborate through her sobs. \"I'b so habby... So habby that you're okay, Baster Kaito, and that you're bedder, Lady Elibabeth. Thank, thank goodness...\" \"Hina...\" \"...Thank you, Hina.\" Elisabeth pulled a clean handkerchief from a swirl of darkness and mopped up Hina's tears. Kaito gently stroked her silver hair. Hina beamed through her tears. The three of them huddled together on the remnants of the battlefield. It had finally gotten quiet again. For the three of them, it was the first peaceful moment in a long, long while. The minute they returned to the castle, Elisabeth got to work on Hina's treatment. Carrying the limbless Hina in her arms, she made her way to an underground chamber, kicked out Kaito, who'd followed along, and closed the door. For a short while, thunderous noises rang out from the door's far side. It sounded less like medical treatment and more like construction work. On the near side, Kaito stood at rapt attention. An indeterminate amount of time passed. Eventually, the closed door opened as violently as the noises within had been. Elisabeth was cradling Hina in her arms. Her thin, pale body was clad in a fresh maid uniform and had four proper limbs fastened to it. Tears welling up in his eyes, Kaito spread his arms wide and dashed over to her side. \"Hina!\" \"Fool, don't go touching her so carelessly! She's but temporarily pieced together. The gears within her are in a dreadful state of disarray. For the time being, she needs to let her automated maintenance and repair functions do their work.\" Elisabeth pressed her foot into his face, and Kaito stopped in his tracks. As he was about to rub his crushed nose, she made an announcement with a quiet expression on her face. \"I should warn you, but Hina is about to enter a deep slumber.\" \"A deep...slumber?\" \"She needs to realign her interior mechanisms, after all. While she does, she'll need to put a halt to all other functionality. Come now, gently lift her. You'll need to carry her. Gently, mind you.\" Urged on by Elisabeth, Kaito gingerly reached out. He picked up Hina ever so carefully and held her in his arms. She opened her eyes a hair and gave him a drowsy smile. He carried her as he would something extremely fragile. After making his way upstairs, he set her down on the bed Elisabeth had been occupying until just recently. He asked his next question in a bewildered voice. \"When you say a deep slumber...how long is that gonna be?\" \"There's hardly cause to sound so miserable. While I can't give a firm estimate, it shan't take long. This isn't good-bye.\" Kaito softly stroked Hina's cheek. Her head trembled as though it tickled, and she weakly opened her mouth. She spoke in a sweet, hoarse, barely audible voice. \"My deepest...apologies... It seems...I will be taking...a short leave...\" \"I'm so sorry, Hina. Is there...is there anything you want?\" \"Anything...I want?\" \"If there's anything you want, I can get it for you while you sleep. Can...can you think of anything?\" Flustered by the abruptness of the situation, Kaito continued his line of questioning. Hina closed her eyes and pondered for a moment. Eventually, she smiled and gently murmured. \"In that case...may I make...one selfish request?\" \"Yeah, anything.\" \"I wish...to become a family with you...Master Kaito.\" Hearing Hina's words, Kaito's eyes went as wide as if he'd been struck. \"Family,\" he dumbfoundedly repeated. Up until then, it had been a word that had brought him nothing but misery. Hina knew that. That was precisely why she continued, her emerald eyes brimming with love and affection. \"Unlike...human women...I cannot bear children... But I wish...to become...your family, Master Kaito... I don't want you...to be alone...anymore.\" \"Hina...\" \"I want...to become...your family... One that...properly...loves...\" \"D-don't be ridiculous, Hina... You always have been... From the moment we met, you've been my companion, right?\" As he spoke, Kaito choked back tears. Hina bore a tender smile. Kaito caressed her cheek again and again. He spoke once more, repeating himself with a voice full of heartfelt love. \"You're my beloved wife, aren't you?\" \"Ah...so...I am.\" After mumbling about how happy she was and how it was like she was living in a dream, Hina fell into a deep slumber. \"...Sniff...nn...hic...unh...nn...sob...\" Tears that even his own painful deaths never brought out were now rolling down Kaito's cheeks. All the things he'd lost and all the things he hadn't been able to obtain streamed through his mind. Elisabeth said nothing. She simply waited for him to calm down. At the end of the battle, after the insane choices he'd made, Kaito Sena had finally found a family. Eventually, Kaito roughly rubbed his eyes and stepped away from Hina. His"}, {"text": "eyes still red, he spoke a few words. \"Sorry, that was kind of pathetic... I'm okay now.\" \"Hmph, I saw nothing... Nay, I shall say this. 'Tis no shame in crying when one must.\" Kaito turned toward Elisabeth. She wasn't looking at him. She was staring off into space. Her lips upturned, she bluntly repeated herself. \"'Tis no shame in crying when one must. Go ahead and cry.\" \"Yeah, you're right... Thanks.\" Kaito laughed weakly and nodded. Then Elisabeth suddenly turned to look at him, her black hair fluttering. She frowned intensely. \"Your smile is sickening.\" \"Well, that's rude.\" \"Indeed, but complimenting you would be far stranger! At any rate, excellent as my bedchambers are, I really ought to get around to repairing that window.\" \"Can't you just fix it with magic?\" It happened then, with the two of them having just begun their conversation. A shrill noise rang out, like something scraping against glass, and shattered their brief peaceful moment. Hearing the grating noise, Kaito called out. \"Make it stop! It's gonna wake up Hina!\" \"Worry not. During the mending process, nothing can possibly wake her. But what is that noise?\" A milky-white orb was racing above the forest. It was one of the Church's emergency contact devices, and it made its way through the broken window before stopping in front of Elisabeth and Kaito. Feathers plopped out of its sides. Then it reverted to an ordinary jewel and fell into Elisabeth's palm. Hundreds of glyphs raced across its surface. After deciphering the message, Elisabeth's eyes widened. Feeling an ominous premonition, Kaito nervously raised a natural question. \"Elisabeth, what does it say?\" \"Oh my...this is a surprise, even to me. Even with the high odds I'd be done in by the Grand King, I can see why they sent for me.\" She shook her head side to side. Then she made a quiet announcement. \"The capital is under attack, with as many as a third of its citizens having been slaughtered\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand Godd Deos numbers among the dead.\" Kaito swallowed hard. The capital held three-tenths of the population and was supposed to be a cornerstone for humanity's continued survival. And Godd Deos was a man who'd been in a position to trade his life to seal away the Torture Princess, if the need ever arose. Kaito himself had talked with him just a few days ago. If a man as powerful and important as that had been killed, just what state exactly was the capital in? As if in response to Kaito's inquisitive gaze, Elisabeth went on. \"The capital has been practically destroyed\u00e2\u20ac\u201dat this rate, it and all the paladins will be annihilated.\" Her words rang in a new battle against the demons, as well as the beginning of the end. A Town Rejecting Death People were being devoured, livestock was gnawed to pieces, and buildings were getting chewed away. The capital was being eaten alive. There was no other way to describe the cruel simplicity of the events that were unfolding. One clear afternoon, a mass of flesh had suddenly exploded forth from the town's quiet, gloomy mercantile district. It had expanded rapidly, crushing countless buildings and swallowing up whole crowds of bystanders. Although the rotting meat's expansion eventually slowed, it was continuing to overrun the capital, which until the start of this catastrophe had boasted three-tenths of mankind's population and had been a center of commerce and politics. Those who had just barely avoided the first wave of expansion had frantically sought shelter. However, any who fell behind were soon swallowed up by the subsequent waves of undulating tissue. The elderly had desperately struck the mass with their canes, but their efforts were fruitless, and they were swallowed from their trembling ankles up. A dog tied to the eaves of a building barked as it was crushed beneath the advancing pulpy folds. Those too sick to move were engulfed, beds and all. And to add to their misfortune, the mass of flesh was alive. In other words, anyone consumed by it was either assimilated or transformed. The majority of its victims were still alive as they became fused with the writhing mass. The surface of its flesh was decorated with the faces of humans, beasts, fish, and bugs\u00e2\u20ac\u201dany and all living creatures that had been captured\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlike some sort of grotesque sculpture. The screams trickling from the victims' faces were bloodcurdling. Oooooooooooohhh... Oooooooooooohhh... Oooooooooooohhh... Their voices rang out with intense bitterness toward those who had survived. Those who avoided being assimilated soon found an equally harsh fate awaiting them. Their bodies were forcibly warped, ending only when they were ejected as underlings, emerging from the main body to capture prey, be consumed, and then sent forth again, each time being fused together and broken back down. Those who had once been human were hunting those who still were. All the city's inhabitants were forced to acknowledge the sheer hopelessness of the situation. That, after all, was what demons did. Powerless humans had no means with which to fight back. Even so, in order to survive, everyone tried their hardest to flee. A desperate fight raged in one corner of the capital. Several residents had escaped to a wide street, but underlings had caught up to the group containing most of the children. One bug-like underling swung its sickle-shaped arm and severed a number of their legs. The wounded, no longer able to flee, were dragged mercilessly toward the awaiting mass. Their desperate cries rang out. However, a strangely calm murmur cut through the noise of the street. \"Reenactment of the Plain of Skewers: Impaled Victim.\" The voice was strong and elegant. Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab! Accompanying the voice was a cloud of dust and a noise loud enough to drown out the caustic howling. Hundreds of iron stakes impaled the underlings, raining a gruesome shower of blood onto the road. Trembling from the unexpected development, the people timidly looked up. \"...Is she...the Saint?\" someone muttered in amazement. A single young woman stood before them. She was beautiful and wore a provocative bondage outfit. Her appearance was like the coming of a messiah or perhaps a tyrant, and her lustrous black hair and dress with scarlet-dyed interior fluttered in the wind. Her chest was concealed by thin leather straps but was otherwise practically bare. Her erotic attire was a far cry from that of the Suffering Saint from the people's faith. However, the beauty and solemnity of the person who had arrived in that hell made it impossible to imagine her as anything but a hallowed figure. Hearing the people's supplicating voices, though, the woman scowled. \"And just who do you think you're calling a saint? Hold your tongue if you're going to refer to me in such a repugnant manner!\" The woman waved her hand as though shooing away a dog. Then she casually shifted her gaze from the group. As she turned to face the band of onrushing underlings, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. \"Tch, more of them? To have your bodies twisted and warped against your will... How pitiful you creatures are. I shall grant you swift deaths, if naught else.\" She lifted her face to the sky and extended a pale hand. Swirling darkness and crimson flower petals materialized at her fingertips. Without hesitation, she thrust her hand into the center of the vortex. And from there, she drew a long sword. \"Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal!\" With a ringing voice, she called out the sword's name. As she did, the runes etched on its bloodred blade glinted. Their meaning was forcibly drummed into the minds of all who looked upon them. You are free to act as you will. But pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. \"Nail Gun!\" Shunk, shunk, shunk, shunk, shunk! As the woman swung her sword down, the darkness and crimson petals spiraled outward, and rusty nails appeared in their wake, burying themselves in the underlings' flesh. Chains wove like serpents, snaking their way through gaps in the spiral to mow down any who escaped. The people raised cheers of joy. However, the woman turned to shout at them in an icy voice. \"Why have you stopped, you fools? It is the duty of the weak to flee. So flee. Do not turn to me. Do not rely on me. Do not look up to me\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwho do you think I am?\" With one hand on her hip and her crimson eyes shining, the woman gave her haughty introduction. \"I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow.\" The capital was a place where information gathered, and there was no shortage of educated people among its citizens. The tale of the Torture Princess was well-known, and the people gasped at her declaration. A heavy silence fell over the crowd. Someone timidly opened their mouth to speak but was interrupted. Gya-gya-gya-gya-gya-gya-gyaa! A strange, grating scream split the sky. New underlings began swooping down from the heavens. The massive, grotesque crows\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhose bodies were riddled with eyeballs\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsnatched people up from behind with their warped talons. Atrocious screams rang out before falling silent an instant later. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (dance).\" A calm voice rang out, and a blade danced through the air. The underlings were all split in two, and their viscera pelted the earth. The people who'd narrowly avoided a grisly fate raised their voices in bewilderment. \"...Wh-what just, who...? Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" A woman who'd just been saved from the crows looked down at her bloodstained hands and lost her breath. The only person present who could truly understand what had happened was the Torture Princess. Assailed by confusion, the people began fleeing on their hands and feet. Then the sound of combat boots clicking against the ground echoed. The group froze. A young man had appeared before them. The hem of his black outfit, which was adorned with red thread, fluttered as he walked. The man was thin, and his left arm had been transformed into that of a beast. His faded brown hair had been tied back into a knot, and it matched the color of his eyes. He looked unnaturally composed. He turned toward the group, all of whom bore terrified expressions. However, he paid their reactions no heed, instead focusing on confirming with his stern gaze that no more attacks were forthcoming. As soon as he finished, he exhaled lightly and scratched his head, visibly relaxing. \"Phew, looks like that worked... But damn, it still doesn't feel completely stable. How am I supposed to get better at this?\" As he grumbled, he waved his right arm around like a conductor's baton. The blade that had just sliced apart the underlings drifted along and followed the path his hand had taken. The Torture Princess gave the hem of his outfit a quick yank. \"You know, you're inspiring no small amount of terror at the moment.\" The young man's eyes went wide, and he turned on his heel, flustered. Surveying the group's expressions, he raised a perplexed voice. \"Wait, for real? Did I do something suspicious?\" \"'Suspicious' hardly begins to describe it. You struck the perfect image of a villain making his entrance back there.\" \"Whaaat...? I mean, I guess I can't totally deny being a villain, but still, I'm not your enemy, you guys...\" Hearing that, the group finally let down their guard a bit. They turned inquisitive gazes toward Elisabeth, as though to ask if she knew him. She nodded, then answered. \"Be at ease. Suspicious as his left arm is, this one is a servant of mine. His name is Kaito, or Sena, or perhaps Kaito Sena.\" \"Thanks a lot for that half-assed introduction. But it doesn't matter; don't worry about us.\" As he waved with his beastly left arm, the man\u00e2\u20ac\u201dKaito Sena\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlined up beside Elisabeth, the"}, {"text": "Torture Princess. The two of them looked to where the mass of flesh was resting. A fresh wave of underlings was heading straight toward them. Kaito raised his right arm, and Elisabeth clicked her heels. \"I need you guys to run.\" Kaito snapped his fingers before murmuring softly. \"The Torture Princess and the Kaiser's contractor can take it from here.\" Then the two of them began slaughtering the underlings. Once, at the hands of his cruel father, Kaito Sena's seventeen years and three months of life had come to an end. His death had been as meaningless as a worm's, one most pitiful, most unseemly, most cruel, and most gruesome. However, after his death, Kaito had been summoned to another world and obtained a second life. His summoner had been Elisabeth Le Fanu, the Torture Princess, a terrible sinner who was destined to be executed after killing fourteen demons and their contractors on the Church's orders. During their battles against the demons, Elisabeth had fallen into a trap of the Grand King's. In order to save her, Kaito had formed a contract with the Kaiser, the highest ranked among the demons and, as a result, had gained the ability to use magic. After fighting alongside an automaton named Hina, who was both his own servant and his bride, he'd successfully restored Elisabeth's health. However, after they'd successfully taken out the Grand King, the Church informed them of a new crisis. The capital was under attack, and around a third of its citizens had been killed, including Godot Deus, one of the Church's high priests. The city, which was pivotal to the continued survival of humanity, had nearly been destroyed, and at this rate, it would likely fall, along with all its paladins. When they'd received that message, Kaito immediately got to work making purin. After dissolving sugar in milk, he added egg before mixing and straining it carefully to avoid creating bubbles. Then he poured everything into an earthenware pot and applied heat, cooking it until it reached the appropriate temperature. At that point, all he needed to do to complete it was chill it in the ice-spirit fridge. \"Yup, as always, having the ingredients around is a lifesaver.\" As he waited for the purin to chill, Kaito murmured to himself. In this world, sugar, fresh eggs, and milk were all difficult to obtain without going through major guilds, as they were both the ones who maintained the supply chain and those in possession of ice-spirits. But with the Butcher's help, reluctant as he may have been, they were able to keep Elisabeth's castle sufficiently stocked. If not for that, it would have been difficult indeed for Kaito to reproduce purin in this world. Huh? Wait, if I hadn't been able to make purin, wouldn't that have meant that all my knowledge and experience from my old world was useless? Well, I guess being used to pain came in handy, too. Tilting his head to the side, Kaito grabbed the earthenware pot's chilly handles. Taking extreme care not to put too much strength into his beastly arm, he hurried through the corridor. He dashed up the spiral staircase, then opened up the door to the dining room. Within, a chair with ball-and-claw feet was lined up next to the table, which boasted a stately tablecloth. Seated at the table was Elisabeth, crossing her elegant legs. Likely having sensed Kaito, she lifted her face and displayed her bored expression. Then her gaze landed on the earthenware pot. The next moment, her eyes sparkled with such intensity that cat ears practically sprouted from her head. \"Oh-ho, it's complete!\" \"Yeah, I'm all done.\" With that, Kaito hoisted the pot. In a flash, Elisabeth grabbed a spoon and held it on standby. Her reaction was as innocent as always. However, not long ago, that was a scene Kaito had feared he might never see again. Breathing an internal sigh of relief, Kaito placed the pot in front of Elisabeth and lifted its lid. With a \"ta-daa,\" a massive, jiggling yellow form appeared. Elisabeth breathed in its aroma, pleased. \"Heh-heh, there you are. How pleasantly sticky you seem.\" \"Here, purin, just like I promised. Go on, dig in.\" \"Mm, the wait was killing me... Wait, did we ever make such a promise?\" \"Oh, right. Uh, don't worry about that.\" Kaito averted his eyes from Elisabeth. She tilted her head to the side, wondering what in the world he was going on about. It had happened right before Kaito made his contract with the Kaiser. When she'd been in a coma due to having the flow of her mana dammed up by Sacrifice, he'd faced her and whispered: \"You're probably going to be livid. But I've made up my mind, Elisabeth. See you later. When you wake up, I'll make you some purin.\" She hadn't responded. He had almost stroked her cheek, but he'd stopped short, clenched his fists, and left the bedroom. Then he had made a contract with the Kaiser. Elisabeth didn't know about that private moment. And Kaito saw no reason to tell her. Watching Kaito speak noncommittally, Elisabeth made a strange face before turning back toward the purin. She scooped out a jiggling, sticky spoonful, then stuck it in her mouth. \"Ah...the texture is excellent... It's sticky yet smooth...and jiggly... What a fine dish this is. Ah-ha-ha.\" An earthenware pot can hold a great deal of purin. However, Elisabeth polished it off in mere moments. After cleaning out the pot, she heaved a satisfied sigh. \"Ah! That was rather splendid. Between this and having activated Hina, your praiseworthy achievements total two.\" \"I see that once again you're blatantly ignoring all the other work I've put in up till now.\" Elisabeth practically purred in pleasure, radiating the same energy as a cat basking in a sunbeam. Kaito felt like he could almost see cat ears twitching back and forth atop her head. For a short while, Elisabeth scraped at the bottom of the pot with her spoon. However, she eventually relented. Then, with a hard clank, she returned the silver spoon to the table. She crossed her arms, and her expression abruptly stiffened. \"Now then, our respite ends here. Not only is the situation dreadful, it's grave.\" Looking at her from the side, Kaito could see that the innocent light flickering in her eyes had vanished. Her cold expression was that of a resolute soldier. She clenched her fists. A magical chessboard appeared before her, accompanied by white and black pieces. Elisabeth removed a white piece shaped like a bishop. Godot Deus, one of the high priests of the Church, had been killed by the demons. Furthermore, the wicked lot responsible for the murder were still running free and wreaking havoc. Kaito clenched his fists and spoke in a low voice. \"So you're seriously gonna go...? You're planning to fight an enemy who took out a third of the capital?\" \"Of course. The Church has ordered me to slay all fourteen demons. Above all, I myself decided to do so. Having lived the cruel and haughty life of a wolf, I shall die like a lowly sow. A sow forsaken by all of creation... And I have no intention of overturning that fate of mine.\" Elisabeth gave a sharp response to Kaito's question. Her voice was frosty, making it clear that others had no say in her decision. Upon hearing that, Kaito lost his grip on the words he had planned to deliver next. He watched on as she continued removing pieces. \"The remaining demons number three: the Monarch, the Grand Monarch, and the King. Normally, the three of them would not possess the power to storm the capital. What in the world could have happened...? Well, I have my suspicions. But regardless of the accuracy of my hunches, naught but Hell awaits.\" \"Just to be clear, I'm coming with you.\" \"Do as you please. Or rather, I'd like to say that, but this time, I'd included you in the head count from the onset. Fool. Even if you mean no harm, I cannot simply leave the Kaiser's contractor unattended... Listen now, Kaito. While I may owe you a debt for it, the sin you have committed would normally merit execution.\" \"Yeah, I know.\" \"You know nothing. And even supposing you did, you fail to truly understand. Those who embrace the darkness can no longer return to being human...and you have crossed that final line.\" Then Elisabeth heaved a heavy sigh. After looking Kaito over\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhis left arm in particular, which had transformed into that of a beast\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe shook her head. \"You utter fool.\" Kaito gave no response. For a moment, a heavy silence fell between them. After another sigh, though, Elisabeth stood with enough force to send her chair flying. Stretching her back like a cat, she made a declaration. \"In any case, the time to depart is upon us! No matter what idle words we string together, the fact remains that we have no choice but to fight... However, one worry yet remains.\" \"Yeah, we have to figure out what we're gonna do about Hina.\" They looked at each other and nodded. Elisabeth's black hair fluttered as she set off. Kaito followed after her. The two silently advanced down the corridor as light streamed through the ominous patterns adorning the clerestory windows. Elisabeth opened up the bedchambers, a room she herself had been comatose in just a few hours earlier. At the moment, Hina was sleeping there. She was lying on the bed, surrounded by azure roses. Kaito had created the flowers at Elisabeth's suggestion in order to aid in the reorganization of Hina's gears. Hina slept deeply, swathed in the gentle magic the azure petals were releasing. \"Hina...\" Kaito unhesitatingly rushed to her bedside and knelt, then gently stroked her forehead. There was no response. Until her scrambled gears were realigned, she would be unable to rise. Elisabeth clasped Hina's pale hand, then nodded after quickly confirming the flow of mana and mechanical noises were all in order. \"Her gears are realigning properly. However, there is some time yet before the process will be finished.\" \"So, the problem is what we're gonna do with her until then.\" \"Mm, that it is. While the realignment is in progress, she shall not wake. In short, she is wholly defenseless. We could leave golems to defend her, but their usefulness is limited, so that option leaves me with some unease... So when we consider who I could contact and ask to take Hina and flee should anything happen\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Ah, well, that would be me.\" \"Dude, your timing is crazy good.\" With that, Kaito turned to look at the bedchamber's entrance. There stood the Butcher, posing coolly with his finger pressed against his forehead. Although his eyes were hidden by his hood, they were no doubt sparkling. \"While the two of you are absent, I shall remain by Ms. Lovely Maid's side. And should anything happen, I'll hoist her upon my back and scurry away with utmost haste. What say you?\" \"While I'm most grateful for your proposal, are you quite all right with this? If I'm not mistaken, you have little to gain from aiding us.\" \"Oh, there's no need to be so reserved. A dear customer of mine is in a pinch! Such a task is but a trifle... Incidentally, I couldn't help but notice that your ice-spirit storage unit and your carrier golems are getting a bit old, you know. Cha-ching, cha-ching.\" \"...Did he seriously just say 'cha-ching'?\" \"Understood. Replace as many as you wish and send me the bill. Will that suffice?\" \"Ha-ha-ha-ha, leave everything to me, your friendly neighborhood Butcher!\" The Butcher hopped up and down. Shrewd as he was, the fact remained that his assistance took a great load off their backs. After all, the castle had been attacked by demons a number of times before. No ordinary man would dare come near the place, let alone house-sit for"}, {"text": "them. The Butcher truly did have nerves of steel. Kaito turned and bowed to the Butcher, who was still dancing with joy. \"...Thanks a lot, Butcher. That's a huge help.\" \"Mm-hmm, Dim-Witted Servant, showing me proper gratitude?! Away with you, impostor! Show me your true form!\" \"Wait, have I really never thanked you for anything before?\" Kaito narrowed his eyes doubtfully. The Butcher had assumed some sort of strange fighting stance, one that called to mind a bizarre bird. Ignoring him, Elisabeth crossed her arms and spoke decisively. \"With that, then, everything is in order! Now, Kaito and I shall make our way to the capital in accordance with the Church's demand! Butcher, I leave the rest to you.\" \"Ha-ha, at your service.\" \"A proper response\u00e2\u20ac\u201dKaito, quell any regrets you may have.\" \"...Got it.\" Nodding at Elisabeth's advice, Kaito silently gazed at Hina's face. He placed his hands on the bed, then gently kissed her. Their lips joined, then parted. However, Sleeping Beauty didn't wake. Then Kaito whispered gently to the woman who'd asked to become part of his family. \"I'm heading out, Hina. Please wait for me. I promise we'll go back to living under the same roof.\" He stood up. He stroked Hina's forehead one last time, as one would an infant's, then turned on his heel. The hem of his black outfit that resembled a military uniform waved in the air as he determinedly strode forth. Elisabeth followed after him, her heels clicking loudly. \"I await your triumphant return! May fortune favor you!\" The Butcher watched them go, waving his hand as he called out from behind them. As her beloved groom departed, the bride remained in slumber. Leaving Hina behind at the castle, Elisabeth and Kaito descended into the maw of peril. Using his blade, Kaito lopped the flying underling to pieces. The ones rushing across the ground toward them found themselves on the receiving end of Elisabeth's stakes. Each of them trusting the other, the way they devoted their full attention to their roles was reminiscent of a dance performance. In the blink of an eye, they completed their slaughter. A colossal mound of corpses was all that remained. After gazing toward the end of the road where the swelling mass of flesh was sitting, Kaito and Elisabeth turned to each other and nodded. \"Good, looks like we drove them off for now.\" \"Aye, we can finally take a breather. And those people should have been able to make it to shelter by now\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor not! Go on, you lot, get out of here!\" \"Hey, Elisabeth, don't be so hard on them. That thing appeared out of nowhere, right in the middle of the capital. If anything, it's impressive they were able to even make it this far.\" Kaito placed a hand on Elisabeth's shoulder, then made his way toward the group, most of whom had frozen in their tracks. After coming to a stop front of the fleeing residents, he spoke in a calm voice, doing his utmost not to frighten them. \"Is everyone okay? If you all go straight that way, the paladins have a shelter set up. There should be guides along the way, too, so you don't even have to go very far.\" Kaito urged on a parent and child, who up until a few moments ago were being pursued by an underling with a pig's head. However, they offered no response. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that all the adults were paralyzed with fear. Kaito looked around, at a loss for what to do. As he did, a young girl clutching onto her mother's arm called out to him. \"Mister...what's wrong with your arm?\" Kaito looked at the girl, flustered. Her innocent eyes were transfixed on his ghastly arm. Now even more uncertain of what to do, Kaito frowned. After puzzling over his response for a moment, he sidestepped the question. \"Uh...it's...kinda cool, don'tcha think? And it's real strong.\" \"Yeah, it looks really strong! It's scary, but it's cool, too!\" \"Wow, thanks. That's really nice of you to say. Now, c'mon, you gotta hurry!\" Kaito gave the girl's parents a soft push on the arms. The moment the mother felt the beastly arm touch her skin, she shuddered and stepped backward to shield her child. But after seeing the lonely look in Kaito's eyes, her expression quickly shifted. She and her husband quickly bowed to Kaito, then broke off at a run. The rest of the people who'd been frozen still quickly followed after them. However, one old woman struggled backward against the sudden rush of the throng. Casting a sharp glance at the Torture Princess, she fought her way through the waves of people. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes, trying to discern the woman's intentions. \"Someone with a grudge against the Torture Princess, perhaps?\" That guess was about as far off the mark as one could be. After stopping in front of Elisabeth, the old woman tossed aside her cane and knelt atop the stone street with faltering knees. As Kaito and Elisabeth watched on in confusion, she bowed deeply. In his surprise, Kaito let out an exclamation that bordered on shrill. \"Wh-what's the matter, ma'am?\" \"Hmm? What is the meaning of this?!\" \"Thank you... Thank you... Thank you...\" The old woman thanked them over and over. Looking at her tiny, rounded back, Elisabeth scratched her cheek. \"What? Ah yes, well...aren't you a courteous one...? Something about this feels wrong, you know.\" \"Thank you... Thank\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Good lord, woman, how long do you intend to go on for?! Enough already; up with you! Your thanks are unnecessary.\" \"Ma'am, she's saying that she appreciates the sentiment. C'mon now; it's dangerous here.\" Kaito extended a hand to the old woman. With his help, she struggled to her feet. Watching her pick up her cane and walk away, Elisabeth coldly shooed her off. \"Begone with you already! Heavens, what an odd bat she was... Oi! Look where you're going; don't bow while you walk! There are stones in your path! Listen, woman, don't go toppling over now!\" In spite of her attitude, her words were kind. Kaito surreptitiously softened his expression. The next moment, Elisabeth whirled around to face him. \"Ah, I knew I sensed something unpleasant! Kaito! Wipe that expression off your face! Remember your place, servant!\" \"Ow, don't kick me!\" Finding himself on the receiving end of a precise roundhouse kick, Kaito clutched his chest as he leveled his complaint. All he accomplished, though, was infuriating Elisabeth even further. \"Then explain to me what that expression was just now: as though you were gazing upon a child! I shall not tolerate such insolence!\" \"I did nothing of the sort! My face just loosened up a little!\" \"And what is that if not insolence?!\" Kaito's complaints of unfair treatment were wholly rejected. Displeased, Elisabeth shook her head from side to side. \"Behold, while you were preoccupied with your idle nonsense, that thing returned!\" As she spoke, a black shadow spread across the pavement. The sound of two bat-like wings flapping split the air. However, their owner was no bird. They extended from the back of a dog. The top-class hound\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Kaiser\u00e2\u20ac\u201dflapped his wings as he descended. His sinewy legs hit the ground, and he shook his body. His wings made a sticky sound as they folded into his back. Once they'd been fully stored, he turned his eyes, which burned with hellfire, toward Kaito. \"I have returned, O Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain, unworthy master of mine.\" \"Good work out there. How'd it look?\" \"Before that, I have something I must announce.\" \"Wh-what is it? Why're you acting all scary?\" The Kaiser drew up directly in front of Kaito, causing him to jump back a few steps. The Kaiser gnashed his teeth threateningly. \"Forcing me to do something as base as run reconnaissance for you is a deed punishable by being ripped to shreds between my jaws. You may be my master, but you are naught more than a worthless scrap of meat. Know your place!\" \"Geez, man, that's harsh... You don't have to get all mad at me.\" \"Ha, I shall forgive you this once. The view from on high was as pleasant as expected, after all. Much to my amusement, the capital is being rapidly consumed by that mountain of flesh. Rejoice, whelp. Your predictions were on the mark.\" Shaking his head, the Kaiser pointed with his jaw toward the mass at the end of the road. Laughing scornfully at his degraded brethren, the Kaiser continued: \"That thing is comprised of three demons fused together. I was able to identify the three needles that were thrust into their necks.\" \"...Yeah, I figured. This is the Grand King's fault.\" Kaito nodded. The needles that had been thrust into the demons' necks were magical devices designed to control minds\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe kind that the Grand King had specialized in using before Elisabeth had killed her. The fact that there were three of them meant the demonic colossus currently invading the capital was not one demon but the remaining three\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Monarch, the Grand Monarch, and the King. \"That Grand King is an obnoxious one. Although their ranks were lower than hers, controlling those three would have been no small feat. She must have stabbed them with her needles, destroyed their egos, then carried them into the capital half dead. Three humans take up little space, after all.\" \"Then when she died, the needles stopped working.\" \"Indeed. And with their shattered egos returned to them, their powers ran wild...and once the three of them fused, they began expanding, and the capital got entangled as a result. Would you concur, Vlad?\" In response to the Kaiser's question, Kaito gently ran mana through the stone in his pocket. As though it had been waiting for just that moment, a velvety voice rang out. \"Your conjectures are as impressive as ever, Kaiser.\" Vlad Le Fanu's phantom knitted together in front of them and put on airs. He was adorned with a silken shirt with a cravat and a black coat decorated with silver thread, the same noble attire he'd worn when he was alive. He surveyed the scene, his crimson eyes setting off his shoulder-length black hair and giving him a beauty remarkably similar to Elisabeth's. Crossing his legs in empty space, he spoke elegantly. \"I would wager that your guess is right on the mark and that this is the Grand King's final trap. A rather straightforward timed explosive, as it were. With their egos obliterated and nothing but their desires remaining, the demons finally began taking in humans and using them, becoming little more than machines designed to gather pain. Quite the intriguing result, I'd say.\" Vlad laughed in amusement. He pointed at the mass of flesh, as though showing off some sort of entertaining spectacle. \"While they used to be my comrades, I do find it interesting that they're more powerful now while they run wild than when they had their wits about them. Perhaps, unbound by human consciousness and rationality, demons become able to wield their power solely for the purpose of destroying the world... Incidentally, Elisabeth, would you be so kind as to restrain yourself?\" Vlad shook his head in exasperation. Pierced by an iron stake, his head vanished for a moment. After Kaito turned his gaze toward her, Elisabeth finally stopped the campaign of harassment she'd begun from the moment Vlad had first materialized. With a grim expression on her face, she crossed her arms and spoke in a voice dripping with hatred. \"Silence yourself, Vlad. Your voice grates on my ears. Take care you do not forget that, were it up to me, I would shatter the rock your soul dwells in this instant.\" \"That's a bit cold, don't you think? Given your servant Kaito Sena's contract with the Kaiser, I should think it quite prudent to keep me alive to give him advice, as his predecessor. And you understand that, don't you? You"}, {"text": "really shouldn't be so hard on yourself\u00e2\u20ac\u201doh, careful there!\" Assailed by numerous stakes, Vlad bent his body at a strange angle. Unsurprisingly, his expression soured. Seeing that, Elisabeth scoffed. \"Ha. You'd best brace yourself. The moment your task is through, I shall kill you once more. I shan't spare you a shred of sympathy.\" \"Quite right. I'll brace myself, then. Alas, this body of mine is somewhat short on methods I can use to flee.\" Vlad shrugged, the apparent sorrow in his words wholly at odds with his general demeanor. However, seemingly reluctant to get stabbed again, he lightly snapped his fingers and vanished. All that remained of him were a few azure flower petals. After stomping on them, Elisabeth clicked her tongue. \"Tch, what a revolting man.\" \"I mean, that's just how it is. Vlad will be Vlad, after all.\" \"And you. Speaking as if this is someone else's problem!\" Elisabeth grabbed onto the knot of Kaito's hair, then yanked. Screaming, Kaito frantically tried to resist. \"Owwww! Cut it out, Elisabeth; you're gonna pull it out! The pain is one thing, but I don't wanna go bald!\" \"Just shut up and go bald! Bald, I say! All this came about because you had to go and act on your own! Forming a contract with the Kaiser... Surely you are this world's greatest imbecile!\" \"No, seriously, you're gonna pull it out! Stop, stop, stop!\" \"Worry not! Even if I pull it out, it shall grow back!\" \"Wait, is there even a spell that can regrow hair? Owwwwwww!\" \"Aye, there is! You can't set the color, however!\" \"Wait a minute; I don't want blond highlights!\" \"Better that than torture, I'd wager! I shall say it again. The acts you have committed are folly, crimes worthy of an inquisition. Rough treatment is the least you should prepare yourself for! Hmph...that said, perhaps it is best to leave it at that. After all, now is hardly the time for me to be tormenting you.\" Perhaps her mood had finally lifted, because she released him. With teary eyes, Kaito inspected the state of his hair. As he did, Elisabeth turned her crimson gaze toward the mass of flesh invading the capital. Kaito followed her lead. \"...Man, that's messed up.\" \"Mm, that it is.\" Even then, the three fused demons were still carving deep scars in the town and its people. In a complete reversal from her demeanor a moment ago, Elisabeth spoke in a strained voice. \"Demons draw their power from the pain of others. Let us make haste, Kaito. The longer we leave that annoying thing be, the more pain it shall accumulate and the more power it shall gain. Bothersome as it is, we need to join forces with the paladins.\" \"Yeah, I'm with you. No time to waste.\" Kaito gave a brief nod. However, he bit down on his lip, as though hesitating over something. After a beat, he spoke in a hoarse voice and reaffirmed their situation. \"This'll be...our final demon subjugation.\" The mass of flesh sitting before them was the last three of the fourteen demons. Thinking ahead to what awaited them afterward, Kaito clenched his fists. After executing all the demons, the Torture Princess, too, would be going to the stake. Elisabeth Le Fanu had finally begun making her way up the steps to the gallows. The main road branched off in a complex pattern, but most of its paths led to the main square, named for an apostle who was said to have faithfully served the Saint to the end. At the moment, the square was being used as a temporary shelter. From behind Elisabeth, Kaito looked out over the plaza. The place was likely loved by the people, and on holidays, it would probably have been no surprise to see the place bustling with food carts and street performers. At present, though, no vestiges remained of its usual, tranquil self. The square was surrounded by an elegant iron fence modeled after vines, with paladins lined up within. In addition to the gate being firmly shut, they were serving as a thick human wall. Their silver armor sparkled, emblazoned with white-lily coats of arms, as they worked to maintain the magical barrier covering the square. Looking over their stiff faces, Kaito spoke in a tense voice. \"...Hey, are we really going to be able to just stroll on in?\" \"Mm, I see your point. We are the Torture Princess and the Kaiser's contractor, after all. While I have my doubts as to how well we'll be received, I see no better options.\" With that, Elisabeth shrugged. Their minds made up, the two of them headed for the plaza. The gate rattled open before them. Several corps members rushed out from within. Facing the mass of flesh, the resolute paladins ran down the main road where no small number of underlings lay in wait for them. The square was likely being used as a base from which the corps engaging in rescue operations for the residents who'd been unable to escape would enter the danger zone. Even so, Kaito thought back to the scene that had just unfolded before them. If we hadn't been there, even more people would have been swallowed up... Given the situation, it's hard to say if their rescue operations will even make it in time. It was clear that the paladins needed help. Newly motivated, Kaito turned back toward the square. As he did, Elisabeth called out to one of the paladins guarding the entrance. \"I'm Elisabeth Le Fanu. The Church requested my aid, and here I am.\" \"And I'm her servant, Kaito Sena. Nice to meet you.\" Shaking off his tension, Kaito introduced himself. However, the only response they received was a cold stare. Several seconds passed. One of the paladins dashed back toward the rear of the square, possibly having received a message. The rest, though, remained as silent and unmoving as bronze statues, the tips of their swords pressed against the cobbled street. \"Um, we, uh, we came to help.\" Kaito spoke once more. Still, no answer. There were several people inside, but all they displayed was open malice. Kaito couldn't think of a good reason for them to be receiving the cold shoulder. Kaito frowned, then quietly whispered to Elisabeth. \"You know, I wasn't exactly expecting the red-carpet treatment, but still, this is brutal.\" \"Don't be unreasonable. This, too, is within expectations.\" \"Wait, seriously? Damn, I never took you for the understanding type.\" \"This is my just deserts. At the Plain of Skewers, I faced five hundred members of the Knight Corps and slew them, annihilated them, and exterminated them. While these paladins here are from higher in the organization, no doubt many of them had acquaintances among the victims. Their rigorous training and discipline are likely the sole reason I'm not at sword's point at the moment.\" Elisabeth replied at the same volume. Kaito nodded with newfound understanding. Given the facts, the paladins' reactions were only natural. \"That makes sense, then.\" \"Mm, that it does.\" No tyrant was in a position to complain when those they oppressed wound up expressing malice toward them. Normally, people who get crushed like worms don't get the chance to come back, after all. Elisabeth Le Fanu had once stood atop a mountain of corpses. And those corpses were the allies of these paladins. Suddenly, a clear voice rang out and obstructed Kaito's train of thought. \"So you're the Torture Princess. First, I wish to express my gratitude. You did well to respond to our summons.\" The gate opened, and a woman, accompanied on each side by a paladin, strode out from within. She herself was likely a paladin as well. Her body was as lithe as a rapier, and she wore the same silver armor as the others. However, atop her shoulders was a magnificent, deep-blue mantle of fine make embroidered with silver. Her silver hair dashed against it and further improved the flashy impression she gave off. That and her pair of mismatched blue and purple eyes caused her to boast otherworldly beauty. However, the light within her eyes was cold. She looked a good deal younger than her fellow paladins, and the fact that she was a woman was unusual as well. Despite all that, Kaito was surprised by something else entirely. Damn, that's impressive. For an ordinary human, she's got crazy stores of mana. Ever since his contract with the Kaiser, Kaito's ability to gauge the flow of mana had been refined. While the woman's stores of mana couldn't compare to the Torture Princess's or to Kaito's, given that he'd made a contract with a demon, it was well above what an average person could hope to possess. In stark contrast to Elisabeth's sinister, thorny mana, this woman's seemed as deep and as placid as the sea. Kaito could tell, not from knowledge, but from intuition, that she would be well-suited toward healing, protective, and summoning magic. It looks like she's doing pretty well for herself among the Holy Knights, but I bet she could've become a pretty strong mage, too... Wait, huh? Did I just call her an ordinary human? It was almost as though he thought of himself as some kind of monster. But he could hardly blame himself. For someone who had been reincarnated from another world, not to mention one whose left arm was that of a beast, continuing to perceive oneself as an ordinary human was no easy task. Even so, I seem to be getting worse about it. In spite of himself, Kaito looked off into the distance and grinned self-derisively. However, the woman interpreted his smile a different way. Narrowing her cold eyes, she spoke. \"How rude. What, is there something on my face?\" \"Huh? Oh, sorry, I was just laughing at myself. Don't worry about it.\" \"...At yourself? At a time like this?\" \"Mm, well, my servant is a man of many peculiarities. Paying him heed is little more than a waste of time. You'd do best to simply ignore him... And as I said, I am Elisabeth Le Fanu, the Torture Princess.\" \"Allow me to welcome you once more. Thank you for coming all this way.\" \"Enough with the empty formalities. I received word of Godot Deus's death. Are you in charge here?\" \"I am not. Rather than explaining the situation, it would be quicker to simply take you to meet the man who is. Follow me. I expect you'll be quite surprised.\" With that enigmatic declaration, she turned on her heel, her magnificent mantle whirling behind her. Her two attendants went after her. After exchanging a glance, Kaito and Elisabeth obediently followed behind. A row of simple tents was lined up on top of the stone ground. As he passed by them, Kaito peered within one. Within, a healer was desperately pinning a convulsing man to his bed while using medicinal herbs to alleviate the man's pain. Kaito could make out a number of other healers applying magic and medicine left and right to care for the wounded. Given that they each boasted considerable reserves of magic, their original place of employment was probably the royal palace. A long queue extended past the tents. It looked like those who were deemed too young or too ill to flee on their own were being teleported out of the city. Regardless of the fact that the line was guarded on both sides by Royal Knights, everyone on it was so nervous they would have broken down at the drop of a hat. Elsewhere, the paladins were calling out and gathering the uninjured and those with only minor illnesses. However, between the people who were screaming in derangement and those who were glued to the ground with dead eyes, there was no shortage of people ignoring their orders. Every single person who'd escaped bore a heavy, desperate burden. \"...This place is on edge, all right.\" \"And for good reason. It would be"}, {"text": "rather aberrant for a man who could relax after only so barely fleeing danger.\" Hearing Kaito's whisper, Elisabeth nodded. Eventually, the two of them made it to the middle of the square. Seeing something strange there, Kaito narrowed his eyes. \"...What's up with that?\" \"That's a statue of the Saint. Hardly an oddity.\" \"No, but, like, what's it doing here?\" A bronze statue of an upside-down saint shedding tears of blood stood before them. In front of her was another statue, a kneeling apostle wrapped from the head down in tattered rags. Surprisingly, the apostle was a demi-human. Legs with scales engraved in them and sharp claws peeked out from the bottom edge of the rags. He looked as though he was both rejoicing and lamenting at the Saint's suffering. The scene called to mind torture, making it a strange choice to decorate a beloved plaza. \"It's a little grim for a plaza decoration, don't you think?\" \"Perhaps, but according to the Church's legends, humanity's current society is built on the foundation of the Suffering Saint's sacrifice. In short, the scene signifies the sins man forced the Saint to bear. People must live proper lives, constantly recalling their sins as they sing prayers of gratitude. The statue is situated in an everyday place to remind them of that. It serves as something akin to a warning.\" \"...I see.\" Her explanation was blunt, nearly to the point of heresy, but it inspired a vague sort of understanding in Kaito. He shifted his gaze from the bronze statue and the tent beside it. It was placed just off the statue and was a good deal narrower and longer than the ones holding the injured. The female paladin stopped directly in front of it. Raising her left arm, she gestured for the two of them to enter. \"This way.\" Feeling the hostile gazes of the Royal Knights standing guard bearing down on them, Kaito and Elisabeth went inside. As they did, they were assailed by bright lights, forcing Kaito to squint. \"...Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Not bad. Impressive even, being able to assemble so many.\" Elisabeth's voice was full of admiration. Kaito looked and discovered that an entire wall was covered in active magical communication devices. Civil officials were frantically setting them into motion, trading messages with partners that were removed from there by great distances. Tense, angry voices filled through the air, and the female paladin called out to the two of them again. \"Please keep walking. Our destination lies farther in.\" Prompted on by her words, Kaito and Elisabeth continued on. The air was hot and muddy, but the farther in they went, the cooler it got. Upon reaching the inner depths of the tent, they could hear new voices going back and forth, voices possessing a different kind of gravity than the ones from before. There was a desk placed directly on the stone ground, and a map of the capital was spread atop it. Paladins were pointing at it and exchanging arguments with stern expressions. \"For La Mules's bombardment, we should...\" \"We've received authorization for tomorrow afternoon...\" \"Considering the angle and the effective range, the hill in the graveyard is...\" \"The people we'll need to secure it are...\" Whatever they were discussing, it was going completely over Kaito's head. A man was floating in front of them. Upon seeing the man's strangely blurry back, Kaito began doubting his own eyes. Wait, why is that guy's back blurry? The man was dressed in a simple yet high-quality vestment. He was probably affiliated with the Church. Wondering who it was, Kaito frowned. Beside him, Elisabeth muttered in a strained voice. \"...Godot Deus?\" \"Godot Deus?!\" Kaito reflexively let out a hysterical cry. That shouldn't have been possible. Didn't Godot Deus die? Godot Deus was supposed to have lost his life in the initial attack, when the three demons had explosively begun their expansion. However, upon being called a dead man's name, the man turned to face them. \"Elisabeth, I see. You did well to make it here.\" Aside from through communication devices, this was the first time Kaito had ever seen Godot Deus. In contrast to his expectations, Godot Deus's appearance was nothing more than that of a thin, wrinkled old man\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe kind you could find just about anywhere. But given the fact that his supposed death hadn't stopped him from appearing before them, he was clearly no ordinary man. Kaito narrowed his eyes and looked over Godot Deus again. Upon closer inspection, he was partially transparent. A silver bowl sat at his feet, a jewel resting in a sparkling pool of water. As Kaito stared at it, the stone in his pocket squirmed. At the same time, Kaito realized something. I see. Godot Deus really did die. The Godot Deus floating in front of him was nothing more than a reproduction of his soul, the same as Vlad was. Supplied with mana from the holy water the Church had prepared, he was commanding the troops from beyond the grave. The stone squirmed again. It seemed that Vlad wanted to talk to the man, perhaps due to them both being reproductions. But if Kaito did as Vlad wanted and materialized him, there was a solid chance the paladins would strike him down on the spot. As Kaito ignored the stone, to his surprise, Godot Deus spoke up. \"Do you have Vlad in there?\" \"Wait, you could tell?\" Completely exposed, Kaito responded in surprise. At the sudden mention of the Kaiser's former contractor's name, tension filled the room. Elisabeth stared off into space. Godot Deus calmly shook his head. \"Your left arm is that of the Kaiser's and proof that one lacking knowledge of summoning was encouraged by a third party to form a contract. When you told me not to have any regrets, you were warning me that this was the choice you had made. Servant of Elisabeth's...what a fool you are, forming a contract with a demon.\" \"Yeah, I agree with you there. But I haven't hurt anyone, and I plan to keep it that way. The minute I tried to harm an innocent, my master Elisabeth will probably immediately behead me anyway. I haven't given you guys any reason to criticize me or give me orders...and you don't have any grounds to punish me.\" \"Strong words. However, it is true that we lack pieces to play. If you intend to fight alongside Elisabeth, I shall allow it. However, there is one thing I wish to confirm.\" Godot Deus extended a bony hand. Then he spoke in a low, husky voice. \"Would you mind letting Vlad out?\" In response to his request, Kaito gently ran mana through the stone in his pocket. Suddenly, azure rose petals and darkness whirled up within the tent. The paladins let out frantic cries. As he basked in their reactions, Vlad's phantasmal body knit itself together in the air. Overflowing with androgynous beauty, he crossed his legs and lorded over his surroundings. \"Hey there, Godot Deus. Long time no see.\" \"What are you putting on airs for, you buffoon?\" \"You're trying to make it sound like you showed up after being called for, but you were literally just begging to be let out.\" Elisabeth and Kaito interjected at the same time. The paladins gripped the handles of their swords in unison. However, after realizing that it was just a phantom, they lowered their guards. Vlad's black hair fluttered as he smiled at Godot Deus. \"The last time was the inquisition\u00e2\u20ac\u201dno, it was the time when you spared no pains in tormenting me? To see one of the Church's high priests reduced to the same state as me... I never realized the Church was so fond of twisting the natural order. For the first time, I find myself intrigued in you fellows.\" \"I suspected that the dregs of your soul were still present in the world. How deplorable. After the Torture Princess's execution, we'll have to destroy you posthaste.\" \"Oh, you needn't worry about that. I hear Elisabeth intends to do me in herself before then.\" \"Even so, Elisabeth's servant's arm aside, things exceeding our expectations seem to be appearing left and right... This, too, must be one of God's trials.\" Half ignoring what Vlad had to say, Godot Deus shook his head again. After listening to their exchange, Elisabeth suddenly piped up. \"Aye, I was surprised as well. Does the Church not oppose defying death in such a manner?\" \"It is as you say. With my soul currently residing with God, by all rights, Godot Deus should cease existing in this world as quickly as possible. However, the people are in a panic. After all, I am the one among the high priests with the authority to command both the Torture Princess and the paladins. A man entrusted with a blade must not be put to his rest alone.\" Godot Deus spoke as though it were a matter that didn't concern him. Kaito knew next to nothing about the power structure governing this society. But he'd been able to piece together that command of the Holy Knights, an organization ranked higher than the Royal Knights, rested not with the king but with the Church and that they were an organization specializing in fighting demons. I guess I'll have to ask Elisabeth about the specifics later. As Kaito pondered that, Godot Deus made yet another astonishing proclamation. \"I am not the only Godot Deus who currently exists. Others are stationed all over the capital. All in all, from the shelters scattered about to the escape routes to the places connecting them, the sum total count of me's in operation comes to twenty.\" \"...What?\" Kaito let out a dumbfounded exclamation. He couldn't help but picture twenty Godot Deuses all gathered in the same room. Filled with instinctive revulsion, he furrowed his brows. The prospect of having multiple reproductions of the same soul at once was twisted beyond belief. From beside him, Elisabeth loudly laughed. \"Ha-ha, what a lark! To think of the Church's head priest sullying providence in such a manner! You lot truly do have your backs against the wall!\" \"Watch your mouth, woman!\" One of the paladins launched a sharp rebuke. However, the woman who'd guided Kaito and Elisabeth there lifted a hand to admonish him. After nodding to the woman, Godot Deus turned back toward Elisabeth. \"Once more, the Church calls upon the Torture Princess. Fight alongside the paladins and defeat the demon that invades the capital. Your foe is the final three of the fourteen demons. This shall be your final order.\" With that, Godot Deus paused for a beat. His gaze pierced Elisabeth with the intensity of a hawk's. \"Until the day of your death, try to do some good, at least.\" \"I'd have done all that had you told me to or not, you senile old man!\" The Torture Princess replied loudly to the Church's command. Her answer was accompanied by a truly fiendish smile. Godot Deus nodded, satisfied. Elisabeth scoffed, then tapped the map of the capital with her black-polished index fingernail. \"Now, this battle shall take place in an urban environment, so on the matter of how much I'm allowed to destroy...\" \"If I may, we don't need the Torture Princess's assistance.\" A clear voice rang out and interrupted Elisabeth's question. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes in annoyance. Kaito turned to look at the speaker. It was the female paladin, the one who'd just stopped her underling from chewing out the Torture Princess. He tilted his head to the side at the unforeseen opposition. On the other side, Elisabeth sneered provocatively. \"That reminds me, we've yet to hear your name. Who are you? What gives you the right?\" \"My name is Izabella Vicker, commander of the Holy Knights. Godot Deus, please know that I speak with utmost respect. We mustn't borrow the Torture Princess's strength. We mustn't rely on a sinner.\" \"Skip the sentimentality. State why you feel she is unnecessary.\" \"Yes, forgive me."}, {"text": "As per the previous meeting, once we finish evacuating the residents, we plan to launch an all-out attack on the demon with the support of the priests. And La Mules, the Shepherd, will be joining us as well.\" \"Hey, Elisabeth?\" \"Now, of all times? What is it? If it's some idle nonsense, I shall strike you dead.\" \"What's the Shepherd?\" \"A high priest who bears the authority to summon first-class mythical beasts and spirits. It would seem that quite the big shot has been slated to make an appearance.\" Elisabeth answered Kaito's question. From beside her, he saw her face stiffen a hair. Seeing that, he could tell that this person was the real deal. The paladin\u00e2\u20ac\u201dIzabella\u00e2\u20ac\u201dcontinued talking. \"In particular, the priests possess God's blessing, a boon that renders them inviolable by the hands of demons. The expanding demon body itself is unguarded, and the effectiveness of a magical beast attack should be obvious. Given those conditions, the Royal Knights and the paladins together should prove to be sufficient to subjugate the demon. We can settle this matter with mankind's hands alone; to rely on the Torture Princess now would sully the Church's pride.\" With that, she completed her dignified statement. The paladins around her nodded in assent. Upon hearing the paladins' true thoughts, Kaito's face twitched. The first one to respond, though, was Vlad. Tracing his own lips with his white, gloved hand, he laughed low. \"Strong words from a young maiden who knows nothing of demons nor, I wager, the touch of a man. Go on then, my dear successor, give them a piece of your mind!\" \"What are you guys, dumb-asses?\" Not waiting for Vlad to finish speaking, Kaito spoke of his own volition. Vlad's lips curled. Raising her elegant eyebrows, Izabella turned to face Kaito. \"What did you just say?\" \"That demon is swallowing people up one by one and tormenting them. Even if you guys could defeat it on your own, you should be looking for any help you can get, even if it comes from a monster. That pride of yours can eat shit. If you think you've got time to be spewing garbage like that, why don't you go march outside and take a good, long look at all those faces covering the demon's surface?\" Despite his rage, Kaito was utterly calm. His mind was cold and clear. His words themselves were coarse, but he layered them on in a level, icy voice. Then suddenly, he went silent. The gaze he focused on Izabella had no malice in it, simply pure questioning. \"Don't you want to save them as soon as possible?\" Surprisingly, no counterargument came. Disappointed, Kaito blinked. Izabella simply stared at him, eyes wide in puzzlement. Her face seemed ever so young and looked like she'd just been struck or like she'd just heard something she hadn't expected. She opened her mouth to speak. Before she could, one of the other paladins spoke up. \"Who are you to talk? You've got a monster's arm, and you made a contract with the Kai\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, precisely. How very right you are!\" All of a sudden, a lively voice rang though the air. Elisabeth clapped her hands together and grinned. As if inviting him to dance, she extended a hand toward the paladin about to make his rebuttal. \"And on that note, I shall return home! Good work, everyone!\" \"No, wait, that... Godot Deus has to...\" \"...And if I were to say that, 'twould be you lot who would regret it. To think that you failed to understand even that much. I'd thought the paladins would be able to at least gauge how outclassed they were. You lot are like children, ignorant of your own limits.\" Elisabeth delivered scathing criticism. The atmosphere in the room froze over with a loud snap. At least, Kaito felt as though it had. Upon being verbally abused by the Torture Princess, the same woman who'd once slaughtered their comrades, a number of hands reached for swords. As they did, Kaito raised his beastly arm. Then he openly displayed a terrible bloodlust he'd accumulated from tasting death hundreds of times over. \"Don't move. If you draw those, I'll make the first move. And I'm faster than you guys.\" The situation tottered on the precipice. Neither Godot Deus nor Vlad spoke, each surveying the other's movements. The paladins' eyes were filled with rage, and Kaito looked directly into them. \"Please don't make me use the Kaiser's power for something as stupid as this.\" Suddenly, Elisabeth moved. Paying no heed to the tension filling the room, she majestically spread her arms wide and stomped the ground. For some reason, she began twirling, and her dress fluttered behind her. \"God's blessing, eh? I see, I see. True, the Church's divine protection is effective against demons. However, demons exist to destroy God's creations. And that is what you all are. God's creations doomed to have your prayers dashed by the powers of darkness.\" The black cloth of her dress, the inside of which was dyed scarlet, spun like a pinwheel. Elisabeth continued in a lilting tone. \"The demons invading the capital are running rampant, drawing their power from the bottomless well that is the suffering of your people. As the mass grows, its collection of pawns continues to multiply.\" She loudly slammed the tip of her heels onto the stone floor. Having gathered the full attention of everyone present, she stopped in her tracks and smoothly extended her arm toward the ceiling. \"Numbers beget force. And one can accomplish much through the use of force.\" Darkness and crimson flower petals swirled at her fingertips, and she drew the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal from within the vortex. Unsure of her intentions, the paladins tightened their grips on the hilts of their swords. Not sparing a glance in their direction, Elisabeth clutched her sword and glared at the ceiling as if looking for something. \"As I thought. They're coming!\" As she spoke, the ceiling of the tent warped like a pool of water struck by a school of fish. A moment later, it teared open. Kaito's eyes widened. Cacophonous laughter rang out, and some sort of ominous white mass descended upon them. Elisabeth swung her sword and reaped several of whatever it was that assailed them in a single swing. She brought her sword around with a backswing, slaying just as many. Even so, the mass had a sizable number of survivors swooping down on Kaito and the rest. A huge number of feathers filled the air, obscuring their vision. *** Reflexively, Kaito used his beastly arm to shred something flying in front of him. Still unclear as to his attacker's true nature, he frantically fought back against the waves of animosity and bloodlust bearing down on him. The paladins, on the other hand, tried to avoid the initial attack and calmly assess the situation. The difference in their judgments caused their fates to diverge. Several of the paladins had their heads torn off with force that would have been unthinkable had their foes been human. Blood gushed and sprayed as their armored bodies spun. With comically heavy noises, they toppled to the ground. Scraw, scraw, scraw, scraw, scraw! Round objects flew through the air to accompany the shrill laughter. The paladins reflexively caught them, then screamed when they realized that the objects were their comrades' heads. Amid the chaos, Izabella was the first to react. She quickly drew her sword, then swung it in a semicircle. Its blade glowed white, as the priests had apparently consecrated it, and she sliced open the stomach of one of their assailants. Kaito turned his gaze toward the collapsed corpse. It was an underling with the body of a dove and the head of a fish. Like some sort of cruel joke, its feathers were white. Splattered by the underling's blood and trampling on its guts, Izabella shouted. \"Move! You'll make yourselves targets if you freeze up!\" \"Draw your swords, fools!\" Godot Deus gave a rebuke, as well. The paladins, who'd been caught unawares by the atrocious attack, returned to their senses and drew their blades in succession. While that was going on, Elisabeth was slaying underlings with gorgeous, dance-like movements. She wasn't summoning torture devices, likely realizing that the confined space would result in friendly fire. She was prioritizing the underlings attacking the civil officials. Kaito followed her lead. Their enemy's ranks waned quickly. Their grotesque corpses littered the ground. Other than in the initial attack, none of the paladins had fallen. Making sure they had reclaimed their original presence of mind, Kaito called out. \"Everyone, get down!\" \"Get down!\" Izabella echoed his shout. Immediately afterward, Kaito snapped his fingers. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (dance)!\" A massive blade flew through the air, just barely passing over the paladins' heads. Cleaved in half, the underlings toppled to the ground. Despite the torrential rain of blood pouring down on them, none of the paladins flinched. They quickly mopped up the underlings who'd evaded the blade. Eventually, the inside of the tent became quiet again. As though they'd traded places, screams rang out from outside. As she aggressively wiped blood off her face, Izabella spoke in astonishment. \"Impossible... The barrier!\" \"Your paladins formed a perimeter around the square and maintained the barrier from there. The barrier is hemispherical, and your men form its center. In short, the barrier's thinnest point is overhead... The underlings must have gathered there, then broken through with sheer numbers. 'Tis no hard task, should they be willing to sacrifice a dozen or so of their forces.\" As she gave her dispassionate analysis, Elisabeth strode forward. Her lustrous black hair fluttered as she turned to briefly look over her shoulder. \"Why are you all standing there so addled? If you wish to protect your allies and kill your foes, you'd best follow me.\" Her dress fluttered as she left the caved-in tent behind her. With Izabella at their head, the paladins snapped into action and went after her. Kaito was about to be reeled in as well, but he stopped himself. He quickly surveyed his surroundings. The civil officials were trembling, but none of them seemed to be badly injured. At some point, Vlad had vanished. He probably just got bored... What a carefree\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Huh? Then Kaito realized that Godot Deus was staring at him. After making sure his jewel was undamaged, Kaito nodded. After exchanging a meaningful glance with Godot Deus, Kaito ran outside. The moment he did, he sucked in his breath. *** There, he found yet another hellscape spreading out before him. Just like before, the dove-bodied underlings were lopping people's heads off one after another. Blood shot out of their dismembered torsos before they spun and toppled over. Their severed heads crashed against the stone ground, popping like overripe fruits. At the same time, other underlings were grabbing a dozen or so people by the arms and forcibly dragging them toward the mass of flesh. \"Ahhh! Ahhhhh! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!\" Desperate screams filled the air as the people's legs flopped atop the tragic corpses. They looked almost like marionettes, playing out an act in a cruel comedy. However, their crazed screams were no doubt the real deal. \"Heavens above!\" Unable to bear the terrible spectacle, even one of the paladins maintaining the barrier was on the verge of fleeing. Frantically, Kaito went to try and stop him. However, before he could, Izabella admonished the man. \"Stand your ground! Focus your mana on mending the damaged sections! We will deal with the intruders!\" Right as she shouted, a new black shape rushed in through the cracks in the barrier. Izabella looked up pointedly. \"...A second...wave?\" The final word of her sentence was tinged with bewilderment. As he looked at the reinforcements, Kaito's eyes went wide. He muttered in astonishment. \"No way... That's too cruel.\" The new underlings still had most of their human forms intact. Strange pink wings protruded from their naked backs. Each time they flapped, the"}, {"text": "human parts of their bodies were forced forward. Losing their balance, the underlings toppled to the ground. Seeing the underlings fall, the fleeing townsfolk stopped in confusion. From within them, one woman called out. \"Oh... You're Rohan, aren't you? Rohan! Dear!\" Forgetting the danger and dread consuming her, she rushed over to the bald underling. Based on the way she'd called his name, they were likely lovers or a couple of some sort. With seemingly rusty movements, the man called Rohan turned to look at her. The moment she extended her arm toward him, the underling's cheek swelled to the point of nearly popping. Coming to his senses, Kaito called out to her. \"Don't!\" With a pulpy noise, the man's tongue extended out from his mouth, and its soggy, bruised flesh wrapped around the woman's torso. Once he'd captured the woman, his pink wings began flapping, almost as though they had a will of their own. \"No, nooooooooooooooooooo!\" The woman was carried off toward the mass of flesh, leaving nothing but her screams. Seeing the act of violence carried out before their eyes, the townspeople scattered. The bald underlings' tongues and the dovelike underlings' talons swooped down on them one after another. Furious and repulsed at having been deceived, the paladins raised their swords high. \"Damn you!\" \"Eek!\" As they did, one of the bald underlings let out a frail cry. The human parts of their bodies were trembling. Their distended tongues seemed incapable of forming words, but if that weren't the case, they'd probably have been begging for their lives. Large tears were even welling up in their eyes. Demons didn't cry. Like it or not, the paladins were forced to realize that these underlings were still mostly human. All they had to do was lop off the pink wings, and they might yet be saved. Although nobody put that thought into words, hope flooded the square. As it did, a low, cold voice rang out. \"La Guillotine, Saint of Beheadings.\" Five vortexes of darkness and crimson flower petals appeared around Elisabeth, and five white figures emerged from within them, landing on the ground. The five beautiful saints raised their heads, their eyes shut tight. Their thick, straight, evenly cut silver hair swayed. While that was happening, Elisabeth clicked her heels. The saints tilted their bodies and their plain white dresses moved with them. Peering up at the sky, they crossed their pale arms over their chests before stretching back out. With a sharp noise, rectangular blades slid out from their elbows. The blades carved through both types of underling in succession, arcing in ways that defied the laws of centrifugal force. Unlike the time they'd been used at the Governor's manor, the blades returned to the saints' arms after reaching the end of their paths. Blood rained down in every direction. Perplexed screams filled the air. Among all the people present, Kaito was the only one with calm eyes. He nodded. Izabella said nothing. However, one of the other paladins called out in a quivering voice: \"We might have been able to save them!\" \"Idiot. Get the notion out of your head that any man turned into an underling can be saved. Discard your naive dreams. Killing them is the only option.\" \"You can't know\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"I can. I am more familiar with the work of demons than any other.\" After speaking firmly, Elisabeth clicked her heels again. The La Guillotines bisected the underlings one by one. Their pitiful corpses began piling up. Amid them, the Torture Princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbeloved daughter of the Kaiser's previous contractor, Vlad Le Fanu, and a woman who'd surpassed perfection\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmade a merciless proclamation. \"Harboring hope is worthless. Trust only in despair\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand fight back against it, so that you may find a chance to destroy it.\" Her eyes were fierce as she spoke. Kaito bit down on his lip when he heard her, as though he was listening to a tragic drama. Then a single paladin sprang into action. \"Ha!\" Izabella's silver hair fluttered as she gave a sharp fighting cry. She brandished her sword, severing an underling's neck. Its head, still that of a human, went flying into the air. Blood dripping down her porcelain skin, Izabella gave a resounding order to her troops. \"Kill them. That's my order, so I shall bear both the responsibility and the sin. Grieve not; just put an end to this.\" Looking at Izabella's bloodstained visage, Elisabeth narrowed her crimson eyes. However, she said nothing. Perhaps in order to encourage themselves, the paladins let out a sudden battle cry. As they shouted from deep in their abdomens, they raised their swords overhead. The Royal Knights followed in their wake. After that, the knights calmly carried out their work. Aside from their wings, the corpses that lined the streets were completely human. Eventually, the underlings were successfully exterminated. The paladins repaired the barrier. With the aid of the priests, they were also able to reinforce it past the point it had been at before. Transportation of the young and infirm began again as well, and the paladins formed an escort to hasten the escape of the able-bodied. After watching this series of events and gazing at the corpses piled up in a corner, the reality of the situation hit Kaito once more. These people are trying desperately to survive. That, and the fact that battles against demons were cruel and tragic beyond words. 2 A Moonlit Banquet No matter how stagnant it may seem, time always marches on at the same fixed pace. At the end of the battle, the sun had set, and night had finally arrived. The capital, cruelly transformed as it had been, was concealed behind a thin curtain of darkness. While it was likely only temporary, the mass of flesh had stopped expanding as well. Perhaps having sensed the decrease in available citizens to use as fresh materials, it had also stopped indiscriminately attacking. \"...That felt like it took a lifetime.\" Off in one of the square's nooks, Kaito muttered to himself. However, all the events that had occurred up until then had taken place in an almost bizarrely short period of time. There had simply been too many bloodstained tragedies, causing his sense of time to be completely distorted. And he likely wasn't the only one. At long last, the defenders had finally gotten some time they could use to take stock. However, the battle was far from over. Countless drops rained down upon the pavement. Drawn in by the noise, Kaito lifted his head. When he did, he saw a cylinder of white light appear around a handful of people, then transform into droplets and fall to the ground. When the light faded, the people who had been standing there were nowhere to be seen. The Church's teleportation circle was operating without rest. However, someone must have determined that transporting everyone present within the day was impossible, as one of the circles was being used to bring in troops and supplies from outside the capital. Using the newly delivered grain, the Church's nuns immediately got to work cooking gruel. The people waiting in line for the teleportation circle, having temporarily overcome their panic that had arisen out of nearly being slaughtered, voluntarily offered up their assistance. Sending them off with thankful gazes, the priests in charge of the teleportation circle took turns expending their mana. Beads of sweat welled up on their foreheads. And the people in charge of the barrier were even more exhausted still. I guess battles aren't only fought on the battlefield. However, Kaito was unable to assist them. The mana he currently possessed didn't solely originate from Elisabeth's blood; he himself had generated a large supply as well. But he'd obtained it from pain as a result of his contract with the Kaiser. It was incompatible with priests' mana, which the talented among them could obtain by collecting energy within themselves that they'd accumulated from prayer and that was apparently also called spiritual energy. And although he'd wrapped his beastly arm in cloth so as to avoid scaring anyone, there was a chance it would unravel if he lent a hand distributing the rations. ...Man, it hurts to admit it, but I really am part evil now, huh? As Kaito thought earnestly, he suddenly found warm steam gently caressing his cheek. Frantically, he looked up. Upon inspection, he discovered a chipped bowl of vegetable gruel floating in front of his face, and there was even a wooden spoon. One of the Church's nuns was holding it out to him with an affectionate smile. \"A blessing from God. Please have some.\" \"Wh...? U-um, I really shouldn't\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Don't be silly. If you don't eat, your body won't hold out.\" The young nun firmly pushed the bowl into his hands. Kaito frantically shook his head to stop her. The word inquisition flashed through his head, as well as the various fanatical, exhaustive, scornful things Clueless had said about heretics. Godot Deus's attitude toward Kaito and Elisabeth hadn't exactly been friendly, either. That was simply the way the Church's representatives were. If that was the case, then what was this nun's angle? Bewildered by the unexpected turn of events, Kaito avoided meeting the nun's gaze. Why would someone from the Church come give me gruel? Is it poisoned? Could there be poison in it? Could there? Then Kaito noticed something. Magical flames lit up the plaza from within a number of containers. The flames posed no risk of accidentally causing a fire, and their golden light served to warm those present. Amid the firelight, the nuns were walking about and distributing the gruel. It seemed they were handing it out not just to Kaito but to everyone who lacked the energy to go get it themselves. Kaito gazed dumbfoundedly at the proceedings. The nuns' faces as they recited words of prayer and concern for those present were filled with genuine kindness, the type Kaito had never experienced back when he was alive. Even though they were dealing with the Kaiser's contractor, it was difficult to see their actions as malicious. But if that was the case, then Kaito found himself with all the more reason not to meet her gaze. Won't it cause trouble for her if anyone finds out she was nice to a demon's contractor? Wait...could it be that she doesn't know who I am? With that thought, Kaito was finally satisfied. After all, his left arm was currently concealed by a bundle of cloth. While his military uniform would make it difficult for him to be mistaken for one of the townsfolk, he could easily have been confused for one of the mages simply taking a breather. It that case, what should I do? The nun's feelings would probably be hurt if she found out later that he'd been the Kaiser's contractor. He was at a loss. However, he didn't want to frighten her. And he didn't want to refuse the rare kindness. Ultimately, he ended up taking the bowl with his right hand. \"I'll take you up on that. Thanks for the food.\" \"No, thank you for this afternoon. May God's protection be with you.\" After closing her eyes and praying for him, the nun smiled again. Then she left, her thick black veil fluttering as she went. Taken aback, Kaito watched her go. Apparently, she had known who he was. And even so, she'd brought the food just for him. \"...Well, that was nice.\" After nodding a few times, Kaito began scooping the gruel into his mouth. A weak, salty flavor spread across his tongue. However, after a moment, the sweetness of the grain and the vegetables began to sink in. Due to the abuse he'd suffered in life, Kaito's sense of taste was weak. As long as it didn't have detergent or poison in it, he could eat just about anything. Despite that, although it didn't compare to the home-cooked meals his beloved Hina prepared for him, he felt"}, {"text": "that the gruel's flavor was more than decent. Warmth began to spread throughout his empty stomach. Then he finally realized how hungry he'd been. \"Even after forming a contract with a demon, I still get hungry, huh?\" After muttering to himself, Kaito tilted the bowl up and downed the rest of the gruel. Well aware of how poor his table manners were, he stubbornly scraped at the last few beads of grain with his spoon. Then he thought back to a similar scene he'd witnessed just a few days prior. A catlike figure scraping persistently at the bottom of an earthenware pot floated across his mind. Hmm... Now that I think about it, where'd she go? Standing up, he quickly looked around. However, the person he was looking for was nowhere to be seen. Given the fact that he'd have immediately been able to pick her out had she crossed his field of vision, it seemed unlikely she was picking up gruel. After pondering for a moment, Kaito set off and rejoined the end of the ration line. When he reached the front of the line, he handed his bowl back to the old witchy nun and made his request. \"Um, the woman I'm with hasn't eaten yet. Would it be possible for me to get another bowlful?\" Snorting out of her hook nose, the nun cast a sharp glance at Kaito's left arm. Pierced by her gray, knifelike gaze, he unconsciously straightened his posture. However, after a heavy silence, the nun shook her head slightly and refilled the bowl. Apparently, she intended to feign not having noticed anything. \"...Thanks a bunch.\" There were two meanings behind the way he thanked her, and after he had, he walked away. With the warm, steaming bowl in hand, he surveyed the plaza. However, as he'd expected, the woman he was looking for was still nowhere to be seen. \"Dammit, Elisabeth, where'd you get off to?\" In search of the Torture Princess's bewitching figure, Kaito set off once more. \"Ow, hey!\" About half an hour later, Kaito found himself being practically kicked out of the entrance of the plaza by the paladins. Behind him, he could hear the gate loudly closing. He had been well and truly locked out. After somehow avoiding toppling over, Kaito guarded the bowl in his right hand to avoid letting any of the gruel within fall out. Brushing his bangs to the side and wiping away his sweat, he turned back to look over his shoulder. \"I get that you're impatient and all, but would it kill you to be a little gentler?!\" Nobody replied to his angry outburst. The only response the row of paladins offered was their silence. Livid, Kaito ground his teeth. However, at the same time, he understood why they'd driven him so roughly from the plaza. After noticing Elisabeth's absence, Kaito had walked around the square in search of her. Drawing no small share of dirty looks, Kaito looked in every last tent, eventually going so far as to check under desks. Even so, he couldn't find her. As a last resort, he asked the paladins manning the perimeter if they'd spotted her. As a result, he discovered that she'd taken off on her own and was kicked out and tasked with bringing her back. \"As much as you hate us, you still want me to bring her back. If you understand how badly you need our help, you could at least try to treat us like we're on your side, don'cha think? Although...I can understand why you're so pissed off.\" Kaito mumbled to himself, then stole one last fleeting look at the paladins. Seeing their tense figures clad in their silver armor, he swallowed. At the moment, most of the barrier's maintenance was being carried out by the priests, releasing the paladins from their heavy, unaccustomed responsibility. However, just like during the afternoon, they were still guarding the perimeter in a state of high alert. While they were helping to supply the priests with mana, they were also serving as human shields. They were prepared for the fact that if the underlings pressed the attack, they would immediately lose their lives. However, the Torture Princess had simply forced her way through them. On top of all that, her servant had come nonchalantly strolling by with a bowl of gruel in one hand. ...Man, I was lucky I didn't just get punched. Realizing that the paladins could hardly be blamed for the way they'd treated him, Kaito heaved a sigh. Then he made his way once more down the road. With the plaza at his back and moans coming from the mass of flesh behind it, Kaito strode forth. Earlier, Elisabeth had told Kaito that many of the capital's residents were wealthy, particularly those who lived not in the mercantile or industrial zones but in the dedicated residential district. The proof of her words lay in the beautiful townscape stretching out before him. Each row of houses was ornamented with different-colored bricks, the hedges facing the main drag were beautifully maintained, and white stone staircases led up to the porches of the homes. It reminded Kaito of the touristy European suburbs he'd once caught a glimpse of on TV. However, the colorful, flower-laden townscape was currently steeping in an ominous silence. Not a single person was in sight. Fortunately, though, nor were any underlings. Back at the square, the paladins had selected the able-bodied from among those who'd sought shelter and sent their best men along with them to escort them out of the capital. They'd probably done a sweep of the underlings along their path. Thanks to that, I should be fine, even with the gruel tying up one of my hands. No longer fearful of dropping the gruel, Kaito energetically picked up the pace. Each time he neared an alley, he stopped, then peeked around its corner. However, he didn't find so much as a single stray kitten. It seemed that, for the time being, he was alone. The moment he realized that, an overwhelming silence filled his ears. \"...Here should be fine. And it's not like I'll really be able to chat him up once I've found Elisabeth.\" Muttering to himself, Kaito temporarily paused his search. After fretting for a moment, he let out a low voice from deep in his throat, one that sounded almost like a stranger's. \"Kaiser.\" \"You called, O unworthy master of mine?\" Darkness swirled in front of him. Thin strands of darkness spun together to form supple muscles and fine, velvety fur. Before long, a black dog as tall as the roofs of the nearby houses had materialized. While it was gigantic by nature, it could change its size at will. The monstrous beast glared down at Kaito, his eyes glimmering with blazing hellfire. Facing the magnificent hound that housed the Kaiser, Kaito posed a question to him without any trace of fear. \"There's something I wanted to ask you.\" \"What do you wish to know?\" The Kaiser's response was the very image of servility. Kaito scowled at the snide canine. \"Why didn't you pitch in when the underlings launched their surprise attack?\" Back then, the Kaiser could have woven his way through the obstructing humans and hunted down the underlings with ease. Despite that, he hadn't shown his face. For a moment, silence descended upon them. However, the Kaiser quickly snorted in derision. \"The answer is simple. I have no objections to destroying other demons to demonstrate my power. But why should I, the supreme Kaiser, be made to hunt mere underlings in the service of some humans? That is no task for a hound of my caliber. Are you such a fool that you would use a cannon to destroy an ant? Geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, fu-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. The Kaiser laughed in a voice that resembled a human's. Kaito narrowed his eyes, as though challenging the Kaiser. \"I'm your contractor. Isn't it your job to lend me your help when I ask for it?\" \"Don't put on airs, boy. You are my master, my catalyst, my tool, and my flesh. I am not the one being kept. Would you rather I consume you here and now?\" \"...Oh, I see. So you're gonna eat your contractor up, lose your link to our world, and go running back home just as soon as you got here. You'd be the laughingstock of humanity. Nobody's ever gonna wanna summon you again. Go on, do it. That'd be funny as hell, wouldn't it?\" Anyone who knelt before a demon would quickly find their head crushed. Kaito instinctively knew that trembling and abasing himself before the Kaiser would be the height of folly. That was precisely why Kaito was acting so haughty. As he spoke, a dull, heavy sound rang out. Kaito's left arm had vanished from the elbow down. \"...Huh?\" Blood gushed forth onto the stone pavement. The sole reason he was able to avoid dropping the bowl of gruel was that the fingers on his right hand had stiffened out of shock, in what could only be described as a miracle. In front of Kaito's bewildered eyes, the Kaiser spat something out. A lump of meat tumbled into the pool of blood with a heavy splash, and the black cloth wrapped around it came loose. Kaito stared at it, dumbfounded. The human arm, which had been largely transformed into that of a beast, seemed almost completely foreign to him. ...Wait, that's my arm, isn't it? The moment that delayed realization set in, an acute pain ran through his nerves. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dRrk!\" Kaito immediately choked back a scream. Before that point, he'd tasted the sharp pain of death hundreds of times over. However, even he was weak to surprise attacks. Closing his eyes, Kaito repeated two words again and again in his mind. Settle down, settle down, settle down, settle down, settle down! This is nothing. By purposely tasting it and acclimating himself to it, Kaito tamed the pain. A few seconds later, he'd completely regained his composure. The Kaiser's lip twisted slightly, as though in admiration. \"Oh-ho.\" Stooping down, Kaito set down his bowl on the surface of the road. It was, in a sense, foolish how he immediately prioritized the gruel's safety. He snapped his fingers. His spilled blood burst into crimson flower petals. They gathered at his wound, then returned to his body. Afterward, he picked up his left arm and pressed it against the cross section. His bare flesh and bones came into contact, and they made a splatting sound as he crushed them against each other. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (return).\" Darkness and azure flower petals enclosed them as a crude adhesive surface. Bone, flesh, and the fibers of his clothes all stretched out as though hundreds of tiny, ghastly hands had sprouted from them. They became intertwined, fusing together. In the end, it had all returned to its original state. Kaito immediately fixed his gaze on the Kaiser. \"You good now, Kaiser? You really gotta do something about that temper of yours.\" \"And you ought to do something about your habit of carelessly prodding your own beast... Hmm, it seems your spirit is unbroken. And I see your madman's guise is intact as well. Very well. Twisted as you are, I shall forgive your insolence. However, what do you intend to do about the contradiction you bear, O unworthy master of mine?\" The Kaiser flopped heavily onto his stomach. Resting his chin on his crossed forepaws and finally taking a proper pose to hold a conversation, he posed his question to Kaito. Kaito tilted his head at the sudden inquiry. The Kaiser blew air that reeked of rust out through his nose, then gave a throaty laugh. \"What, fool, had you not realized it? You are contractor to a demon, the very embodiment of power designed to destroy the world. Yet, you save others, receive their gratitude, and feel serenity. Absurdities upon absurdities. Such absurd, unsalvageable contradictions. Shame on"}, {"text": "you, boy.\" \"...You were watching that?\" \"And laughing all the while. You put on quite the unpleasant, unseemly show.\" The Kaiser snorted mockingly again, blowing fumes in Kaito's face that smelled distinctly of blood. Kaito clenched his fists as he cast his gaze down. The Kaiser was right. Given his power and situation, his actions were contradictory beyond belief. As Kaito mulled over that, the Kaiser went on. \"In time, that contradiction will become as a stake and pierce through your chest. Not unlike that woman destined for the stake.\" \"Elisabeth.\" Kaito responded to that part alone. He turned his thoughts to her inescapable fate. After they overcame their current predicament, Elisabeth would be burned at the stake. And given that he was her servant and contractor to the Kaiser, the fact that he hadn't hurt anyone wouldn't be enough to let Kaito escape being executed as well. No matter how many good deeds she piled up, it was too late for the Torture Princess to be forgiven. Kaito bit down on his lip a little. The Kaiser, watching him, laughed in a low voice. \"The power of demons is supreme, and it is first attained when one extends their hand past the limits of avarice and desire. Do not mistake that, boy. One who forgets their greatest wish is naught but a fool masquerading as a saint. Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain, I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Hmm? It would be inconvenient were I seen, as I care little for the squeaking of mice.\" The Kaiser said no more as his silhouette collapsed and his steely muscles and fine fur gently dissolved. He then vanished into a spiral of darkness, the afterglow of his hellfire the last to go. Wait, what just happened? Furrowing his brow, Kaito looked up in surprise. He saw a crooked shadow approaching from the end of the road. Worried that it was an underling, Kaito put up his guard. However, the shadow turned out to belong to two paladins. Due to the fact that one of them had been supporting the other's shoulder, the pair collectively appeared to be a monster for a split second. Their gait was unsteady. Did somehow aiding in the evacuation efforts get them injured and force them to come back early? With that as his hypothesis, Kaito began calling out to the two. \"Are you oka\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Come on, walk... I get how you feel, but we can't avoid headquarters forever. And unless you want someone to find us, you gotta stop that crying.\" \"Dammit...dammit, dammit... Dammit all to hell!\" Hearing their conversation, Kaito frantically shut up. Apparently, the two of them had temporarily slipped away from the square. On top of that, the one being supported was wailing and striking himself in the head with the hand not wrapped around his partner's shoulder. He was clearly in some sort of addled state. Ah, shit, that's not good. Glancing around, Kaito slipped through a gate someone had left open during their escape. Squatting behind a hedge, he balled his body up as small as he could. After all, there was no shortage of people who would bear animosity toward the Torture Princess's servant. And I doubt that guy wants anyone to hear him crying. Cautiously peeking through the hedge, Kaito looked out toward the road. Of all the places the two could have chosen, the two paladins ended up stopping almost directly in front of him. Kaito held his breath to avoid being discovered. Not noticing him, one of the paladins whispered as he tried to stop his coworker from harming himself. \"Come on, we can get them to let you rest with the injured. At least head to the first aid station until you've settled\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Don't be an idiot! The new kids would be anxious even in the best of situations; I can't let them see me like this! ...Goddammit, dammit... That was horrible... Dammit, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Ahhhhhh, forgive me... I can't... I can't keep this up...\" After regaining his senses, the paladin's cries grew even fiercer. As he sobbed, his legs got tangled up and he toppled over. However, his panic didn't abate. Crawling along the ground as he cried, he curled into a ball and began vomiting. Kaito couldn't blame him. He really couldn't. The reason he feels so guilty is probably because of what happened at the end of the search-and-rescue operation in the area around the fleshy mass. That was Kaito's hypothesis. The search-and-rescue operation for the people who hadn't been able to get out in time had finished around sundown. Although that mission had concluded, their work was far from over. If they'd looked between the buildings a bit more, they probably would have been able to find many more of the residents. In spite of that, though, the mission had been aborted. The reasoning was the fact that too many of the rescuers had been exhausted. Kaito, too, had participated in the mission, and he thought back to the events that had taken place midway through it. Most people who fell victim to demons met fates that were beyond description. The Church's staffers were well aware of that, and the paladins had likely made peace with that fact beforehand. However, the way the victims in the capital had been transformed was ghastlier than anyone had imagined. What had been particularly horrific was the state of the small theater designed for the children of wealthy merchants to hold singing recitals at. The Church had invested in the construction of the building\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand as a result, had been able to place restrictions on what could be performed there\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhich boasted a grand design. Its delicate stained-glass windows cast vivid lights onto the stage. When the mass of flesh had burst through the wall behind the boys and girls lined up on the stage, it had devoured them from the waists down and merged all their brains and organs together. They'd been transformed into blasphemous, repulsive objets d'art, completely unrecognizable as human. Heightening the horror of the scene was a statue of the bloody tear\u00e2\u20ac\u201cshedding Saint hanging from the domed ceiling, symbolically watching over them. Each time they were cut, the children cried out, occasionally lending their youthful voices to cherubic, haphazard songs. That was more than enough to stay the hands of the warriors sent to dispatch them, especially the paladins, the Holy Knights. The experience shattered their resolve. In the end, the duty of butchering the children fell to Elisabeth. She was the only one who never averted her eyes from the children's tragic figures. After that, no small number of young knights had fallen into critical states of psychological agitation. There were probably still survivors out there, hiding and trembling after having witnessed scenes of comparable atrocity. However, given the fact that the fighting was slated to grow only more severe going forward, they couldn't risk using up any remaining personnel. As a result, the search-and-rescue mission had been aborted. Even Kaito agreed that decision had needed to be made. However, there were still people like the paladins he had spotted who were weighed down with unbearable guilt. \"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Arghhhhhhhh!\" Even so, apologizing isn't going to make any difference. If I were one of the residents, nothing they said could make me forgive them. No matter how much they asked for forgiveness, to the people who'd been abandoned, the decision to stop searching for survivors meant everything. There was no doubt that those people resented the world as much as Kaito had in his past life, if not many times more. Kaito understood all that, so much so that it hurt. However, he could also appreciate the feelings of those who couldn't abide by not apologizing. As if to comfort him, the other paladin rubbed his vomiting colleague's back. \"...Yeah, man. That was horrible, all right. I'd never seen a place as close to Hell as that.\" \"People...people looking like that... Ahhhhhhh! It's sacrilege. Sacrilege, all of it. Saint, God, why didn't you protect them? So cruel; it's too cruel... And on top of that, why did we have to be the ones to do it? With our own hands, our own swords! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!\" Clutching his head, the paladin screamed. He banged his head against the stone pavement over and over. \"This isn't what our swords are meant for. It isn't, it isn't, it isn't. No, no, ahhhh. Don't look at me; don't look at me like that!\" \"Come on, settle down. I understand how you feel, but you have to get a grip. Please, you have to stop.\" The other paladin held him, though his shoulders were trembling as well. Kaito found himself on the verge of leaping out from behind the hedge. Wanting to tell them that they'd done nothing wrong, he spontaneously gathered strength in his knees. As he did, though, the paladin rubbing his screaming comrade's back\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwith questionable effect, as they were both wearing armor\u00e2\u20ac\u201dspoke up again. \"I can't accept our commander's decision\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhy not just make the Torture Princess handle the underlings?\" Wait...what'd he just say? Kaito could feel a chill spreading through his head. Because of the abuse he'd suffered in life, anytime his negative emotions crossed a certain threshold, their intensity would decline. In their place, he would regain his presence of mind and become calm. Kaito pictured the expression on Elisabeth's face back at the theater. \"How pitiable you all are. Go now to your rest.\" As she ruthlessly finished them off as gently as she could, Elisabeth had been the only one who never averted her eyes. The Torture Princess was the only one who'd witnessed that tragedy in its entirety. \"This isn't what our swords are meant for! We should just leave stuff like that to the person already burdened with sin!\" Geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, fu-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. The Kaiser's laughter echoed inside Kaito's ears. His voice sounded both contemptuous and disturbingly human. The fur on Kaito's left arm bristled, and the hem of his long black outfit rustled as he stood. He tore across the lawn with magically enhanced strides, reaching the gate in an instant. As he did, a dull strike rang out. \"...Huh?\" Kaito reflexively stopped in his tracks. Hiding himself behind the gatepost, he peered out into the street. There, he saw something wholly unexpected. The paladin who'd suggested they should leave killing the underlings to the Torture Princess had collapsed onto the pavement, and blood was running from his nose. A beautiful woman with silver hair and red drops dripping from her gauntleted fist was standing in front of him. Izabella Vicker resembled a sharp, refined sword as she spoke in a low voice. \"Is that all you had to say?\" \"...C-commander!\" \"We are the swords of the Church, the blades of the Saint, and the shields of the people. If we do not save the innocent who suffer, if we do not kill the underlings...then who exactly do we expect to bear that burden?\" \"Like I said, the Torture Princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"You would have us entrust those we ought save to another?!\" Izabella roared at the fallen paladin. Her cold, blazing rebuke echoed loudly. Timidly gulping, the paladin shook his head. However, he continued his complaint, his voice practically a shriek. \"But killing civilians...it's horrible. This is\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"What the hell did I tell you?!\" Izabella grabbed the man's collar through a gap in his armor. He was taller and brawnier than her, yet she hoisted him into the air with ease. His internal turmoil must have bubbled over, as tears began trailing down his face alongside the blood from his nose. Facing his emotional gaze head-on, Izabella shouted. \"You all should feel no guilt in slaying those warped people! If there is any blame to be had, then as the one who gave the order, I shall bear it, and I alone! When the time comes, the Saint's forgiveness will guide you to God's side. The people you slew could surely"}, {"text": "have no objections to that!\" \"Ma'am...Commander Izabella.\" \"Throw out your chest with pride and shed tears no more! I won't forgive any who hold your actions against you, even if it's you yourselves. And as for you...\" \"Ma'am, yes, ma'am! My apologies, my deepest apologies! I just, I...\" The other paladin leaped to attention, blood dripping down his forehead. He then dropped again to grovel against the stone ground, his voice high and shrill. Peering down at the clearly agitated man, Izabella gave him a stern order. \"Go rest at the first aid station. And don't you dare set foot on the battlefield without a healer's permission. Or do you intend to endanger your comrades?\" \"No, ma'am; understood, ma'am! I will do as you say, Commander!\" \"Then go\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand you have my apologies for not noticing your condition sooner.\" The prostrate paladin scrambled to his feet. Flustered, the pair apologized repeatedly. Then, realizing they had pressing tasks to attend to, they placed their left arms horizontally against their chests and bowed. After returning their bows, Izabella gave an affirmative nod. The two paladins hastened down the road to return to base. Through his tears, even the paladin who'd needed supporting up until then frantically pulled himself together. Soon, they were gone, leaving behind only a heavy silence. Izabella exhaled briefly and stared up at the sky. After a moment passed, she spoke softly. \"Are you going to come out?\" \"You noticed me?\" Surprised, Kaito stepped back onto the road. Izabella turned to face him. Her silver hair fluttered gently in the pale moonlight. Her blue and purple eyes looked like a pair of gemstones as they focused on Kaito. A gentle, somewhat exasperated smile spread across her face. \"Hard not to with you so eager to draw blood... Intriguing. At first glance, you seem accustomed to battle yet at times act like a complete amateur. First, let me offer you an apology. My subordinates were quite rude. It must have pained you, hearing your master slighted like that.\" \"I prefer to think of her less as a master and more like a friend.\" \"A friend?\" Yet again, Izabella responded to Kaito's words with blank puzzlement. With a childish gesture that seemed to clash with her sagacity and beauty, she tilted her head to the side. Noticing her confusion, Kaito unconsciously began babbling. \"She, you know, uh, there's a lot of things people misunderstand about her... I mean, she is the Torture Princess, so some of that stuff isn't really misunderstandings. But she's got good qualities, too. People think she's practically a demon, but she's not. Even now, she's fearlessly fighting on humanity's behalf.\" Kaito finished by turning a hopeful gaze toward Izabella, one that asked if she understood what he was getting at. For some reason, he felt like she would be sympathetic. Eventually, Izabella gave a slow nod, as though her perception had changed. \"That's a surprise. The relationship you two have is much better than I'd anticipated... I apologize for this afternoon as well. Although it's just an excuse, I did have a reason for the counsel I gave.\" \"Uh-huh?\" \"My younger brother was killed by the Torture Princess. As a result, I harbored doubts about your reliability.\" Without so much as a pause, Izabella revealed an astonishing truth. Kaito's eyes widened. Brushing back her silver bangs, Izabella covered her pretty blue left eye. She then wove her next words together as though she were telling a tale of old. \"Even now, when I see my blue eye, I think of him... He wasn't as skilled at magic as I was. People told him that it would be too hard for him to become a paladin. But his will to live and his sense of justice were strong. I'd braced myself for the day, but I never expected him not to come home from the Plain of Skewers.\" *** As he listened to Izabella's story, Kaito's thoughts immediately zipped back to a particular demon. They'd fought him almost immediately after Kaito was summoned by the Torture Princess. Down in a village full of slaughtered residents, the Knight had cried out like a madman, his arms and legs strung up in chains. *** His voice was filled not just with pain but with unadulterated fury. The eyes beneath his armored helmet had been startlingly pure and blue and just as beautiful as Izabella's. And the Knight's contractor had been rather young and looked to originally have been quite virtuous. Facing the man, Elisabeth had whispered gently to him. \"A survivor of the Plain of Skewers, hmm? It must have been painful. No doubt you detest me.\" That guy... Could he have been...? No, there's no way. \"What's the matter? You bear a strange expression.\" Izabella frowned as she looked at Kaito quizzically. After internally debating for a few seconds, Kaito swallowed back the words that had been on the tip of his tongue. \"...No, it's nothing.\" Even if my guess is right, telling her would accomplish nothing but bring her pain. Nobody would want to hear there was a possibility their brother had made a contract with a demon. Having made his decision, Kaito elected to stay silent. Wearing a puzzled expression, Izabella went on. \"I hear you were summoned as her servant from another world. That being the case, you may not be aware, but ever since the Plain of Skewers, every battle the Royal Knights and we paladins fought has ended in ignoble defeat. We had a duty to protect the people, not just from the Torture Princess but from the army of demons Vlad Le Fanu commanded. But until the Torture Princess defected from the demons and we obtained a temporary reprieve, we were constantly overrun. In order to maintain our fragile line of defense, we had to make many sacrifices, the bulk of which consisted of our most talented and experienced men.\" \"Wait...could that be why...?\" \"Precisely. As a result, many of our current knights are green and weak to psychological attrition. On top of that, most of our surviving senior members are people who were tasked with guarding the border of the area where the pure-blooded demi-humans and beastfolk live. And ever since the third peace treaty, that region has been the epitome of tranquility. For those soldiers to see such tragedies play out in front of them has no doubt sent them into states of panic.\" She made her declaration with lonesome eyes. An image of the calamity they'd seen floated back through Kaito's mind. That place had been a hellscape crafted from flesh and blood, a carnival of the cruelest variety. If one wasn't familiar with fighting against demons, it would have been a harsh spectacle to bear. However, not everything Izabella had to say was hopeless. \"However, with all our forces combined and with the help of the priests, I believe that we have the power to secure the capital's defense against the encroaching demon. Even though we're suffering attacks from within our lines, just as I advised Godot Deus, it should be possible.\" \"So what you're still saying is that you don't need the Torture Princess's help?\" \"I withdraw that statement. In fact, telling you that was my main reason for this conversation. Even if we do possess sufficient power to deal with this situation, just as you said, I wish to save the people as soon as possible.\" This time, it was Kaito's turn to blink. Izabella looked straight at him. Her gaze was so earnest it was almost scary. \"I will speak frankly. Even now, I find it difficult to fully trust you two. But between what you said and the fact that the Torture Princess remains on our side in the wake of Godot Deus's death, it's enough.\" \"...Ah!\" Oh, right... So that was another significance of Godot Deus's death! Kaito was shocked at Izabella's words, almost as though he'd been slapped in the face. The Torture Princess was bound by the Church's shackles. However, she could cast them off by forming a contract with a demon. If that happened, Godot Deus had agreed to stop her at the cost of his life and all the spiritual power he possessed. But now he was dead. Even so, the Torture Princess hadn't betrayed mankind. Kaito frantically racked his brain over the way Godot Deus's death had changed the situation. As he did, Izabella's voice quickly brought him back to reality. \"Please lend us your strength.\" Izabella's silver hair gently sparkled as though to blend in with the moonlight. As Kaito returned to his senses, he found Izabella bowing her head low. Before his flustered eyes, she made her calm, powerful proclamation. \"For the sake of the people.\" Abasing oneself before a demon is the height of folly. Kaito churned that thought through his mind. He knew that because he was a contractor to one, and the Church possessed enough documents and information on demons that they probably knew as well. The bloody annals of history should have taught them what happened to anyone foolish enough to bow before a demon. In spite of that, Izabella was sincerely bowing to Kaito. In other words, she thought of him as human. When he realized that, Kaito spoke. \"I'm...I'm Kaito. Kaito Sena.\" \"Kaito Sena...will you lend us your strength?\" \"Of course. You were... Commander...uh...?\" \"Izabella is fine. You may also call me Vicker, if you'd rather.\" \"Izabella, then. That's what I should be asking. Please lend us your strength.\" About to extend his right arm, Kaito changed his mind and went with his beastly left arm. As if testing her, he purposely extended it. Without a shred of hesitation, Izabella took her gauntleted hand and grasped his, the proof of his demonic contract. Fur and metal came in contact. Looking directly at each other, the two of them spoke in unison. \"\"Let's take out that demon together.\"\" As they did, a humanlike laugh echoed around in Kaito's eardrums. A low murmur grazed at his ear, one that both threatened and ridiculed him. You are contractor to a demon, the very embodiment of power designed to destroy the world. Yet you save others, receive their gratitude, and feel serenity. Absurdities upon absurdities. Such absurd, unsalvageable contradictions. *** Shame on you, boy. Even so, Kaito continued grasping Izabella's palm. As though saying that if he released it, he would lose something key to his humanity. About ten minutes later, Kaito set back out along the main road with his bowl of gruel in hand. Through some stroke of fortune, despite all the ordeals he'd been through, its contents still hadn't spilled. The fact that it hadn't gotten kicked by the two paladins had been nothing short of a miracle. When he'd gone to retrieve it, Izabella had exasperatedly asked him why he'd put it there. She'd returned to the square just a little bit ago. Apparently, after hearing that the Torture Princess, two paladins, and Kaito had all left the plaza, she'd come after them under the suspicion that a fight might break out. In other words, the moment she found Kaito and the paladins, she'd completed her initial objective. \"Hmm, now where'd Elisabeth get off to?\" Kaito, now alone, wandered about the wide thoroughfare. Before he'd noticed, the buildings around him had stopped being residences, instead becoming restaurants, shops, inns, and the like. In the distance, he could make out the outer wall surrounding the city's southern gate. But even as the townscape shifted to one suited for travelers, Elisabeth was still nowhere to be seen. Still not here, huh...? Don't tell me she went back already, did she? Then Kaito stopped in his tracks. He could hear a voice singing a beautiful song. The voice responsible for the gentle tune was one he knew well. Flustered, Kaito checked around to see where it was coming from. Then he noticed a bar-slash-eatery replete with shingled roof and copper signboard with its wooden door"}, {"text": "left wide open. The song was coming from inside. Kaito carefully ascended the stairs, which were made of brick and had been ground down by years of drunkards' footfalls. He cautiously peeked inside the store. Round tables were lined up atop the worn-out wooden floor within. And Elisabeth was sitting at one of those tables. She was crooning to herself as she bathed in the moonlight streaming in from the windows. Occasionally, she would kick her elegant legs back and forth, like a child playing in water. For some reason, cats were gathered around her. She stroked their soft backs as they nestled up to her, gazing vacantly off into space as the song drifted unconsciously across her lips. A smile played across her face, one that seemed somehow lonely yet also tranquil. After watching her for a moment, Kaito timidly called out to her. \"So...you like cats?\" \"Hwah!\" Giving a panicked cry, Elisabeth leaped to her feet. All at once, the cats relaxing at her side raised shrill meows and scattered. Whirling to face Kaito, Elisabeth struck an odd pose. \"K-Kaito! What are you doing here?! Don't startle me like that!\" The way she was practically hissing with anger resembled a cat with its fur bristling. However, her strange combat stance also called to mind some sort of bizarre bird. Trying to think back to where he'd seen it before, Kaito nodded. \"Oh, hey, that's the same pose the Butcher made!\" \"Do not go lumping me in with that man! 'Tis the height of disgrace!\" Elisabeth roared in indignation. Inside Kaito's head, his mental image of the Butcher was leaping up and down in protest. If the man himself had been here, he would probably have been shouting something about discourtesy. Plopping herself back down at the round table, Elisabeth crossed her arms. She scoffed in displeasure. \"Ha, it's not as if I bear any strong fondness for cats! I merely sat, and they approached me of their own accord.\" \"Oh, so you're the kind of person who cats are attracted to.\" \"Quit speaking of me with such peculiar warmth every chance you get!\" Elisabeth hissed with anger yet again. Kaito could practically see a bristling tail sticking out from behind her. Realizing that he'd be forced to sit on a ducking stool at this rate, Kaito shut up. After remaining angry for a moment, Elisabeth quizzically tilted her head to the side a little. \"Hmm? I shall ask you again. What are you doing here, Kaito? Too much time on your hands?\" \"Right back at you. Why'd you head out like that? Sounds like you're the one with too much time on your hands.\" \"Ha, fool. Should I rest for a moment in a place that ridden with knights, I should quite likely find myself challenged to a duel. And crushing all those fleas one by one seems like a hassle.\" Elisabeth shrugged. Kaito nodded in understanding. Given Godot Deus's orders, it was unlikely that anyone would try to kill her in her sleep. However, even in their current state of emergency, it wouldn't have been strange for someone to challenge her to a duel. There were probably also people who wanted to verify her power and true intentions before the decisive battle against the demon. As Kaito thought through that, Elisabeth's interest turned elsewhere. Turning her gaze to the bowl in his hand, she tilted her head to the side once more. \"Hmm? What might that be?\" \"Oh, right, here.\" \"Oh-ho?\" \"It's tasty.\" \"Hmm.\" \"Go on, eat it.\" \"Mm.\" After their mysteriously short exchange, Elisabeth took the bowl from Kaito. As she scooped at the pale-yellow gruel, she gave Kaito a dirty look. Kaito nodded, urging her to believe him. Still looking somewhat concerned, Elisabeth dutifully shoved the gruel into her mouth. A complex expression made its way across her face as she chewed. Eventually, she gulped down the mouthful, then murmured. \"Paddle.\" \"Why?\" Having a torture device summoned on him without so much as a discussion hadn't been what Kaito had expected to happen. Darkness and crimson flower petals swirled. A wooden stick laden with nails swung down on where Kaito was standing. Avoiding the merciless attack with movements that could either be described as graceful or weird, Kaito raised his voice in protest. \"Heyyyyy! I went through hell bringing that to you! And you repay me with torture?!\" \"Mm, it was dreadful.\" \"Whaddaya mean 'dreadful'? It was great!\" \"It was absurdly viscous and dreadfully pasty! This is some form of harassment!\" \"That can't... Oh.\" Snatching the bowl from Elisabeth and peering into it, Kaito stared, dumbfounded. Due to the grain that had been used, the gruel had hardened into a sticky blob. Dropping his shoulders, crestfallen, Kaito heaved a heavy sigh. As she watched him, Elisabeth snapped her fingers in acknowledgment and banished the Paddle. \"It seems harassing me was not your intention... Hmm? Hold on a moment, wait. Don't tell me bringing me that was your sole reason for leaving the square?\" \"It was, why?\" \"You fool! You leaving for such an idiotic reason is certain to draw the paladins' doubt! With master and servant having left at the same time, they're sure to grow suspicious that we're plotting something!\" \"Ow! Don't kick me! It's fine; Izabella's not like that!\" \"What do you think you're doing, acting so chummy all of a sudden?!\" \"We met a little bit ago and chatted about stuff! And, uh...\" Blocking Elisabeth's splendid roundhouse kicks, Kaito opened his mouth to speak. However, before he could finish, he felt a surge of embarrassment. N-now that I think about it, I have to admit, it was kind of an idiotic reason. But now that he was here, it wasn't like he could just turn back. Turning his head down a little, he gave his reason in a mumble. \"I figured you might be hungry... And it made me really happy when the nun gave me my food, so...\" \"That's all?\" \"That's all.\" Kaito finally turned up his head, as if to ask what was wrong with that. He threw out his chest with pride. About to cry out in anger, Elisabeth pressed down on her forehead. Her shoulders slumped. With a \"haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah,\" she heaved a gigantic sigh. \"So you came all the way out here to bring gruel to the Torture Princess, eh...? Your foolhardiness truly knows no bounds.\" \"I feel like you're making fun of me.\" \"That I am, fool.\" Elisabeth snorted. Sitting back down at the round table, she waved one hand aimlessly. Sensing that the disturbance had settled down, the cats began gathering back around her. They mewled as they snuggled up to her. As she carelessly stroked their knotted fur, Elisabeth gestured toward the edge of the round table. Kaito looked and found bottles of wine, smoked meats, olives, cheese, and the like lined up on it. She'd probably gotten them from the kitchen. Flower petals flashed across the mouth of one of the still-sealed bottles. A fragrance drifted out, and red wine spilled onto the table. \"Well, no matter. You're here. We may as well make the best of it. Make merry, Kaito, and drink with me.\" \"A party, huh? That's a surprise. Won't this be bad for the fight tomorrow?\" \"As you are now, your magic will purge the impurities from your system no matter how intoxicated you get.\" \"Damn, magic's crazy convenient.\" \"Go on, then. Drink.\" Elisabeth took the sliced bottle and tossed it to Kaito. As its contents came gushing out, he caught it. When he did, Elisabeth grabbed an already-opened bottle and took a swig. A black cat came and sniffed at the spilled wine, then tried to lick it. Watching it, Elisabeth quickly leaped down from the table and gently grabbed the cat by the scruff of its neck. \"No, no, none for you. Come, sit here now.\" The cat mewled after being placed on Elisabeth's lap. Watching the scene play out, Kaito posed a question to Elisabeth. \"Hey, what are we gonna do about these cats? Based on their fur, it doesn't look like they belong to anyone. Are they gonna be okay here?\" \"Hmph. If all it needs to do is transport cats, I can draw any number of teleportation circles. I'll toss them through later. If I stick them in some other town, they should be able to manage.\" As she spoke, Elisabeth scratched the cat's chin. The cat purred in delight. \"These little ones need not concern themselves with demon invasions and the like.\" Urging Kaito to try the hors d'oeuvres, Elisabeth gulped down her wine. As he watched her eat, Kaito was struck by an ominous premonition. Will Elisabeth Le Fanu ever have another chance to eat a proper meal outside the capital? He felt as though his wine had suddenly gone bitter. This was her final battle. Once they'd defeated the last three demons, there was only one path left for her. \"Hey, Elisabeth.\" \"What is it?\" \"The sides here are cold, and the gruel got all gross.\" \"Mm.\" \"After this, when we get back home to Hina, let's have something warm and tasty to eat.\" Kaito chose his words deliberately. However, no response came. Elisabeth remained silent. Kaito seemed like he wanted to speak to her again. However, as though wanting to prevent him from doing so, she took a big gulp of her wine. After downing a sizable amount, she began talking about something else entirely. \"At forenoon tomorrow, we meet up with the Shepherd and begin our all-out attack. Keep your wits about you.\" Kaito, having not heard about that plan, gulped. That was where their conversation ended. The Torture Princess had nothing else to say. Kaito did nothing but gaze at her beautiful face in profile. Then he suddenly realized something. That song just now... In truth, Kaito had never heard one of those before. After all, his mother had passed before he was old enough to remember her. But he knew that gentle melody couldn't have been anything else. That was... It was a lullaby. He was sure of it. 3 The Weapon of the Church The sky over the capital the following morning was brisk and refreshing. Its clear blue was highlighted by the floating white clouds. The weather seems kinda misleading when you think about how awful the stuff going on down here is. That was Kaito's reaction. As he walked forward, he glanced around and surveyed the troops marching around him. The paladins' silver armor was sparkling radiantly in the sunlight. The flag they were hoisting, which bore the image of a lily coat of arms and the suffering Saint, fluttered in the blue sky each time the wind blew. Its splendor seemed rather unfitting, given the stench of blood the wind also carried. Then Kaito reconfirmed the current situation. Many of the knights had been scattered across the capital, acting as escorts to the evacuation shelter, but they were now all marching as one. Besides the ones manning the perimeter and those in charge of maintaining the barrier, every last one of them was currently advancing toward the appointed location. It truly was all-out war. Kaito and Elisabeth were traveling in the company spearheaded by Izabella and Godot Deus. From time to time, Kaito snapped his fingers to mow down approaching underlings with his blade. Trusting his judgment, Izabella and the paladins devoted all their energy into checking between buildings to head off surprise attacks. Leaving the others to act as her outriders, Elisabeth simply conserved her power. Finally, Kaito and the others reached their destination: a hill. A graveyard spread out behind the hill, but from atop it, Kaito could look down and see the entire townscape illuminated by sunlight. Groups of knights and paladins from other refugee camps were supposed to be on standby after having encircled the mass of flesh that the King, Grand Monarch, and Monarch had transformed into. However, from this"}, {"text": "distance, it was impossible to confirm or deny their presence. As if in their stead, what Kaito could make out was a rather bizarre spectacle. \"...What's up with that?\" The area around the mass was stained gray for several miles in every direction. The buildings within the encroachment radius were weathered like old paper, and some of them had transformed into shapes and materials that defied the laws of physics\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsome glassy and vitreous, others foamy and granular. The gray world was silent. Color, time, and shape had all been robbed from it. The very nature of space shifted once past a certain threshold, as though it had been cut away with a knife. Kaito finally realized why the mass had stopped expanding. It was simply consuming its surroundings in a different manner rather than physically corroding them. It's destroying the world. Either instinctively or due to his contract with a demon, that was the conclusion Kaito arrived at. The Kaiser whispered low in his ear. \"Behold. Demons are those who destroy God's creations. This is what happens when we are unchained from our contractors' egos and allowed to wield our true, unbridled power. Now then, the Church. While they crown themselves with God's name, in the end they are but mere humans. Let us see what their play is\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthis is sure to be a spectacle most comedic. Geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, fu-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. The Kaiser laughed in a voice that sounded almost human. It seemed he intended to enjoy himself here. Not responding to him, Kaito surveyed the scene in front of himself a second time. A road extended out from the hill, leading to what had originally been the royal castle. However, the splendid castle, which had apparently been hailed as resembling an ivory rose, was currently nowhere to be seen. Nor was its garden or the myriad vacation homes belonging to prominent aristocrats. They had all been consumed by the mass. When the mass of flesh had first exploded out from a storehouse in the mercantile district, it had spread toward the capital's most important sector as though it had been aiming for it. In spite of that, most of the important people made it out, including the king. That had been thanks to Godot Deus, who had been attending a defense meeting in the capital after learning of the battle between the Grand King and the Torture Princess. He had single-handedly bought them enough time to evacuate. And once he'd confirmed that they'd all made it out, he committed suicide right before the mass swallowed him up to avoid presenting the demon with an opportunity to make use of his power. As a result, the Church had lost one of its head priests, one of the few people who could have stood against the three fused demons. Having lost his essential strength, the paladins were waiting with bated breath for the arrival of a certain individual. The Shepherd, La Mules. What kind of person could they be? She\u00e2\u20ac\u201daccording to Elisabeth, it was a woman\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas a high priest who bore the authority to summon first-class mythical beasts and spirits. The paladins, Izabella included, seemed to place a great deal of faith in her. However, her tardiness planted a seed of doubt in Kaito's mind. The Church's headquarters should have a permanent teleportation circle installed. If that's the case, then why is she so late? Given the current state of emergency, there was even less reason for them to be stingy in dispatching their high priests. Staring at the mass of flesh, Kaito crossed his arms. Sensing his irritation, Godot Deus called out to pacify him. \"Be patient, servant of Elisabeth. You will understand once you see her.\" \"When I see her?\" Not when I meet her? As Kaito wondered about that, a voice rang out. \"La Mules has arrived.\" A raucous, rattling noise echoed out alongside the messenger's report. A woman appeared, riding atop a wheeled wooden chair. Kaito reflexively gulped. The moment he saw her, his doubts had indeed vanished. La Mules looked to be more of a what than a who. Snow-white bands ran all the way down from her face to her feet, relentlessly binding her to the chair. Because of the way she was strapped to the chair's back and armrests, it looked almost as though she'd become one with it. It was impossible to even get a decent read on her build. Given that, it was almost uncanny how clearly her large eyes were visible from within the gaps in her restraints. A strangely innocent light burned within them. She looked like a piece of equipment or perhaps an infantile monster. Whichever it was, she certainly didn't appear human. \"It's been a while, La Mules. The fact you're still in good health must truly be due to God's grace.\" La Mules didn't reply to Godot Deus's greeting. Instead, she gnashed her teeth at her creaking metal muzzle. Drops of saliva dripped through the spaces between her restraints onto the ground. The paladins knelt in unison. Kaito reeled back a step in revulsion. Elisabeth whispered in his ear. \"La Mules is a high priest and has also been canonized while still alive. However, she cannot move of her own volition and possesses no will of her own.\" \"She doesn't have a will? What does that even mean?\" \"While their ranks are below his, first-class mythical beasts and spirits are similar in nature to God, and summoning them means dragging them down from a higher plane of existence. To do that, one must have a strong connection to God. However, aside from the Suffering Saint, none can hold that power within themselves for long and still retain their sanity.\" As he heard that gut-wrenching truth, Kaito's face stiffened. Looking back at La Mules, his mind raced in astonishment. So wait, as far humans are concerned, doesn't that mean that God and the demons are both just as fundamentally dangerous? Having guessed his train of thought, Elisabeth laughed quietly. \"It took you this long to realize, fool? God and Diablo both do naught but create the world and destroy it. Man was not meant to lay hands on their ilk.\" As the two of them were having their secret conversation, La Mules's preparations were proceeding. The paladins had turned her toward the mass of flesh, chair and all. They had also tilted the back of the chair to adjust her \"angle.\" Once they'd finished fixing her wheels in the ground with nails, they all fled from her side. Left behind, Kaito was at a loss for what to do. Then Izabella's directions cut through the air. \"You two should get back as well. It's dangerous there.\" \"Okay, got it.\" Leaving La Mules alone at the hill's summit, the paladins lay flat on the ground beside the gravestones on its slope. Kaito and Elisabeth followed their lead. After making sure everyone had evacuated, a young man wearing a dark-red robe who appeared to be La Mules's attendant reverently approached her. His hands trembled as he removed her muzzle, then crawled away on his stomach, as terrified as though she was some sort of carnivorous beast. For a moment, La Mules did nothing. However, she then gently opened her mouth, as though yawning. Saliva dripped down from between her uniform white herbivorous-looking teeth. The entire scene seemed steeped in madness, and Elisabeth murmured as she looked upon it. \"La Mules was born with many stigmata within her, and she can use them as summoning circles. But activating her requires the signatures of not only all the high priests but those of the royals and titled nobility as well. That was the reason for her delayed arrival.\" \"'Activating'... That's hardly a way to describe a person.\" \"Mm, not at all. She is a high priest who bears the authority to summon first-class mythical beasts and spirits in name alone.\" Before their very eyes, La Mules's jaw was gradually stretching past the point jaws were designed to. Yet, she opened her mouth farther still. Little by little, the tips of her lips began to tear. Even the restraints binding her face tore off with audible groaning noises. Then they were joined by a different sticky sound. \"...Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" Kaito's eyes went wide. A dimly glowing blob had burst out of La Mules's mouth. Its head was a dozen times larger than her face, and it was covered in a mucous membrane like a newborn animal. It was a grotesque scene, one in gross defiance of the laws governing conservation of mass. \"In truth, she is the greatest weapon the Church possesses,\" Elisabeth quietly continued. Then Kaito realized something. The blob was made out of soggy feathers. A gigantic bird was trying to make its way out from between her tiny lips. Suddenly, as though it had been pushed from within, the bird shot out. It broke free in one fell swoop. Kaito tried to take in its full hideous form. However, before he could, it gave off a short whooshing sound and vanished. Light shot forward from La Mules, and a striking wind burst out in a circle. The back of the chair twisted outward. As it did, all the buildings on the side of the road leading from La Mules to the mass of flesh blew into the air like rag dolls. Accompanied by a shock wave, something had gone rapidly flying toward the mass of flesh. \"She is little more than a living cannon.\" As Elisabeth spoke, something\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmost likely the bird that had come out of La Mules's mouth\u00e2\u20ac\u201dimpacted the mass of flesh. Jet-black smoke shot up. The faces of the mass's captured victims screamed in succession. Even the paladins trembled, their armor rattling, as the agonizingly sorrowful voices reached their ears. Kaito strained his eyes, trying to make out the mass behind the smoke concealing it. There was a deep, scorched hole bored into it. What on earth had happened? Kaito thought back to the events that had taken place over the past few seconds to try to get them in order. The bird La Mules made probably flew at it superfast, crashed into their target, then vanished. Then another weird plopping noise rang out. A second blob peeked its head out of La Mules's mouth. Holding his breath, Kaito watched over it. He tried with utmost composure to make out what was going on. Just like Izabella said, it's obvious how effective these summoned beasts are. Another bird was birthed from La Mules's mouth. The light blasted out with a short popping noise. The surface of the mass burst and scattered. The second bombardment had gone through successfully. However, Kaito tightly balled his fists up. ...It's going well, so why? A dark sense of unease was filling his chest, one that he couldn't suppress. It happened as La Mules was spitting out the third bird. \"They're coming,\" Elisabeth muttered in a low voice. At practically the same time as she spoke, a black shadow gushed out from the base of the mass. Countless black dots appeared overhead, as well. The two groups almost looked like armies of ants and flies. However, their forms were sinister enough to put bugs to shame. The mass of flesh was releasing underlings. The evil army marched through the gray space, traveling toward La Mules\u00e2\u20ac\u201dboth the cannoneer and the cannon\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwith fierce intensity. As he leaned over a gravestone, Kaito prepared himself for battle. Then Godot Deus issued an order. \"Hold your positions.\" With a slump, La Mules drew in her chin at a bizarre angle. Her line of fire shifted. The third bombardment shot forth. White flames exploded, gouging the mass's foot. The band of incoming underlings perished in the fire. Struck by the shock wave, the bird-shaped underlings violently slammed into the ground. Bones and viscera tore out of their bodies as they bloomed into pitiful crimson flowers on the road. Seeing La Mules's overwhelming power, the paladins raised their voices in awe. For"}, {"text": "a moment, even Kaito felt as though victory was at hand. Suddenly, the surface of the mass trembled and a chunk fell off. \"...Huh?\" Kaito narrowed his eyes in confusion. It was a chunk of raw flesh, but its form was like that of dough cut out by a child with a crude cookie cutter. Waving in the wind, the thin figure floated through the air. It was shaped like a warped human. It nimbly evaded La Mules's oncoming attack. It was slammed by its shock wave, though, and the figure drifted even higher into the air. However, it didn't look as though it had sustained any damage. Looking at it, Elisabeth furrowed her brow and crossed her arms. \"Hmm, 'twas originally quite different, but I remember that shape. Flesh in the shape of a man... I see. The Monarch has split off.\" \"Split off?\" \"They likely wanted to avoid all being targeted at once. Quite clever for a mass of flesh. The fruit of its survival instinct, I'd wager.\" Elisabeth nodded. Pursuing the figure, La Mules spun her neck with alarmingly smooth motions. However, her foe's movements were too quick, and she was never able to settle on an angle of fire. She's like a fixed battery. La Mules was unsuited for battle against a foe constantly on the move. Suddenly, the figure found itself assailed by red arrows. The paladins had been on standby throughout the town, and it seemed they'd launched a magical attack. However, the figure drifted lazily and passed directly over them. It was unclear what it had done to them, but their attacks came to an abrupt stop. The whole scene seemed somewhat ridiculous, which made it all the more ominous. Kaito felt a chill run down his spine. Shaking her head, Elisabeth spoke. \"The task is beyond them. I shall hunt him down.\" Godot Deus nodded. Using communication devices, the priests attending to him contacted what was likely another unit and told them to hold their fire. All the while, the strange figure was growing in size. Frowning in unease, Kaito finally came to a realization. No, that's not it! It's not getting bigger! It's getting closer! At the same time, Godot Deus cried out it a tense voice. \"Protect La Mules!\" The paladins moved in unison. As La Mules prepared her next shot, the holy warriors worked together to form a perimeter around her. A few priests took positions around them. The next moment, a deep noise rang out, and the massive humanoid figure passed over the heads of Kaito and the rest. The faces of a number of victims floated upon the surface of its flat stomach. Looking up at them, Kaito shuddered in disgust. He'd met the eyes of every single one of them. And they were all laughing. *** On an impulse, Kaito dashed. \"Oh-ho, not a bad decision.\" As the Kaiser's sarcastic compliment echoed in his ears, Kaito dashed up the footholds he'd unconsciously crafted out of darkness and azure flower petals. He reached out, grasping at a height that would have been impossible for a normal human to reach. With his beastly arm, he slashed at the faces lined up overhead. He crushed a number of them, and blood came billowing out. At the same time, all the intact faces opened their mouths. Bloodred drool rained down over the paladins. \"Ah, ah, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!\" Bloodcurdling screams rang out. Wherever the saliva touched them, the dribble melted the paladins' armor. A horrid stench wafted through the air. After eating through armor, skin, and bone, the fluid even bored holes in the ground. Kaito bit his lip in horror. However, he quickly turned his face away from the victims who were beyond saving and surveyed the extent of the damage. La Mules was unharmed, as the priests surrounding her had thrown up a barrier to protect her. On top of that, they'd used their mana to strengthen and consecrate the paladins' shields, and the paladins formed a seamless wall around her. The figure whizzed past the top of the hill, its movements like those of a breaching whale. Then it did a loop and came back, racing once more toward La Mules and her guard. As it did, the sound of a heel clicking rang out. A radiant woman stood atop the hill, facing the figure. \"It's been a while. I see you've taken on such a hideous form, Monarch.\" Her lustrous black hair fluttering in the wind, the Torture Princess squared off against her demonic prey. Having noticed her, the victims' faces on the figure's stomach opened their eyes wide. As though acting as conduits for the Monarch's emotions, they launched into an agitated, hateful howl. \"Elisabe...be-be-be-be-be-be... ElisabeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEETH!\" There were men's voices, women's voices, old people's voices, children's voices, and beastly voices. The cries of the victims were resounding. \"How miserable you lot are. How ugly and powerless. Wait but a hair longer. It shall take me little to snuff out your pitiful lives.\" Basking in their cries as if it was applause, Elisabeth drew the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. Crimson flower petals scattered as she swung it before bringing it to a controlled stop. She pointed its sharp tip at the Monarch. \"Splendid Executioner: The Boondock Saints!\" Darkness and crimson flower petals swirled above the buildings of the capital, then launched something toward the ground. Metal glittered as it descended with a thunderous roar. Lumps of various shapes and sizes heaped up by the hundreds. Each one of those lumps was a blade. Carving knives, shears, pocketknives, and spears all piled up in a purposeful pattern. One by one, the various blades interwove with an artistic sense of balance. Eventually, the giant made of blades was complete. Its torso was composed of every kind of bladed object imaginable. Its right arm, though, was adorned with an executioner's ax, and its left arm boasted a sword designed for decapitations. The blade giant rose to its feet with surprisingly delicate movements, then swung its executioner's ax. Like a slab of meat in a butcher's shop, the humanoid figure was cleaved clean in two from top to bottom. Despite that, though, each of its halves tried to scurry away. The next moment, it had been chopped into fourths. The giant had moved faster than the eye could see, catching both halves with its decapitating sword and slicing them horizontally. The figure had no chance to escape, and its flesh was shorn into pieces. Losing their strength, the tiny chunks collapsed to the paved ground. Without a moment's delay, the giant crushed them underfoot. As he watched the one-sided beatdown, Kaito suddenly realized something. The Boondock Saints and La Guillotine aren't torture devices, they're executioner's tools. Each time the blades flashed, the screams of the figure's victims grew quieter. Each blow sliced through every face in its path, so the sum amount of pain the giant was doling out couldn't have been that high. Those were probably the two that Elisabeth called on when she needed to end lives quickly. Eventually, and in stark contrast to its original form, the Monarch had been cut down to the size of a dinner steak. Suddenly, one of the faces on the remaining chunk of meat violently swelled up. It was unclear how it had fit inside, but a body dropped out of it onto the ground as though it were losing a tooth. That body was the Monarch's concealed true form. Unlike that of the Grand Earl, whom Kaito had once seen, the Monarch's skin was melted, and he looked barely human. The Monarch sat still, hanging his head as though waiting for the end to come. The blade giant raised its foot, looking to deal him the final blow. Wait a minute, that's...! As it did, Kaito stumbled upon an idea. He snapped his fingers. \"You're plotting something twisted again, aren't you, boy? Very well. I shall act as you desire.\" Answering his summons, the Kaiser appeared in midair. Kicking off against the ground with his steely feet, he dashed to the Monarch's side. Narrowly slipping between the giant and the road, the Kaiser grabbed the Monarch's neck in his mouth and withdrew. A loud noise rang out as the giant slammed its foot down onto the empty ground. The first-class hound had captured the Monarch alive. Having had her prey snatched from her grasp, Elisabeth whirled around to face Kaito. \"Just what do you think you're doing, Kaito?\" \"I had an idea. Would you mind letting me deal with him?\" Kaito responded with a request. Murder flashed across Elisabeth's eyes as she glared at him, and the knights around them cast distrustful gazes his way as well. However, Kaito pressed on without hesitation. \"It's not like he's strong enough to run. I can't tell you what I'm planning on doing with him yet, but...if worse comes to worst, and we don't succeed in taking down the mass today, then I think we're gonna need him.\" \"Even so, you intend to retain two demons in your custody?\" \"I'm not gonna make a contract with him. What if we left managing him up to the paladins?\" \"...And this is truly necessary?\" \"It is.\" Hearing Elisabeth's question, Kaito nodded with a serious expression on his face. The two of them glared at each other. Eventually, Elisabeth realized that Kaito didn't plan on backing down. Clicking her tongue, she heaved a sigh as she continued. \"While I know not what you plan for him, I'll admit there is merit to capturing him. I grant you my permission. However, don't you dare let him get away. Godot Deus, take heed. We're bringing the Monarch back alive.\" \"As Elisabeth says, there is value in capturing a demon. As long as he remains under Church supervision, I shall allow it.\" Hearing them agree, Kaito nodded. Not being overly fond of their annoying chirping, the Kaiser waited for the humans to reach their conclusion before dragging the Monarch over. Still hanging in the Kaiser's mouth, the half-melted man showed no signs of movement. After checking to make sure he'd been dealt with, the paladins separated from La Mules's side. Elisabeth did the same, turning the blade giant back into crimson flower petals. It was too small to be of much use dealing with the full mass of flesh. La Mules went to start her barrage back up. A fresh bird was on its way out of her mouth. At that moment, Kaito narrowed his eyes. He felt as though the mass of flesh, having lost the Monarch, was wriggling. The next moment, its wound frothed as though the spot had begun boiling. With smooth motions, eyes, a nose, and a mouth protruded from its surface. Above them, spiderweb-like fibers stretched out and began stitching skin together. Eventually, a man's face was displayed. Although its muscles looked flaccid, its chiseled features and virile masculinity could be clearly made out. It opened its thick lips. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dGraaah!\" A gray roar emanated from its dark throat. The paladins immediately threw up their shields. Working in unison, they protected La Mules from the discolored air. The priests also acted quickly and threw up their barrier. All of their responses were precise. However, the moment the roar passed over them, they dropped to the ground like puppets who'd had their strings cut. Even so, the rest of the paladins tried their best not to seem fazed and instead calmly tried to deal with the situation. \"Squad Two, advance!\" Following Izabella's orders, a different group of paladins raised their shields and, accompanied by a handful of priests, took their places defending La Mules. As they did, a convoy of healers retrieved the fallen. However, once they were safely on the back slope of the hill, Izabella checked their conditions and frowned. Peering at them alongside her, Kaito tilted his head. \"They're...just asleep?\" \"Yes, that's what it looks like. What in the world happened up there?\" The fallen"}, {"text": "paladins and priests were simply deep in slumber. While their lives didn't seem to be in any danger, they also didn't show any signs of waking up. Dropping to one knee, Elisabeth checked their pulse and breathing. \"Hmm, a spell designed to make them sleep, perhaps... She was caught in the roar; is La Mules\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Then something peculiar happened. Warped laughter echoed across the hill. \"Hee-hee... Hee-hee-hee... Hee-hee-hee... Ha-ha... Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.\" It was a voice one certainly didn't expect to hear on a battlefield. What was strangest, though, was where it came from. The paladins holding their shields turned nervously to look at its source. La Mules... ...was laughing like a child. La Mules laughed innocently, in a voice with a definite will behind it. That was when Kaito realized for the first time how young she was. Her voice was clear and beautiful, and she sounded amused, as though something pleasant had happened. After laughing for a while, she abruptly tilted her head to the side. \"...Hoo, wah?\" After saying some words that didn't seem like they bore any particular meaning, La Mules opened her mouth up wide. Then, after sticking her tongue out, she bit down hard. The muscles in her jaw were unnaturally developed, and she mercilessly put all strength behind the bite. She neatly cut off her tongue, and it flopped down comically onto the ground. It took everyone a moment to comprehend what had just happened. \"La Mules!\" A healer rushed up beside her. However, La Mules stubbornly refused to open her mouth. Several people grabbed her jaws, desperately trying to pry them open. However, their efforts were in vain. Blood dribbled from the gaps between her clenched teeth, soiling her snow-white restraints. Gazing at the ghastly spectacle, Godot Deus spoke in a subdued voice. \"They got us... But...how?\" Nobody raised their voice to answer his question. La Mules forcefully gulped down mouthfuls of her own blood again and again. Eventually, she convulsed, then stopped moving. A heavy silence spread across the top of the hill. Kaito reviewed the situation. After having fired off a single attack, the man's face had vanished from the surface of the mass. They'd been able to capture the Monarch. And they'd successfully dealt a good deal of damage to the Grand Monarch and the King. And the Church's ultimate weapon, La Mules, committed suicide. Those were the cold, hard facts of the scene laid out before him. 4 A Secret Date \"So what the hell happened to La Mules?\" \"The most likely possibility is some manner of mental attack.\" Atop her bed, Elisabeth crossed her legs as she answered Kaito's question. At present, the two of them were trespassing in an unoccupied inn. It had already grown dark outside. A few hours had passed since La Mules had abruptly committed suicide. Not knowing what the nature of the demon's attack had been, the Knight Corps had elected to stage a temporary withdrawal. Once they'd gotten back to the plaza, Kaito created a cage to hold the Monarch, imprisoned him, and turned him over to the paladins as promised. Afterward, he'd made the rounds and checked in with the guards and patrols to make sure the underlings raid they'd been concerned about hadn't taken place. The demon had sustained a great deal of damage as well, after all. Elsewhere, Elisabeth and Godot Deus had been conducting an emergency meeting. Once Kaito and Elisabeth had both finished their tasks, they joined up and, at Elisabeth's suggestion, took their leave from the still-chaotic plaza. Kaito ran the hypothesized cause of La Mules's suicide over his tongue again. \"...A mental attack, huh?\" \"Mm. As Izabella said, under normal circumstances, powerful priests obtain God's grace through prayer. Their very bodies brim with power, much like consecrated relics. But with the King as their foe and against a mental attack with no physical form...they naturally find themselves helpless to resist.\" Elisabeth bore a displeased expression as she put her weight on the mattress, which was piled high with blankets and stuffed with waterfowl feathers. The room was a private one and expensive even for the capital. It was nice and roomy, and all the furniture was of quality make. The corners on all the furniture had been filed down, so the shadows cast by the lamplight all drew smooth curves on the ground and walls. Idly rubbing the edge of the writing desk, Kaito frowned doubtfully. \"Elisabeth, you said that you'd met all the demons but the Grand King, right? Shouldn't you know something useful?\" \"Your point is painfully valid, but I know naught. Had I known anything of the sort, I'd have taken measures before the battle.\" \"Yeah, that makes sense.\" \"Neither the King nor the Grand Monarch possesses any talents of particular note... No, wait. Upon further consideration, that might not be true of the King.\" \"Whaddaya mean?\" On hearing Kaito's question, Elisabeth pressed down on her forehead. She frowned, as though rummaging through her memories of the days she'd spent as Vlad's beloved daughter. \"The King's prowess with arms was considerable, and he boasted that the talent itself was his natural ability. However, at this point, the odds of that having been a lie seem considerable.\" \"A lie? You mean he was lying to his own comrades?\" \"Mm, precisely.\" \"And he even fooled Vlad, huh...? Did the King really distrust his allies that much?\" \"Nay, his reason likely lay elsewhere. I just told you, did I not? He was fond of boasting about his prowess in combat.\" Elisabeth shook her head. Illuminated by the lamplight, she interlaced her fingers. \"The King seemed to hold Vlad, the Kaiser, in high esteem. But he was always the first to mock the Governor, who possessed an ability suited for naught but assassination. And even though his rank was lower than hers, he held the Grand King's powers of mind control in contempt as well. Although, in the end, that resulted in her getting the drop on him and stabbing him with her needles.\" \"Given her personality, it's no wonder she took advantage of that opportunity.\" \"What a pitiful fellow... It goes to show just how much credence the King held in martial prowess. In following, he likely just felt ashamed of his ability and concealed it from the rest. At this point, that much is clear.\" Kaito recalled the colossal face that had appeared on the mass's surface. That had probably been the King. The muscles in his face had been slack, and the impression he'd given off had been squalid. However, his physique had still possessed remnants of the chiseled, stubborn features of a warrior. Then Kaito stumbled upon a question. \"Okay, let's say that hypothetically, the King's ability is a mental attack. Of all the people who got hit, why was La Mules the only one to commit suicide, then? We don't know when everyone else is gonna wake up, but their pulses and breathing are all stable.\" \"Mm, and the curiosities don't end there. La Mules was a high priest, and God's blessing was strong with her. Furthermore, she didn't possess consciousness. In following, she should have been incredibly resilient against mental attacks. With all that taken into account, then, what in the world happened?\" Crossing their arms, the two of them sank deep into thought. However, they couldn't come up with answers. And there was nobody they could get information out of. Kaito had already asked Vlad if he remembered anything related to the demon's attack. Vlad had responded with a laugh. \"Oh, I haven't the foggiest. Hmm... Don't you think it's interesting, though, coming all this way just to find yourself facing a foe who holds fresh secrets?\" Given how excited he seemed, it didn't appear as though he was lying. Kaito furred his brow. He silently cursed at Vlad, lambasting him for his uselessness. As if sensing his thoughts, the stone in his pocket squirmed. Ignoring it, Kaito kept thinking. Eventually, Elisabeth uncrossed her arms and let out a heavy sigh. \"Given the information we have, giving the matter more thought is naught but a waste of time. Godot Deus had his theories as well, but getting wrapped up in conjecture is folly. One way or another, one thing's for certain\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe demon's been carved down a notch.\" \"Yeah, thanks to La Mules.\" \"Given the opportunity we've received, it's been decided that I'm to attack the demon directly tomorrow morning. Without firepower on par with La Mules's, any damage we deal the demon from outside will fail to keep up with its ability to recover. And long-range attacks could leave us vulnerable to meeting the same fate as La Mules. In following, I shall make for the weakened King and Grand Monarch and attack their true bodies directly.\" \"What?!\" Hearing Elisabeth's sudden declaration, Kaito unintentionally raised his voice. She frowned, as though telling him to quiet down. His thoughts racing, he immediately reprimanded her. \"Are you insane? What the hell are you thinking? We don't even know what the enemy did to us yet! A-and one other thing. Give me a second.\" Kaito hurriedly pressed down on his forehead. The words attack their true bodies directly repeated frantically in his mind. A twisted scene floated through his head. The area around the mass is stained gray for miles around. The buildings within the encroaching radius had been weathered like old paper, and some of them had transformed into shapes and materials that defied the laws of physics\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsome glassy and vitreous, others foamy and granular. The very nature of space had shifted once past a certain threshold, as though it had been cut away with a knife. It was simply consuming its surroundings in a different manner rather than physically corroding them. The world was being destroyed... And who knows what the hell is going on in there? The Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu, boasted absolute power. Up until then, she'd been handily slaughtering the fourteen demons. Even so, she'd never gone inside a space as bizarre as that one. \"This should mark the first time you've ever seen a demon literally destroy the world. Going in there would be suicide, even for you, wouldn't it?\" \"True, we know little of what's transpiring within the area of acute encroachment. However, our foe has already begun healing. Once it's finished, it shall resume accumulating pain, as well. The longer we leave it be, the more victims it will claim, and the worse our position shall grow.\" \"Still!\" \"It's not as though I yet lay in Sacrifice's clutches. As far as sheer power goes, I hold the upper hand. If you would not have me face them now, then when? And one other thing. Think back, Kaito.\" Then Elisabeth stopped talking. She cast a sharp gaze Kaito's way. He reflexively gulped. Elisabeth began speaking again, her tone deadly serious. \"When the battle is over, I shall be burned at the stake. In following, the Church is within their rights to order a sow such as myself to put my life on the scales. However, they're no doubt loath to send anyone else into the encroachment area. So the command they've given is appropriate. I have no objections nor any complaints. I simply intend to win. That is all.\" Hearing her say that as dispassionately as she did, Kaito clenched his fists. And the truths the Kaiser had dropped on him weighed heavy on his mind as well. Suddenly, he found himself at a loss as to how to express the turmoil swirling within his heart. I can't just tell her to flee. And the way things are, I can't forsake the capital. Furthermore, he was well aware of the grisly deeds the Torture Princess had committed. He'd witnessed the scars her slaughter had left on her hometown with his own eyes. Crimes ought to carry commensurate punishments. Kaito himself had once screamed that Elisabeth should just clean up her mess and then descend to"}, {"text": "Hell like she swore she would. However, the conclusions he'd arrived at were no longer quite the same. Godot Deus is gone. And the paladins have taken a serious hit. Maybe once everything's over... A thought crossed his mind. Would she still submit, once this was all over? However, in his heart, he knew. \"Having lived the cruel and haughty life of a wolf, I shall die like a sow. \"...For that is the choice I made.\" He knew Elisabeth Le Fanu wouldn't run. No matter how much pain and despair awaited her, she would accept the consequences of the life she'd led. Elisabeth Le Fanu would take responsibility for the horrible life she'd led. She would pay for her sins as the Torture Princess. As he racked his brain about that fact again and again, Kaito found himself at his wit's end. It's no good... What can I do? Closing his eyes, he desperately turned over his thoughts again. After thinking, thinking, and thinking even harder, he opened his eyes wide. Then, led by his heated thought processes, he made a truly odd proposal. \"Hey, Elisabeth.\" \"What?\" \"Go on a date with me.\" For the rest of his life, Kaito would never forget the face Elisabeth made in that moment. Thanks to her expression, the experience of being asked, \"Are you an idiot?\" became precious to Kaito for the first time in his life. \"Are you an idiot?\" \"Ah, there it is.\" He'd expected her to turn him down. However, the fact that he expected it didn't make her verbal arrow sting any less. He suffered a fair deal of emotional damage. He unconsciously staggered back a step. Before him, Elisabeth fiddled idly with the tips of her black hair. Surprisingly, she too seemed flustered. A moment passed, and Elisabeth went, practically grumbling. \"Or rather, how to put it? I fail to grasp your meaning, and I think it somewhat problematic for a married man to be asking someone out.\" \"I agree.\" \"And for that someone to be myself, well, then problematic all the more.\" \"Still agree.\" \"Hmm, might you be coming down with something? Did the King's attack hit you as well? You'd best turn in early. Don't go pushing yourself, okay?\" \"Man, what am I gonna do? This is the first time Elisabeth's ever been nice to me.\" The fact that she was so concerned for him was kind of sad in and of itself. Kaito reflexively looked off in another direction. However, he couldn't afford to give in that easily. After somehow scraping together his composure, he asked again. \"C'mon, let's go. We don't have to call it a date. I'm fine with whatever, I just want to take a walk around the town.\" \"I-is that really the sort of thing one ought to propose in the hours leading into a decisive battle? It feels as though you've lost your wits... Are you quite certain you're all right?\" Elisabeth stood up from the bed with great vigor, then pressed her pale palm against Kaito's forehead. It seemed she was checking to make sure he didn't have a fever. Kaito doubted that golems could catch colds, but apparently what he'd said had been enough to elicit concern out of her. Now then, what's to be done? I mean, sure...maybe I have lost my wits. At present, the capital was being overrun by a demon. There was no way of knowing where its underlings might be lurking. And Elisabeth was planning on heading to near-certain death the following morning. No matter how you looked at it, now was no time for a proposal such as Kaito's. However, he also knew that it was now or never. \"After you die, my inquisition is probably gonna end with me getting the death sentence.\" Kaito spoke. As he suspected, Elisabeth said nothing. The fact that the Torture Princess was going to be burned at the stake tied in closely with the cruel fate awaiting Kaito. As both her servant and the Kaiser's contractor, the Church was unlikely to forgive him. \"So I wanna check out the capital while I have the chance.\" Kaito went on. In truth, thoughts of his future weren't the main reason he was making this request. At the same time, though, it wasn't as though he was lying. After all, in his past life, he'd died surrounded by flies in the corner of a cramped little room. He did, in fact, wish to see the big wide world around him. Elisabeth thought on it for a few seconds. But after opening and closing her mouth, she heaved a deep sigh. \"Fine. I shall accompany you.\" \"Hey, thanks.\" Nodding at Elisabeth's response, Kaito extended his hand. He turned his palm up, as though inviting her to a dance. Then she reluctantly placed her hand atop his. With his still-human right hand, Kaito clasped her pale palm. And with that, the two of them strolled into the night. \"Hyah!\" \"Yikes.\" Before Kaito's eyes, Elisabeth kicked open the pawnshop's door. Her crimson skirt fluttered as she dashed down the short staircase. Bathed in the pale moonlight, she took a short leap before landing with both feet pressed together. Landing magnificently on the stone pavement, Elisabeth looked over her shoulder toward Kaito. \"How do you like that, Kaito?! I've done it once more! Tremble in reverence as you praise me!\" \"Yes, yes. Full points.\" Kaito's response came practically in a monotone. Elisabeth planted her hands on her hips in dissatisfaction. She was swathed in a crimson dress, a far more respectable one than her usual bondage outfit, with a high collar reaching up to her throat. It was an elegant, high-class article. However, when she did another spin, her immaculate shoulder blades peeked out from behind the dress's audaciously bare back. The inside of her skirt was all frills, and they spread out like the petals of a rose. She stopped in place, and they returned to their original position. Pressing her palm against her bosom, Elisabeth pouted. \"Now listen here, you! Show more enthusiasm when you praise me! You're the one who told me to change!\" \"I mean, I can't deny that, but...\" \"Heh-heh, 'tis quite the splendid find, for a pawnshop we selected at random! Unlike you, who appears seedy regardless of what you garb yourself in, 'tis showy and extravagant! Wouldn't you say so?\" Elisabeth's fashionable plumed hat began to droop. As she fixed it, she puffed her chest out with pride. Looking her over from head to toe, Kaito crossed his arms with an audible \"hmm.\" \"It does look kinda nice.\" \"Doesn't it? Then you ought to be more verbose in your praises. You're an impertinent one, for a servant!\" \"I mean... There is a reason I told you to change, you know. If you were wearing your Torture Princess outfit while we were walking around, running into someone could end poorly.\" \"Mm, we find ourselves in agreement on that point. 'Tis why I agreed to change.\" \"But when you think about it, what we're doing is really just looting. Are we gonna be all right with you picking out something so conspicuous?\" \"Don't go calling people looters! What a self-centered man you are!\" Elisabeth hissed in anger. Regardless of what she said, though, Kaito had been completely blindsided by how flashy the outfit she'd chosen was. He hadn't known that her tastes ran that way. Man, how're we gonna explain this if we run into any paladins? Kaito wondered, concerned. Elisabeth, on the other hand, hesitated for a moment\u00e2\u20ac\u201dno doubt deciding whether or not to call forth a torture device\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbefore snorting. She tapped her heel against the ground to urge him on. \"Well? What did you intend to do from here?\" \"Huh?\" \"Don't 'huh' me. I'll have your head.\" Pressing down on her forehead, Elisabeth took in a deep breath, then exhaled. Adjusting the angle of her hat once more, she raised her lips in a pout. \"This situation as a whole is foolish beyond belief, but having said I'd accompany you, I've accepted my fate. Rejoice. I know not what this is, be it a date or what have you, but I intend to accompany you to the location of your choosing! Be honored by my charity. Now, where did you want to go?\" \"Well, when you put it that way, I guess there wasn't really anywhere in particular.\" \"Just who do you think you are? I'll have your head!\" Elisabeth shouted at him, livid. Whatever she had to say, though, the fact remained that Kaito knew next to nothing about the capital. And even in his past life, he'd never had a chance to just go for a walk around a town. Telling a person like that to imagine somewhere they wanted to go was asking a bit much. \"See, the thing is...\" Kaito conveyed those facts frankly to Elisabeth. Murmuring her assent, she knit her brows as she nodded. Eventually, her shoulders slumped in dejection. \"Well, your past life being what it was, I suppose I can take your extenuating circumstances into account. But listen here, you...\" \"Yes, ma'am.\" \"Inviting someone on a date like that... Even I, the Torture Princess, find that a tad questionable.\" \"I agree with you completely. I have nothing to say in my defense.\" \"Given your sorry state, that wife of yours is liable to leave you.\" \"Hina wouldn't do that.\" \"In truth, I must agree.\" \"I've got an awesome wife, don't I?\" \"Mm, and one wholly wasted on you at that.\" \"Man, that hurts. Anyway...what about you? Do you have anywhere you want to go visit?\" \"A place I wish to visit, hmm?\" Elisabeth crossed her arms as she pondered this. As she did, the plume drooping from her hat rustled and fell directly in front of her face. With feigned composure, she brushed it back up. But it simply rustled back in her way once more. Rustle, rustle, rustle. After wrestling with the plume, Elisabeth eventually grabbed the brim of her hat with all her strength. \"Begone, you vexing thing!\" \"Now you've done it!\" Elisabeth hurled the hat high into the air like a Frisbee. It spun and spun as it fell. Then it landed precisely atop Kaito's head. Perhaps that was what she'd been aiming for. Flustered, Kaito lifted the hat up. Its sagging plume rustled as it fell in front of him. On the feather's opposite side, Elisabeth was grinning. Her white teeth glittered as she made her innocent declaration. \"Very well! Then let us wander about the marketplace!\" However, the mercantile district had long since been consumed by the mass of flesh. They had no way of wandering about the main market. And if they weren't careful and got too close to the mass, they could unwittingly end up initiating the final battle. Doing that would be idiotic beyond belief. However, according to Elisabeth, the heart of the capital lay elsewhere, which meant they didn't have a problem. \"While it's superior in scale, the market that the masses use here is fundamentally quite similar to the one we visited while in the Earl's territory. There's little novelty to be had there. As a special courtesy, I shall guide you and allow you to taste all the wonders this city and this world have to offer.\" Her narration brimming with confidence, Elisabeth strode rapidly through the residential districts, moving in the direction opposite from the location of what used to be the market. Kaito obediently followed after her. Eventually, the two of them made it to a particularly deteriorated section of town, near the castle gates. As he walked alongside Elisabeth, Kaito surveyed their surroundings. The road around them was surprisingly narrow. Even the main road looked like some sort of back alley. Unadorned, artificial-looking, boxy buildings were packed tightly along both sides of the street. Even then, at night, Kaito could tell how colorless the sector was. And it looked as though the"}, {"text": "rows of buildings had been intentionally built to look shady. It was a far cry from the townscape he'd seen in the rest of the city. Cocking his head in confusion at the strange ambience, Kaito realized something else seemed out of place. \"Hey, Elisabeth, why don't those buildings have entrances? How are people supposed to get in and out?\" \"Hmm, as I thought, you still can't find it on your own. Well, as far as magecraft goes, you're an amateur among amateurs. You're but a hair better than a layman. It's only natural.\" As she casually ridiculed Kaito, Elisabeth came to a stop in front of a building. Pressing her finger against a particular section of its wall, she released some mana. Pushed back by a spiral of darkness and crimson, certain rocks rumbled and sank back into the wall. In the distance, the sound of various mechanisms moving and meshing together rang out. With a heavy scraping noise, the wall opened up. Elisabeth laughed proudly as she strode inside. Murmuring that he'd underestimated the sector, Kaito followed after her. \"Wh-whoa!\" The moment he stepped inside the building, Kaito let out a cry of amazement. The room before him made it fully clear what Elisabeth had meant by \"all the wonders this city and this world have to offer.\" \"Wow, that's a surprise. It's quite the sight.\" \"Isn't it? Be grateful that I brought you here!\" Elisabeth puffed out her chest. Kaito earnestly bobbed his head up and down. The room's walls were radiating rainbow-colored light. It felt as though they'd gone inside a massive conch shell. The material it was made of was strangely supple, billowing in ways that ordinary human manufacturing couldn't possibly have produced. The parts that naturally stuck out were being used as ledges, and they were adorned with an assortment of bones. Casting her gaze over each of them in turn, Elisabeth took notice of one in particular. \"The shopkeepers took most of them with them when they fled. But some items yet remain. Look here, Kaito.\" \"Hmm, what is it?\" Elisabeth picked up a chain dangling from a lizard's rib cage. It seemed that the bones were being used to display the goods. Hanging from the delicate silver loop was a small stoppered bottle with flower petals suspended inside it. \"It'll only last for but a moment. Take care not to miss it.\" With that, Elisabeth held the bottle beneath Kaito's nose and uncorked it. Flower petals mingled with the wind that blew up at his face. For a second, he smelled a gentle aroma and felt the heat of sunlit air. \"Man, there's no way someone made this... Was that a spring breeze?\" \"Indeed, that it was! Good nose! Just as you said, sealed within this bottle is air from the prime of spring.\" \"Wow, that's kinda cool.\" The natural warmth quickly faded. However, the petals remained, dancing through the air in a gentle swirl. Kaito poked at it. The swirl banked left and right as though trying to avoid his finger before popping back in the bottle on its own. Elisabeth tightly refastened the stopper. \"'Tis intended as a souvenir for noblemen who come accompanied by their magician attendants. While they're more expensive than your everyday trinket, they aren't particularly useful, so they're cheaper than most other magical objects. 'Tis likely the reason the shopkeepers left it behind. Also, there's... Oh? I'd forgotten about this one.\" \"What?\" \"Try holding it.\" Elisabeth pulled a blue bowl out from the mouth of a wolf skull. Kaito took it from her. The bowl hadn't been glazed to attain its color; it had been crafted from some sort of naturally blue material. But although it looked like a hollowed-out jewel, it was strangely light. As he held it in his palms, Kaito gradually began feeling a familiar sensation. He hadn't known it back then, but magical devices carried hollowness and hunger within them. With his beastly left hand, he filled the bowl with the mana it so craved. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (overflow).\" As he whispered, water began gushing out of the bowl. As though in exchange, one loop around its interior crumbled away. Apparently, there was a limit to how many times it could be used. However, it would be more than enough for a short journey. Kaito let out a deeply impressed sigh. \"Damn, that's handy. Lugging around water is a pain.\" \"Unlike Vlad's castle, there are no full-fledged magical tools to be found here. In particular, combat-oriented goods are hard to produce without knowledge of dark magic. However, you can still obtain trinkets of this caliber in the capital. And that isn't all.\" Elisabeth took the bowl from Kaito and gulped down the water. Then, once it was empty, she placed it back in the wolf's jaw. Her crimson dress fluttered as she turned on her heel. Transfixed, Kaito stared at the curves of her bare white back. Looking back over her shoulder, Elisabeth smiled mischievously. \"Hold onto your hat. You've not seen the last Mage's Row has to offer.\" Elisabeth certainly wasn't lying. With each building she led him to, he found himself amazed all over again. After the magical curio shop, they visited several other spots. Mechanical birds crafted from springs and nails, screws and gears, and amber and iron. Medicines, antidotes, and poisons stored in multicolored ceramics. Jewels processed into unfathomable shapes. They spent a particularly long time engaged in a challenge at the herb shop. \"How is it, Kaito? Delicious?\" \"I...I feel like it's super-tasty, but at the same time, it's somehow super-nasty.\" Kaito gave his answer as he munched on his sandwich. It was smoked chicken on wheat germ bread, and it had some manner of unidentifiable bluish-green paste spread on it. There had been a recipe affixed to the shop's wall, with the title Medicinal Herbs You Can Start Using Today! Elisabeth had said she wanted to try it out, and they'd raided the kitchen to recreate it. Despite it being her idea, though, she'd refused to taste-test it, so that role had fallen to Kaito. The result of that had been the wishy-washy response he'd just given. Unsatisfied, Elisabeth furrowed her brows. \"What in heaven's name does it mean to be both tasty and nasty? That makes little sense.\" \"I don't have much of a sense of taste, so it's hard for me to explain. You could just try a bite, you know.\" \"Very well. Ahhh.\" \"Here it comes.\" Kaito stuck out the sandwich, and Elisabeth, having lost to her curiosity, ate out of his hand. Kaito was impressed at how vigorously she'd gone at it. After chewing for a bit, Elisabeth swallowed with utter dejection. \"...The acidity is rather invigorating. And the flavor is mellow and rich. Judged alone, its individual attributes are quite decent, but taken as a whole, they're altogether disastrous. In conjunction with the dryness of the bread and the chicken, the experience is rather disappointing.\" \"Damn, your food critiques are on point.\" \"Hmm, did I make a mistake with the recipe? It tasted like something you might cook.\" \"You make fun of me so nonchalantly.\" \"In any case, this stuff is beyond my comprehension. But if used properly, I feel as though it might bring new culinary horizons upon us.\" Elisabeth sat down on the old wooden counter. Gracefully crossing her legs, she snatched the open bottle. Hearing her words, Kaito nodded. \"If we bring that bottle back to Hina, I bet she'd be able to make something interesting with it.\" \"Mm, let's add it to the other souvenirs.\" \"Roger that.\" Sealing the bottle up tight, Elisabeth stuck it into the leather bag they'd pilfered from a general store along the way. In it already was a bottle with spring wind sealed inside, a clockwork toy butterfly, and a set of fruity tea leaves that crackled when you poured hot water on them. Snapping her fingers, Elisabeth pulled a coin out of thin air. She placed the designated amount of money on the shop's counter. \"That's coming out of your wages, you know.\" \"Sure. I mean, even if I saved up, it's not like there's much for me to spend it on.\" Ever since the pawnshop, the two of them had been leaving behind payment for the things they'd pilfered. Most of it had come out of Kaito's wages. However, Elisabeth had paid for some of the stuff out of her own pocket. Now, too, she was straightening her back and plucking a new jar out of the shop's hanging cupboard. After reading its label, she placed a coin of her own beside Kaito's. \"Hmm, then I shall bring her these dried mushrooms. It says their unique spiciness goes well in fried dishes and that they boast considerable benefits to one's health.\" \"Hey, wait, that sounds good. I wanna go with that one, too.\" \"Fool! For a man who's already maxed out Hina's affection levels, you ask too much! I'm entrusting you with all the goods whose quality is uncertain. I intend to be the one to bring her all the items sure to be well received.\" \"I want to make Hina happy, too, you know.\" \"Ha, 'tis Hina we speak of! She's certain to be delighted no matter what we bring her!\" \"I mean, you're not wrong, but still.\" Kaito's expression unconsciously softened as he imagined Hina's delighted face. Elisabeth nodded gently, too. Once they were done picking out souvenirs, they split the rest of the sandwich in half and finished it off. Kaito bowed toward the unmanned counter in thanks for the food. Elisabeth, complaining once more about the flavor, gulped down water. \"Ugh, I feel sick. Hmm? Hold on a minute. If dreadful food doesn't faze you, why did I not simply make you eat the remainder?\" \"C'mon, that woulda been cruel.\" Kaito nodded. Fair was fair. After kicking him lightly in the back, Elisabeth headed outside. As he gave his usual complaints, Kaito followed after her. By the time they made it out of the herb shop, the night had deepened, and the full moon had shifted its position. However, its movements weren't obvious enough for Kaito to tell whether or not it was the same as the moon from the world he'd come from. Besides, even if it looks like my world's moon, there's a chance that it's something completely different. All he knew was that the moonlight was distinctly brighter than it had been earlier. Bathed in its silver radiance, Elisabeth murmured. \"Let's go for a bit of a stroll.\" They walked in silence. After leaving Mage's Row, they returned to the residential district. Kaito then followed Elisabeth up a gently sloping road that led toward the higher parts of the city. He had no idea where she was going. However, their surroundings gradually began to look familiar. Wait, this is... Eventually, they reached the hill where La Mules had killed herself. The gravestones stood silently lined up in the dim light. Their cold stone faces were feigning ignorance as to the tragedy that had taken place that afternoon. In fact, they looked almost as though they'd forgotten they were hiding corpses beneath themselves. After taking wide strides past them, Elisabeth sat down on a clear bit of meadow. Without hesitation, she stuck her pale legs out from beneath her sprawling dress and clutched her knees. Kaito knelt down on one knee beside her. The two of them stared out over the town. Even then, in the dead of night, they could make out the black mountain of writhing flesh. Eventually, Elisabeth spoke. \"...Satisfied?\" \"Yeah, that was plenty,\" Kaito responded in kind to her blunt question. She nodded silently. A gentle wind brushed at their cheeks. Kaito smelled something rusty and rotting in it. However, he purposely avoided bringing that up. Time passed quietly. Gazing down at the malicious mass of flesh, Elisabeth muttered in exasperation. \"...So given our abnormal situation, what's your true objective here?\" \"I"}, {"text": "accomplished my goal. We were able to pick out presents for Hina.\" \"Ha, you just wanted to get gifts from the capital for your bride? What a faithful fellow you are.\" \"Now we just have to go back together so we can give them to her.\" Elisabeth shut her mouth tight. From beside her, Kaito examined her face. Her expression was pained, as though clearly stating that she understood what he meant. Still, he didn't falter. \"Now that you've bought souvenirs, you gotta go back.\" Elisabeth still said nothing. Kaito was about to say more. Then Elisabeth let out a light sigh and relaxed her whole body. Spreading her arms wide, she fell over backward. Eventually, she whispered about something wholly unrelated to Kaito's emotional appeal. \"Behold, Kaito.\" \"Behold what?\" \"Look at how bright the stars are. It's as though all the tragedies of the world are nothing more than illusions.\" Elisabeth spoke in a voice very unlike her; one that sounded almost as though she were dreaming. She didn't say anything more. After spending a moment puzzling at the meaning of her silence, Kaito broke the ice again. \"You know, I called it a date... I'll grant you that the phrasing was weird, but I didn't want to go alone. I wanted to walk around the capital with you.\" \"Why?\" \"I wanted to see what you'd do.\" \"In what sense?\" \"I wanted to see how you'd spend the time, knowing that the battle tomorrow could go either way and that certain death awaited you. And you chose to pick out souvenirs for Hina. 'Ones that would definitely make her happy,' you said.\" Elisabeth's response was delayed. This time, Kaito didn't look at her face. Glaring at the distant mass of flesh, he went on. \"Someone who was totally satisfied with dying, who'd given up on life, wouldn't do that, would they? Don't you actually want to go home?\" \"...Listen, Kaito.\" Just as Kaito had guessed, she didn't deny it. Her voice rang out softly, along with the rustling of clothes. Elisabeth had raised herself up and appeared to be once more clutching her knees. \"Look at me.\" Responding to her call, Kaito turned toward her like his head had been yanked. Then he gulped. Lowering her face to her knees, Elisabeth wore a gentle smile. It was the kind of smile one would direct toward a child who was asking for something unreasonable. \"You've killed none but your enemies, not a single innocent. You shoulder no sin. And for the innocent to be punished for their existence alone is absurdity. Once this battle is over, return to the castle. Then take Hina and flee. As you are now, you should have power enough to be able to evade capture.\" For a second, Kaito wasn't sure what she'd just said. Before he'd fully understood it, he instinctively opened his mouth to speak. \"What the fuck are you talking about?!\" \"However, you mustn't kill people. I forbid you from hurting them, as well.\" Suddenly, Elisabeth's voice became sharp. Her expression, too, transformed into that of a proud warrior. She gave Kaito a stern command as the Torture Princess. \"This is the final order from your master, the Torture Princess.\" \"Elisabeth...\" \"Don't give in to the demons' temptations. If you think you are likely to, then end your life yourself. 'Tis a heavy thing, to harm others, to be loathed by the world, and to constantly shoulder sins.\" The further she got in her sentence, the softer and more disorganized her words became. She closed her eyes, as though in prayer. When she continued, it was in a small voice. \"... 'Tis too heavy a burden for you to bear.\" Her hair gently rustled as she turned her head up. Her eyes still closed, she gazed up at the sky. \"The stars are bright. Yet, down here the screams well up.\" \"What do you mean by that?\" \"'Tis simply the way of things. The pleasant time we spent together just now does naught to change what has come before or the things that shall come after.\" \"Why does it have to\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"I drew enjoyment from people's pain, pleasure from their screams. Such was the life I chose. One must square their accounts for the tab they've driven up. Should the deeds I've done be forgiven, it would warp the world of mankind. I myself cannot allow that.\" Abruptly, Elisabeth opened her eyes. Kaito found himself speechless. Her perfect, jewel-like crimson eyes held no fear or hesitation. They were so tranquil it bordered on madness. \"The demise of torturers should be garnished with their own screams as they sink to Hell with no chance for salvation. Only at such a time is a torturer's life truly complete. And in this capital, a fitting stage has been set for that finale.\" \"A fitting...stage?\" Swallowed up by the beauty of her eyes, Kaito parroted her words back to her. Elisabeth nodded deeply. Turning back toward the mass of flesh, she resumed speaking. \"The Royal Knights belong to the king and the paladins to the Church. The Church may specialize in fighting demons, but they're also permitted quite powerful arms. That comes as a result of the fact that in this world, the Church's status is higher than that of the king's.\" \"...I...see.\" \"Whenever a king wishes to assume the throne, permission from the Church is needed. But the Church isn't a fully autonomous organization. While the Church has historically held a strong say in the way the kings have ruled, their decisions are also influenced by the times the country is facing. Given the unstable state the country is in, it will take countless years for people to return to the capital and for trade and commerce to recover, even once the demons are eradicated.\" Kaito nodded. He now understood a part of this world's power structure, as well as the trials awaiting its people. Elisabeth went on, even more dispassionately. \"Moreover, at this rate, the curtain will be drawn on the war against the demons far from the eyes of the people. They will find themselves unable to shake their fears, unable to purge their unease. Society requires a rite of passage.\" A moment later, Kaito's eyes went wide. Thus far, he hadn't been able to figure out the point of her story, but it had finally clicked. He'd realized what she'd meant by a \"fitting stage.\" \"You don't mean...\" \"The most effective method by which to unite people is to give them a common enemy. The Torture Princess has slain far too many. Burning her at the stake should prove a fitting symbol.\" Elisabeth looked at the mass of flesh, as though gazing toward her own demise. A self-deriding smile spread across her lovely lips. \"Despots are killed, tyrants are hung, and slaughterers are slaughtered. All for the sake of the people.\" Elisabeth's whisper was gentle, as though saying that that was simply how things were. That that was how things ought to be. Kaito clenched his fists. He tried to shout at her, but the words wouldn't come out. As he closed his eyes tight, a thought he'd once had crossed back through his mind. Something's wrong. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that there was some detail that was off about the whole situation. He bit down on his lip. The words he'd once spat at Godot Deus went off in his ears like firecrackers. \"If you guys had just been stronger, the Torture Princess wouldn't have even been born, would she? \"If someone were to ask if the Torture Princess was good or evil, then obviously the answer would be evil. It was crazy to ask the allies of her victims to come and save her. If I were on the side of her victims, then I'd be cheering from the rooftops to work her to the bone then put her to the stake. Which means that this doesn't have anything to do with you guys. I'm the one she summoned, and this is really all just me being selfish, so it's really my problem. \"What I'm trying to say is that person who saved me wasn't God or a hero. It wasn't faith, and it wasn't you guys.\" \"It was the Torture Princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe most evil woman in all the world.\" Why, why, why, why, why? Why? Why? Then Kaito realized something. Deep in his heart, a young version of himself was crying out. The young boy hadn't shed a single tear, even when he was kicked, and burned, and beaten, and had his teeth ripped out. Yet he was crying at the top of his lungs. As though to say that this, if nothing else, was unforgivable. \"I finally found a hero,\" he cried out. \"Why are you taking her away from me?\" he cried out. \"She saved me,\" he cried out. \"From a life that was fated to end in despair.\" \"She lifted me out of that hell!\" he cried. Kaito opened his mouth, then closed it. He tried to say something. He tried to make his younger self see reason, to respect Elisabeth's wishes. Yet, he didn't give voice to a single one of the objections and logical arguments that sprang to his mind. Eventually, he just gently grasped his crying self by the hand. Yeah, I know. I know. In this world, Kaito Sena had found someone to believe in for the first time. He'd found a family for the first time. He'd finally been able to take his life in his own hands. Who had been the one who'd given him all that? Out of the two worlds he'd lived in, who'd been the sole person to save him? Trust me, I feel the same way. At that moment, a quiet, firm resolution welled up within him. A resolution for his hero's sake. Kaito gently withdrew his teeth from his now-bloody lip. The confusion and anger he'd felt earlier had been completely wiped from his face. Elisabeth hadn't noticed anything. Turning toward her, he began speaking, his words as much for himself as they were for her. \"You know, you're the only one who ever saved me.\" \"...What are you talking about?\" \"The person who saved me after I was tortured and killed like a worm wasn't God or some noble hero. Those guys can all eat shit.\" Belief in God ran deep in this world, and Kaito's words were incredibly blasphemous. Without hesitating, he went on. \"The only one who saved from that hell was the Torture Princess. Just you, Elisabeth Le Fanu.\" Elisabeth's eyes widened. That probably wasn't anything close to what she'd been expecting to hear. It was rare to see her so genuinely astonished. She blinked a few times. However, she eventually shook her head, a thin smile creeping its way across her face. \"...And here I was, wondering what you'd have to say. Are you an idiot? Don't go getting all grandiose on me. 'Twas on a whim, nothing but coincidence. Feeling indebted for such a thing would be creepy.\" \"Coincidence, a whim, it's all fine by me. Hey, Elisabeth. I told you, right? That until you start walking the road to Hell, I'll try and stick by your side for as long as I can, even if I'm the only one.\" \"Mm, so you did. And what of it? That time is upon us, that's all.\" \"It's not here yet.\" Kaito spoke definitively. Elisabeth frowned at his strangely forceful statement. Looking into her crimson eyes, Kaito spoke with the sincerity of a man giving his wedding vows. \"I'm not going to let you die.\" Elisabeth's face froze. She looked like she was about to say something, but Kaito ignored her and stood up. He forced the bag carrying Hina's souvenirs onto Elisabeth. Then he ran down the hill at full speed. \"Hey, Kaito, wait! Just what do you intend to do?!\" Elisabeth shouted after him. But"}, {"text": "he paid no heed to her words and kept running. He had a single destination in mind. The square where the Monarch was imprisoned. When Kaito reached the square, he found himself once more enduring the glares of the paladins manning the perimeter. He began carefully observing the priests' barrier. Staring at it, he gauged its strength. Then, once he was satisfied, he asked to be let in. He received a dirty look but was able to enter successfully. Once he was in, he headed for the section of the plaza that had been curtained off to conceal it from people's eyes. The Monarch was sitting inside a thorny cage that Kaito had crafted with magic. A group of paladins was standing guard over it and directing uneasy, hateful glances at the Monarch's melted body. Before they could call out to stop him, Kaito snapped his fingers. When he did, a swirl of darkness appeared above the cage, and supple muscles and sleek fur began knitting together. The horrific black dog Kaito had secretly tasked with watching over the Monarch made its appearance. Lying sluggishly on its belly, the Kaiser swung its tail back and forth. \"You're late, O unworthy master of mine.\" \"Yeah, I just got back.\" Shocked by the Kaiser's sudden appearance, the paladins all let out distressed shouts. Ignoring them, Kaito called out to his beast. \"Looks like I'm gonna have to do it after all, Kaiser. Let's go.\" \"What a self-centered man you are, and what a colossal fool. But you amuse me. I have no objections. But get permission from the mice first. I don't care for their shrill squeaking. The fuss they make is disagreeable.\" With that, the Kaiser snorted. Kaito nodded, then turned around. As he'd expected, Izabella had been informed of the Kaiser's manifestation and made her way inside the curtain. \"Kaito Sena! Even if you're just using it as a guard, you need permission before you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Izabella, there's something I need!\" Beating her to the punch, Kaito nimbly intercepted her reprimand. Faced with a request, Izabella politely stopped speaking. Not missing his opportunity, Kaito spoke quickly. \"Seal the curtain and cast a silencing spell on it. And I need you to make sure Elisabeth doesn't get anywhere near the spot.\" \"What's this all of a sudden? What in the world are you intending to do?\" \"At the end of the day, my power's just a stopgap. So before we fight the King and the Grand Monarch, I want to build up as much mana as possible. But because of how much pain's involved, there's a good chance Elisabeth will try to stop me. Please.\" \"I can't in good faith give you permission to do something your master would prohibit.\" \"That's just a pretense, though, right? What reason do you have to doubt me? You got a report from the familiars they had observing my fight against the Grand King, didn't you? If I was planning on making a run for it and abandoning mankind, I'd have done it back then. You should already know that I wounded my own body in order to use the magic I saved Elisabeth with.\" \"That's\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Dark magic requires pain. This is necessary for me. If you don't trust me, you can put as many guards on me as you want. And if I do anything suspicious, feel free to stop me.\" \"Kaito, still\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"La Mules is dead. If the Torture Princess screws up, who do you think's next in line to fight?\" For the people affiliated with the Church, the wound from having their ultimate weapon, the Shepherd, commit suicide was still fresh and raw. Kaito didn't hesitate in stabbing at it. He also purposely gouged at Izabella's conscience. \"Who the hell do you think is gonna end up getting sacrificed for the sake of all the heretics and people who call him a monster?\" \"...And you're saying that this is truly necessary for you to fight against the demons?\" \"Yes. I promise I'm telling the truth.\" \"I understand... While I will personally be one of your watchkeepers, you have my permission. However, Godot Deus has the final say in\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Permission granted. Do as you wish.\" Suddenly, a calm, deep voice rang out. Izabella spun around. Kaito confidently locked eyes with the voice's owner. A priest whose face was concealed by a deep crimson robe was reverently carrying a jewel. A phantasm of Godot Deus floated above it. Narrowing his eyes as though trying to gauge something, he spoke. \"Servant, I can more or less guess what your objective is. However, there are bound to be benefits as far as our current battle against the demon goes. You have my permission.\" \"Thanks a bunch. This is gonna be good for you guys, too.\" \"I wonder about that... However...ah, yes. There is one thing I'd best tell you.\" \"What's that?\" \"Under normal circumstances, the Church does not permit replicating souls.\" Kaito frowned, confused by the expected statement. Unable to make out the true meaning of Godot Deus's words, he urged Godot Deus on. \"...So?\" \"Once this matter is resolved, all the reproductions of Godot Deus's soul, myself included, are slated to be destroyed.\" Kaito was shocked. The stone in his pocket holding Vlad's soul rattled around, as though Vlad found this topic to be of great interest. Kaito sorted through the pieces of information that he knew. Reproduced souls are nothing more than degraded versions of the person from when they were alive. Still, though, they have wills of their own. Destroying a stone with a copy of someone's soul inside was practically the same as executing a person. The way Godot Deus had died\u00e2\u20ac\u201dcommitting suicide so he wouldn't be of use to the demon\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas enough to let Kaito understand the resolve that members of the Church held. Once again, Godot Deus was marching toward his own death. At the same time, Kaito thought about why Godot Deus had told him that. Godot Deus worries for the people and trusts in God from the bottom of his heart. But he has a self-serving side, too. That helped Kaito realize that the resolve the Church possessed and the sacrifices they were making couldn't possibly have been his sole objective. Wait, could you be...? Kaito stared at Godot Deus, trying to figure out what he was thinking. However, it was clear to see that he didn't intend to say anything more. Eventually, Kaito stifled his conjecture and spoke. \"Sorry. I know that we're not the only ones being sacrificed.\" \"You have nothing to apologize for, servant. However, I wish to witness it. Though it may be for the sake of fighting demons, I wish to witness what it is that you intend to hide yourself from Elisabeth's gaze in order to do.\" \"Yeah, go for it. Watch to your heart's content.\" With that, Kaito nodded. After checking to make sure that the paladins keeping watch over him were in place, he turned back toward the Monarch's cage. The drooping man was hanging his head from atop the cage's metal floor. Snapping his fingers, Kaito whispered. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (rend).\" The next moment, blood spouted from Kaito's own arm. He started carving at his body with azure flower petals. Seeing his sudden, brazen self-mutilation, some of the paladins let out cries. Ignoring them, Kaito's fingers danced as he manipulated his blood. He used the spilled streaks of crimson to paint a magical formula at his feet and on the floor of the Monarch's cage. Interpreting its meaning, Izabella called out in a strained voice. \"Are you mad?!\" It was Kaito's second time drawing it, but anyone knowledgeable about magic would be able to easily tell how repulsive it was. This was a procedure that converted another's pain over to himself. His eyes filled with compassion and dry composure, Kaito whispered. \"I'm going to torture you now. It won't be much help, but here's something to set your mind at ease.\" He raised his arm overhead. The corners of his mouth curling up unpleasantly, the Kaiser smiled. The Monarch slowly turned his dissolved head to the side. Swinging his arm down like a conductor, Kaito made his declaration. \"This is gonna hurt me just as bad.\" The Monarch's torso tore open. And at the same time, Kaito's chest ripped apart. *** The Monarch let out a scream of pain. Blocked by the silencing magic, his bloodcurdling voice vanished before it could make it through the curtain. However, it forcibly burrowed its way into the ears of the paladins within. Their faces contorted in unison. Kaito delicately carved into the Monarch's body. He lopped off his arms, gouged out his eyes, and pulled out his innards. But because he was fused with a demon, the transformed Monarch didn't die. In addition, the magical formula was regenerating his body. *** As he screamed, the Monarch rocked his cage like a madman. Kaito ignored his wordless pleas. He waved his arm without pause. The Monarch's organs danced through the air, his cheeks were gouged out, and his legs snapped into fourths. As the Monarch's torture continued, just as Kaito had promised, he himself experienced the same pain. Occasionally, the pain would cause Kaito to die of shock. When it did, he would revive himself, satisfied with his results. Man, this really is more efficient than just hurting myself, isn't it? While he was dying and reviving, the magic he'd fired off ate away at the Monarch. It was a much more efficient way of gathering pain than simply tormenting his own brittle body. As Kaito and the Kaiser suffered more and more pain, the amount of mana at their disposal gradually grew. As they watched the ghastly spectacle unfold in front of them, one of the paladins muttered: \"...This is madness.\" When he heard them, Kaito elected to remain silent. He had no words to refute them with. He was well aware of how insane it was. His resolve and determination firm, Kaito continued the torture. A vision of the young boy who'd died for his sake, Neue, cast a questioning look toward him for the umpteenth time. But Kaito didn't turn to return his gaze. Just a little more, and he would reach the amount of mana he'd determined was necessary. Just a bit more, just a little more... Fighting to pour crimson water into his cup, Kaito desperately struggled to make it overflow. Eventually, morning broke. As the sun rose, Kaito lopped off the Monarch's head. The demon, who'd chosen a life of devouring people and in the end was granted acute pain, was finally released. He toppled over onto the stone floor. Blood dripped out of his pitifully convulsing body. Several times more blood was spread around the cage. The paladins were silent. Either fear or disgust had robbed them of their voices. Amid the overwhelming silence, Kaito quietly murmured. \"Good work, Monarch.\" With a bloody hand, he swept back his bangs. Clotted blood stuck to his cheeks. Even assailed by unimaginable pain, he hadn't screamed once. His face stained with blood, he smiled. \"Now then, onto the King and Grand Monarch.\" 5 Their Respective Pride Thinking back, it had been a while since Kaito had been reincarnated into this world, yet it felt like it had passed in a moment. He ruminated about the days they'd spent fighting the fourteen demons. The twisted, joyful life they'd shared sandwiched between them was finally coming to an end. \"...The final battle, huh?\" As he murmured, Kaito opened his closed eyes. This place was the final step on the stairway leading up to the gallows. The Torture Princess and her servant had reached their ultimate destination. The stone road leading to the mass of flesh extended out before him. Without warning, the ordinary, commonplace road became steeped in gray halfway down its length. The boundary line was directly in front of Kaito's face, as clear and obvious as though it had been drawn with"}, {"text": "a knife. Beyond it was a sight that would cause anyone looking to doubt their sanity. Everything there was stained gray. The surfaces of the buildings and trees were weathered, as though hundreds of years had gone by. There was no sign of life in sight, of course. Even the air itself was cold and firm. The dim rays of morning sunlight faded and vanished into the gray as well, much like how they would in the depths of a swamp. Kaito utilized all his senses to try to impress a comprehensible form onto the world beyond the boundary line. The space beyond here is practically a corpse in its own right. He felt as though he was standing before the carcass of some colossal creature with none of its presence or warmth remaining. The entire zone, which should have been teeming with energy, had transformed into a hollow cadaver. The space was death itself, and it was close enough for him to touch. \"I'd thought you'd vanished, yet here you are.\" The voice that called out from beside Kaito was accompanied by the hard sound of heels clicking. He cast a sidelong glance toward it. Elisabeth was standing there. Her arms were crossed, and her expression was sour. It made sense that she hadn't run into him until just then. When morning had come, he'd immediately left the plaza after getting dressed. He'd known there was a chance Elisabeth would try to stop him from coming. Kaito didn't give her much of a response. Elisabeth continued her cross-examination. \"Now, then. Exactly what were you doing that required sneaking about all night long? You were even crafty enough to get the paladins on your side.\" Kaito averted his gaze from hers. Looking back toward the section of the world the demon had destroyed, he quietly answered her. \"...Something stupid.\" As he spoke, he suddenly felt his earlobe get yanked. Elisabeth mercilessly pulled on his ear. \"'Tis entirely obvious you were up to something stupid, you fool! Don't go trying to play this off! Who do you think you are, Vlad?!\" \"Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! I don't mind the pain, Elisabeth, but it's gonna be a hassle sticking it back on if you tear it off! Also, I'm nothing like him!\" Kaito struggled, waving his arms in resistance. The threads of madness holding his face taut had abruptly snapped. Deep in his pocket, his stone rattled around to express its exasperation. Having sensed a change in his expression, Elisabeth snorted and let go of his ear. \"Well, I have something of an idea. Your stores of mana have risen, after all. You were up to something rather stupid, indeed.\" \"...Yeah, I figured you'd have me pegged.\" \"Ha, I still haven't the foggiest as to your true objective. No matter what drivel you spout now, nothing shall change, nor do I intend to let it... But at the moment, that power of yours is liable to be of use.\" \"You know, Godot Deus told me something similar.\" \"His judgment was the same as mine, eh? Very well. Do try to keep yourself alive.\" Elisabeth spoke, and Kaito nodded. At least she didn't tell me to stay out of it. Secretly pleased by that, Kaito surveyed his surroundings. The only person standing by his side was Elisabeth. The Royal Knights and paladins hadn't followed. If the unthinkable happened and the Torture Princess fell, they needed to be ready to take steps to abandon the capital and seal the demon within. Because of that, they needed to preserve as many personnel as possible. Godot Deus's decision had been correct. The Torture Princess and her servant would face death alone. Just like they had back in their first battle. Like always, and just like it was back at the very beginning, huh? With that thought, Kaito nodded. However, there was one thing he found disappointing. Not having the ax-wielding automaton, Kaito's beloved, by their side made him feel a little discouraged and lonely. But he took pride in the fact that he hadn't left the Torture Princess alone. \"Throughout Elisabeth Le Fanu's bloody life, she was accompanied by a single foolish servant.\" Kaito thought that sounded just fine. \"...Let's go.\" \"...Mm-hmm.\" Unlike once before, Elisabeth didn't accuse him of giving a response unbecoming of a servant. Side by side, the two of them stepped into the gray space. As they did, they crossed the boundary. The moment they did, Kaito was swallowed up by the space in which anything and everything was wrong. The Kaiser gently whispered in his ear, as though teasing him. \"Welcome to the world of demons. Welcome to the nightmare.\" I see. This is... What did it really mean for the world to be destroyed? What was the true nature of the deeds the demons committed? In that moment, Kaito truly understood. It was quiet there. And it was engulfed in an absolute, overwhelming sense of peace. Kaito's senses of touch, hearing, and sight collectively made that abundantly clear. In that gray space, everything was uniformly dying, being killed, and silent. Demons were beings who fed on the pain of God's creations. Normally, they would be surrounded by incessant screams. However, once they'd taken everything they could, the ruins they left behind were enveloped in a surprising degree of tranquility. In a way, this made sense. Once something had been destroyed all the way to its very core, nothing possessed the means to destroy it further. Diablo destroys the world, and God creates it. At the moment, that place was waiting for God to come reassemble it. In this achromatic world, the living were clearly the foreign ones. Perplexed by the fact that they were the ones disturbing the tranquility, Kaito suddenly realized something. Demons are fundamentally evil. But at the same time, human morals don't apply to them. The words Vlad had once spoken to him crossed back through his ears. \"Before they're summoned, they exist in a higher dimension. They don't possess human thoughts, they cannot use speech, and they aren't equipped with senses. When the higher-ranked demons materialize, they reflect their summoner and lower themselves such that they can understand each other as simple, evil souls. \"If they didn't, we humans wouldn't even be able to comprehend their existence.\" \"...An evil that humans can't even comprehend.\" As he repeated those words to himself, Kaito came to realize something. The demons fundamentally differed from the way human society defined evil. In the past, Kaito had faced off against the fourteen demons and witnessed firsthand the acts of cruelty they'd committed. But here in this quiet world marked the first time that his body stiffened not with rage but with sheer terror. Once demons wielded their true power, they didn't have anything humans might regard as an objective. There was only pure, absolute destruction. Kaito now viscerally understood that. God and Diablo weren't entities man was supposed to interact with. \"What the hell was Vlad thinking, summoning something like that?\" \"A perfectly reasonable question, my dear successor. But it's only human to take that which we cannot comprehend and, while still ignorant of its true nature, use it for our own ends.\" Suddenly, Vlad's voice echoed throughout the gray world. Kaito raised his head in surprise and looked in the opposite direction from where Elisabeth was standing. \"By summoning demons and dragging them down to our level, we obtained power. Perhaps it wasn't respectable, but I'd rather not be unjustly accused of folly.\" At some point, his slender figure had floated up. His long legs were crossed, as though he were sitting in a chair. As he spoke, he wore a smile that could best be described as beguiling. \"We were carnivorous by nature\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's only human to want to consume everything one can.\" Vlad theatrically extended one hand in front of himself as he spoke. As he looked up at Vlad's androgynous features, Kaito ignored most of what he was saying and dejectedly asked him a question. \"Hey, Vlad. I didn't run any magic through your stone, so how did you materialize?\" \"The rules from outside don't apply in this hollow space, you see. In the face of 'zero,' both the living and reproduction of souls in stones amount to 'ones' equally. While I don't possess flesh, my soul is given form in the truest sense in here. Or rather, though I say all that, I couldn't really tell you what the underlying principles are or how they work. My research is lacking. I must admit, though, being able to take form on my own is quite pleasant... Oh, careful there.\" Vlad's face forcefully blurred out. A sharp fang was piercing through his phantasmal body. Kaito assumed it was Elisabeth harassing him, but in truth, it was the Kaiser. The first-rate hound had also materialized in this space, likely irrespective of his own will. As the Kaiser bit down hard into him, Vlad shrugged in annoyance. \"What might be the matter, Kaiser? I'd thought your anger had somewhat abated.\" \"Fool! Just now, you were mocking us demons! 'Wanting to consume everything in sight'... Cease your chittering, you weak meager half-wit who went and died beyond my reach! You run your grating mouth too much, O He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind!\" \"Good heavens, aren't you on a short fuse. Just whose influence could that have been caused by...? Oh, easy now.\" Once again, his face blurred in an amusing fashion. This time, it was due to Elisabeth's stakes. At that, even Vlad's expression soured. Given his temperament, he probably didn't much care for situations where he was unable to show off. Turning toward Elisabeth, Vlad made his protest. \"While I'd love to let you play your adorable little pranks, would you mind giving it a rest, Elisabeth? Surely now is no time to be wasting your mana like that.\" \"Ha, worry not. It takes nearly no mana at all to pierce your unsightly visage.\" \"You say that, but you mustn't let your guard down... As my dear successor just heard from the Kaiser, this here is the world of demons.\" Suddenly, Vlad's lips curled up. He opened his arms wide. Regaining his normal demeanor, he spoke in an unpleasant tone. \"Truly, the depths of man's nightmare. And don't think you're safe just because it's silent. Even this space, engulfed as it is in endless tranquility, will spit out fresh pain in order to expel foreign contaminants.\" His movements theatrical, Vlad nimbly extended his arm and pointed deep into the hazy, gray world. Kaito followed to where Vlad was pointing. As he did, his hazy, muddied vision instantly cleared up. A shade of raw crimson peered out in the distance. Upon further inspection, it was writhing. The wall of flesh towered high above their heads, pulsating as though it were the very heart of the world. \"See, they're coming.\" Vlad spoke in an amused, half-mocking voice. His words were like a cue. The silence and tranquility crumbled. Kaito gulped. A wave of pain was billowing forth from the base of the mass of flesh. More underlings than he'd ever seen before were advancing on him and Elisabeth. Death howled. Pain clamored. The grotesque horde approached. They were all lined up, like a parade or an orchestra, appearing loudly and boisterously. The tumult they caused made it seem as though all the pain in the world had gathered in one place. Because of the emergency missive Elisabeth had received from the Church, Kaito had been aware of the fact that when the mass of flesh had first explosively expanded, it had slaughtered as many as a third of the capital's inhabitants. To be more precise, it had either forcibly transformed them into underlings or left them as humans just to gruesomely kill them. However, it was only when he was faced with the host before him that he realized just how insufficient his imagination was in comprehending the scope"}, {"text": "of the casualties. The crimson-, peach-, black-, and rust-colored underlings filled the horizon to the limit. The underlings who had assaulted the square and the ones who'd been killed by La Mules must have been nothing more than a fraction of their ranks. Even just counting the ones in Kaito's field of view, they numbered well into the thousands. Having sensed enemies approaching the mass of flesh that was their master, the underlings' ranks swelled by the minute. One by one, they raised resentful cries against those who had survived. Then they advanced forward in a wave. Normal humans would have had no means of going up against that army. But Kaito knew that the woman standing before them was in a league of her own. The Torture Princess was a peerless sinner, one who'd slaughtered the entire population of her fiefdom. \"Reenactment of the Plain of Skewers: Impaled Victim.\" Shunk, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab! Hundreds of iron stakes sprouted from the ground, destroying the weathered buildings as they went. One after another, they pierced through underlings and hoisted their tragic corpses into the air. It looked almost like they were being offered up to some dark being. Elisabeth piled on the attacks even more. \"La Guillotine, the Decapitating Saint! Splendid Executioner: The Boondock Saints!\" Countless blades appeared and formed a fantastical giant, around which stood a group of white saints. As the saints looked up to the heavens, Kaito snapped his fingers. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (dance).\" A rectangular blade cleaved the sky as it came flying in. Kaito, the giant, and the saints all began their attacks simultaneously. Their sharp blades carved through the group of underlings. An almost excessive spray of blood gushed forth, and bodies began piling up a rapid clip. But although the odds looked favorable at first glance, Kaito and Elisabeth frowned. \"... 'Tis problematic.\" \"Yeah...\" The underlings had begun grabbing the blades that made up the giant, tearing up their own arms in the process. Though at the cost of shedding immense amounts of blood, they still managed to tear the blades off the giant's body. Dozens of underlings died due to blood loss. But like ants disassembling a spider, they eventually finished dismantling the giant. Grabbed by countless hands, the La Guillotines also sank into the wretched sea of underlings. Elisabeth snapped her fingers again. \"Gluttonous Hellhole!\" A hole opened in the ground, one much larger than the Hellhole she usually summoned. As the earth caved in, it swallowed up underlings, and the underworldly beetles and grubs within ripped them to shreds with their powerful jaws. However, the underlings didn't hesitate. They leaped into the hole, one after another. Unable to withstand it, the bugs were squished. Green juices oozed out of their crushed bodies. The hole was eventually filled in with corpses, and the underlings advanced over it. They marched forward with aggressive simplicity, removing any obstacles that stood in their way. Then a ferocious darkness covered the sky, as though a typhoon was arriving. A dense black cloud violently appeared before Kaito and Elisabeth's eyes. It was yet more underlings. The grotesque, winged creatures were soaring through the sky in unison. Kaito maneuvered his blade, and Elisabeth summoned even more torture devices. But against the numbers they were facing, the ones they slew would amount to nothing more than a drop in the bucket. Overwhelmed by the waves approaching from land and sky, Kaito recalled the words Elisabeth had once said. \"Numbers beget force. And one can accomplish much through the use of force.\" ...So this is what she was talking about. The black wave and cloud drew near. Their footsteps shook the earth, and their howls split the sky. They were like the end of the world given flesh. \"Hmm, now this is a situation where shooting a cannon at a group of ants seems reasonable. But know this, boy. Even if I were to enter the fray, the number I can devour in one go is limited. What would you have me do? It would sully my good name if I were to allow my master to be consumed by cannon fodder. I wouldn't mind taking you both on my back and leaping over that throng, you know.\" The Kaiser posed an uncharacteristically benevolent question to Kaito. However, Kaito shook his head. \"No... If we let those guys get outside, the knights and nuns will be in danger, never mind the people who haven't been able to evacuate the city yet.\" \"Ha, a splendid jest. The daughter of Vlad and I could keep them in check, but annihilating them is another matter altogether. I told you once before, boy. One who forgets their greatest wish is naught but a fool masquerading as a saint.\" Kaito bit down on his lip at the Kaiser's words. He knew the Kaiser was right. There was no point to holding back the deadly stream's flow if it left them unable to advance. There was still the Grand Monarch and the King to contend with beyond this horde. Kaito knew that, but he still couldn't bring himself to agree. He looked toward the Torture Princess, as though imploring her. \"Elisabeth...\" \"Enough of that gloomy voice already! While I'd normally advise you that naive thoughts have no place on the battlefield, even I understand. If naught else, we'd best thin out their ranks. If we simply let them roam free like this, the capital's likely to be annihilated. 'Twould be no laughing matter if we two ended up the sole survivors.\" \"See, I knew you'd see it that way.\" \"Quit speaking of me in that warm tone!\" Kaito nodded toward Elisabeth, who was infuriated. However, this too was a dangerous gamble. For the first time, he lamented the fact that the two of them were alone there. Here in that gray world, there was nobody for them to entrust their backs to. Eventually, though, Elisabeth shook her head. \"I suppose we'd best get to it, then. 'Tis no point in expecting things to turn for the better. And regret accomplishes naught.\" \"Yeah, you're right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwe're the only ones here, after all.\" The Torture Princess and the Kaiser's contractor nodded to each other. The unseemly black dog snorted and pawed at the ground. Vlad shrugged in exasperation. But as the two of them mustered up their tragic resolution before their oncoming foes, they heard something. \"Get back, you two!\" An unexpected voice rang out. Kaito looked up as though he'd been slapped. As he confirmed the voice's owner, his eyes went wide. A winged, white orb was floating amid the gray sky. It was one of the Church's communication devices, and Izabella's voice was coming from within it. \"How\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Don't just idly stand there, Kaito! Get back!\" The moment Kaito tried to question what was going on, Elisabeth grabbed him by the collar. As she did, she dragged him violently backward at a rapid clip. Then she released him, practically tossing him aside. He turned to look at the place where they'd just been standing. When he did, his retinas were seared white. An intense light had burst right in front of him. A group of underlings had been vaporized. \"Oh-ho.\" Vlad raised his voice in interest. Turning away from the scene for a moment, Kaito frantically recovered his temporarily shattered vision. Then he rechecked the terrible spectacle before him. The underlings had burst into flames and were burning. Among them, a massive bird was turning to ash as well. Kaito identified it. It's a summoned beast, the same kind La Mules was summoning! It was then that the reality of the situation hit Kaito. The holy bird was what had made the underlings disintegrate. La Mules should be dead, though... \"Izabella, you fool! You'll kill yourself!\" The moment that bit of confusion crossed Kaito's mind, Elisabeth let out a shout. Beside him, she was staring out beyond the boundary between the worlds of demon and man. As he followed her gaze, Kaito's eyes widened. Off in the distance, the apex of the hill was shining silver. Paladins were gathered there, standing with a group of priests in a strange square formation. At their feet were magical runes so large that Kaito could make them out from where he stood. He couldn't tell what they said, but he knew what they meant. It's gathering up mana from the priests and the paladins! With La Mules having passed, the group was now working together as one and forming a single cannon. And Izabella was most likely acting as its launchpad. Kaito then recalled a certain fact. Izabella's store of mana was as deep and as placid as the sea and well suited toward healing, protective, and summoning magic. At the same time, an old scene flashed back through his mind. That night, Izabella hadn't hesitated in taking his beastly hand, the proof of his demonic contract, and shaking it with her gauntlet. They'd looked each other in the eyes and sworn an oath. \"\"Let's take out that demon together.\"\" But in the end, the Torture Princess had ended up shouldering the decisive battle alone. After talking with Elisabeth, Kaito had attacked Izabella's conscience, both for the sake of his ulterior motive and out of indignation. \"La Mules is dead. If the Torture Princess screws up, who do you think's next in line to fight?\" \"Who the hell do you think is gonna end up getting sacrificed for the sake of all the heretics and people who call him a monster?\" At the time, Izabella hadn't responded. But at present, she was trying to fulfill her promise to Kaito with her own hands. She'd chosen to fight alongside him and the Torture Princess. But she's taking too big of a risk. Izabella's method of attack differed from the way La Mules used the summoning circles inside her own body. Additionally, because she was splitting the burden with the paladins, there was little chance she'd lose her sanity. But the amount of mana they'd amassed was too much for a mere human's body to handle. Furthermore, the other paladins were in danger as well. Even though they weren't going to enter the demon's world themselves, they would have nowhere to run if the King launched his long-range attack on them. And above all, the strain on their bodies and their mana would be intense no matter what else happened. They clearly had no intention of preserving their strength. But Godot Deus's decision was correct! \"What in the world do you think you're doing?! Don't be rash!\" \"I should be the one telling you not to say such foolish things! We are the swords of the Church, the blades of the Saint, and the shields of the people. If we do not save the innocent who suffer, then who exactly are we expecting to bear that burden?\" \"We're handling it just fine! What, are you worried about that stuff I said to you? My bad. That was just me running my mouth! Please just forget about it! Think about your responsibilities!\" \"This is our city! We will aid you, and we will protect it! I have no intention of foisting those I am duty bound to protect onto you two!\" \"But...!\" \"Just how long do you think it took me to convince the priests?! Leave this to us and advance!\" Loud, fierce shouts came from within the white orb. For a moment, they were overlaid with the sound of someone coughing up blood. As he heard Izabella let out a clear groan of pain, Kaito clenched his fists. As he did, another summoned beast came soaring in. Exploding underlings filled the horizon. Kaito inhaled sharply. He knew he needed to stop her. Before he could speak, though, Izabella stole a lead on him. \"Don't give me that nonsense, Kaito Sena! Enough is enough! You should be looking for any help you can get, even if it comes from a monster! Don't"}, {"text": "you want to save the suffering people as soon as possible?\" Her voice was like a slap in the face. In that moment, Izabella had completely and utterly defeated Kaito. He found himself at a loss for words. Still speechless, he practically spasmed as he bowed deeply to the white orb. After biting down hard on his lip, he turned to Elisabeth. \"Elisabeth...\" Her crimson eyes were fixated on the orb. For a second, Kaito felt as though the gazes of those two women, who stood at opposite ends of evil and holiness, had met. Eventually, Elisabeth said a few words. \"You could have merely cracked your whip at me and amused yourself as a spectator... I'm surrounded by fools, the lot of you.\" \"Elisabeth...\" \"We're leaving, Kaito! Don't fall behind now! Chop-chop!\" The next moment, Elisabeth kicked off the ground hard. She took off like an arrow, leaving deep footprints in the gray earth as she ran. Flustered, Kaito took after her. Vlad and the Kaiser followed along as well. The orb remained behind, perhaps in order to survey the underlings' positions. Then Izabella's pained shouts chased after them. \"Go, Torture Princess, O reviled sinner who slaughtered countless innocents, knights, and my brother!\" For a second, intense hatred leaked through into her voice. Izabella was aiming her vivid resentment at Elisabeth like an arrow. But with power strong enough even to crush her negative emotions, Izabella continued on. \"Please save the capital!\" Her tone sounded almost like a prayer. White light surged forward. It drowned out Elisabeth's expression, so Kaito couldn't see it. He just single-mindedly advanced, surrounded by flying underling corpses. Burdened with Izabella's sincere plea, Kaito and Elisabeth dashed across the plain. It was practically like a battlefield that was under bombardment. The light burst forth several more times. Though their vision was blasted away time and time again, they unceasingly made their way through the stream of death. Leaving the sound of bombardment behind them, they pressed deeper into the gray world. Eventually, all the noise faded into the distance. Once again, they were engulfed in a heavy silence. The air was thick with the presence of death as the mass of flesh towered in front of them. The looming mass was adorned with innumerable holes. Its damp red surface was covered in cavities, like a leaf that had been chewed through by a caterpillar. It was almost impressive how viscerally repugnant it was. Kaito felt goose bumps run all the way down his body. He looked up fixedly at the mass's unseemly surface. Those holes are probably from when its victims' faces came out. They'd been uniformly transformed into underlings, then expelled. Kaito racked his brain as to how they were supposed to deal with that thing. But without laying a finger on the writhing mass in front of her, let alone attacking it, Elisabeth quickened her pace. Tilting his head to the side, Kaito followed her. Although he hadn't said anything, she must have sensed his confusion as she spoke. \"'Tis too great a task to cut it down from the outside. I said I'd be striking their true bodies directly, did I not? It just released that great mass of underlings. There should be a hole somewhere that leads to its core. I aim to find it.\" \"A hole that leads to its core?\" \"Indeed, I would say that her prediction is right on the mark.\" Vlad gently floated up to walk beside Elisabeth. As Kaito turned to look at him, he exaggeratedly propped up his chin with his finger. \"All-out war has a nice ring to it, but putting all their cards on the table like that was base foolishness. The King and the Grand Monarch expelled everything they had. Because of that, you should be able to make it past where they were storing the underlings inside themselves. Making such a choice causes me to wonder if their very brains had turned to mere lumps of flesh... Hmm, even though it may give rise to abnormal power, it seems that having demons run rampant carries few benefits with it.\" \"You just be quiet, Vlad, and cease your twittering. Nobody asked you.\" Elisabeth clicked her tongue. Vlad shrugged and obediently shut up. After nodding at her explanation, Kaito began circling the mass's perimeter. The footing was poor, and the area was covered in blood and tallow. The two of them noisily trudged through the muck as they looked for a suitable opening. Before long, Kaito stopped in front of an unsettling fold of flesh that hung conspicuously over the ground. \"Elisabeth.\" \"...I see; this must be it.\" Behind the soft, womanly flesh was a massive, tunnel-like hole. Its insides had been trampled flat by underlings. It was the remnants of the path that deadly procession had taken. Elisabeth cast a sharp gaze inside. \"There.\" \"Wait, there's still more of them?\" Three underlings sat at the edge of her crimson glare. They were lined up horizontally, guarding the hole like overly diligent gatekeepers. Kaito looked their new foes over from head to toe. From the left on, he cast his gaze at each of their peculiar figures in turn. There was a woman wearing a tattered dress. There was a man wearing a gray wolf headdress. And there was a man dressed in stern, full-body armor. Out of the three of them, it was the woman's strangeness that gave Kaito pause. She had proper eyes, lips, and a nose, yet her face was decidedly inhuman. Her skin was made out of some smooth material, like glass or porcelain. Her clothes, too, gave her the appearance of some sort of half-finished cloth puppet. Their faces are covered up by the helmet and the headdress, but the two guys probably look the same way. Even so, they looked more human than the underlings who'd been forcibly transformed. And above all else, the amount of power emanating from them was far greater than that of the small fry they had seen so far. Remaining wary of the three, Kaito spoke. \"Hey, Elisabeth... Is it just me, or are those guys way stronger than the other underlings?\" \"Indeed, they are. 'Tis the Grand Monarch's ability\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbirthing unique underlings through Duplication. Those three are copies of the King, the Grand Monarch, and the late Monarch. While they are far weaker than their demonic counterparts, 'tis true that they far surpass ordinary\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhuh?\" As she spoke, the armor-clad man strode directly toward Elisabeth. He grabbed the handle of the long sword strapped to his back, then drew it from its sheath with one hand. He swung its blade downward, parting the muddy gray air with great force. Kaito felt a powerful gust of wind blow across his entire body. The armored figure then pointed the tip of his fiendish blade at Elisabeth, as though provoking her. Her eyes widened a hair, and the corners of her ruby lips curled up. \"I see; he truly is a copy of the King. So you wish to trade blows with me? Very well.\" In response, Elisabeth raised a pale hand overhand and drew the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal from a swirl of darkness and crimson flower petals. After spinning its handle once around in her palm, she turned it toward her armored foe. Its tip came to a sudden stop in the air. \"Come. I shall face you.\" Their blades in hand, the two squared off. A stillness rife with bloodlust filled the space. The next moment, the armored man roared. The air around him froze over, then shattered like glass. He charged with a glorious scream. As the ferocious mass of bloodlust approached her, Elisabeth shouted as well. \"Wicker Man!\" Darkness and petals exploded from the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. Defenseless, the armored man rushed directly into them. The dancing black and crimson swallowed up the other two replicants as well. A dry popping noise rang out, and the darkness split to become countless boughs. Before Kaito's eyes, a massive, birdcage-like figure knit itself together. The replicants found themselves sealed within its hollow torso. They raged, demanding to be let out. As they did, the figure's twisted limbs caught fire. The blaze grew to a tempest. As he faced the radiant scarlet mass, Kaito spoke up in confusion. \"W-weren't you going to face off against him?\" \"Your honesty is going to get you killed one of these days, boy.\" \"I really must agree, my dear successor. Take this as a lesson. At times, victory demands one to abandon their scruples.\" \"Exactly! Why should I feel obliged to go out of my way to fight those things? Splendid, splendid! Burn for me! Ha-ha-ha!\" Elisabeth crossed her arms and let out a loud, villainous laugh. But the next moment, the flaming mass tore open from within, and the figure's torso burst. Sparks flew violently through the air. The three replicants practically danced as they leaped out from within it. \"Tch, it seems a single blow was insufficient.\" Elisabeth clicked her tongue. The female replicant leaped at her as her tattered dress violently flared up. Suddenly, the replicant's throat squirmed strangely, and her egg-like face split open. Something soft came flying out from between her glassy lips. *** It looked like a blob wrapped in ordinary red cloth. But Kaito could sense a bizarre liveliness coming from it. The blob of cloth was giving off the same kind of vitality that flesh did. Having been tormented by something similar once before, Kaito reflexively knew what it was. That blob is a copy of a heart. Mediocre as it may have been, the female replicant was preparing a version of Sacrifice. \"It can't be!\" He hadn't thought it to be a technique usable by a mere copy. Kaito was shaken. At the same time, his battle experience caused a dreadful hypothesis to flash through his head. Even with the amount I'm keeping in reserve for the fight against the King and the Grand Monarch, I'm burning through a crap ton of mana. Given the situation, having their power sealed away, even a little bit, would be dangerous. And even if Kaito wasn't the target, Elisabeth getting hit would lead to the same ending. Dispelling Sacrifice would use up a huge amount of his blood and mana. In other words, no matter who took the blow, it would severely restrict Kaito's ability to keep fighting. If that happened, he wouldn't be able to keep his promise to Izabella, the oath he'd sworn with her to take out the demon together. And he'd end up leaving Elisabeth alone right before the decisive battle. I can't allow that. He had to destroy the heart before it could activate. Panicking, Kaito completely froze in his tracks. Standing still on the battlefield was clearly an act of utter folly. Elisabeth shouted out in rage. The King turned his blade on Kaito. Sacrifice was on the verge of erupting from the heart. And looking overhead, the Kaiser was laughing. \"Oh-ho. An intruder here, of all places.\" All of that happened in a single moment. A powerful flapping noise rang out, and a massive shadow passed over Kaito's and Elisabeth's heads. And at the same time, someone shouted. *** A classically designed maid uniform and skirt soared through the air. The silver-haired girl's frills fluttered as she fell. The way she'd appeared before Kaito was practically like destiny. \"...Hi...na!\" As she landed, the beautiful maid brandished her halberd. With it, Hina, Kaito's bride, brilliantly cut down the heart right before it could invoke Sacrifice. The rent heart fell to the ground with a plop. As it gently unraveled, it reverted back to being ordinary cloth. The female replicant toppled to the ground. Hina turned to Kaito, who was still astonished. Her emerald-green, gemstone-like eyes shone as she looked at him. \"Master Kaito! I've returned home!\" A beautiful smile spread across Hina's face, one brimming with heartfelt love. But her choice of words was a"}, {"text": "little strange. They were rather far away from the place where they lived. This wouldn't normally be a situation that called for the phrase I'm home. But for the two of them, it was wholly fitting. Gazing solely at Kaito, the silver-haired bride went on. \"At long last, I've returned to my rightful place by your side.\" Kaito snapped his fingers, saying nothing. His blade flew in from the sky and cleaved at the torso of the King, who had drawn near. After swinging his sword and repelling the blow, the King fell back. Not sparing the interloper a single glance, Kaito spread his arms as wide as they would go. Mustering all his power, the bridegroom smiled wide and responded to his wife with words yet unbefitting the battlefield. \"Welcome home, Hina! Come to me!\" \"Master Kaitoooooooooooooooooooo!\" Instantly tossing aside her halberd, Hina took off at a sprint. And so at the center of the battlefield, the two lovers locked themselves in a passionate embrace. Hina was notably taller than Kaito. Leaning in toward his face, she drew him into her bosom. Kaito buried his face in her chest. In the past, he would likely have gone beet red, but now he calmly returned Hina's embrace. Nuzzling Kaito's head over and over again, Hina inhaled deeply. \"Ah... Master Kaito's scent... Master Kaito's warmth... Master Kaito, Master Kaito, Master Kaito. My master, my husband, my eternal lover, my heart...my everything. Please let your heart sing, for I have finally returned to you. I'm finally back where I belong.\" \"Hina, I can't tell you how happy I am to see you again. I'm so, so glad. You'll always be there to protect me, won't you?\" \"Without a doubt. I am your blade and yours alone!\" \"W-wait. But what are you doing here?\" \"Madam Elisabeeeeeeeeeeeeth! Mr. Dim-Witted Servaaaaaant! Are you two saaaaaaaaafe?\" As if to answer his question, a voice came down from the skies. After hurriedly looking up, Kaito goggled. A steel-blue dragon was hovering in the gray sky. Bearing a fiendish face, it leisurely flapped its gigantic wings. As the Kaiser gazed up at its majestic form, he spoke in a low voice that was somewhere between admiration and exasperation. \"A steel dragon? The dragons were supposed to have all fled from the lands humans, demi-humans, and beastfolk inhabit. Where in the world did he find it?\" \"Oh my, oh my. And it even bears a saddle. How ingenious.\" Vlad chimed in as well, seemingly amused. Just as he'd said, the steel dragon had a saddle fastened to its back. And of all things, the Butcher was mounted atop it. Furthermore, the hard, metallic scales covering the dragon's back even had a hunk of meat on the bone\u00e2\u20ac\u201dperhaps intended to be a stand-in for a shop's insignia\u00e2\u20ac\u201ddrawn on them. The Butcher called out as he deftly manipulated the reins. \"Ms. Lovely Maid completed her recovery, so I brought her here atop my beloved third dragon!\" \"Nooooooot that I'm not thankful, Butcher, but just who the hell are youuuuuuuuuu?\" \"Mm, the mysteries just deepen and deepen.\" As Kaito shouted back, Elisabeth stroked her chin. It was unclear if he was able to hear them or not, but the Butcher flashed them a thumbs-up. It hardly made for much of an answer. Then he gave them a big wave. \"And with that, I take my leeeeeeeeeave! I look forward to your continued patronaaaaaaage!\" \"You're just gonna leave after all that? Maaaaaan, you're something else!\" \"...Now then, you two. I understand your burning desire to flirt and make eyes at each other, but do try to save it for later.\" \"Ah, sorry. My bad. I couldn't help myself!\" \"Ah, oh yes, you're quite right; my deepest apologies! Oh my, how could I?! I will return to the fight at once!\" Kaito and Hina had been hugging for the entirety of the previous exchange. With an exasperated look on her face, Elisabeth used a torture device to pry the two away from each other. Hearing her request, Hina hurriedly tried to separate from Kaito. \"And at that, Master Kaito, pardon me... Squeeze!\" Before she did, she hugged Kaito tight one more time. After deeply breathing in his scent, she released him from her arms and balled up her fists. \"All right, I've sufficiently replenished my Master Kaito energy! Here I go!\" As she spoke, Hina's skirt flapped mightily as she kicked her halberd off the ground. The hefty weapon spun through the air like it weighed nothing at all. Hina grabbed its handle out of the air, then turned to face her foes. She gave her halberd a decisive swing, and its tip came to a sharp stop. It seemed that one swing was enough for the King's replicant to sense her prowess. He waved his arm, gesturing for the replicant with the wolf headdress to fall back. Then the King's replicant lowered his posture. Facing the fully armored combatant, Hina whispered to Kaito and Elisabeth. \"Back when we landed in the town, we were fortunate enough to receive information from the kind paladins and discern that the situation has developed into a state of emergency. While it worries me to leave you alone, Master Kaito, I believe in my dear Lady Elisabeth! Please, you two, go on ahead! I can handle things here.\" \"Hina, what are you talking about? Elisabeth and I can stay with you and\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"As always, how kind you are! But fighting those two will be a breeze. My power stems from the mechanisms within me. Because it has nothing to do with demons, Sacrifice will have no effect on me. I may not be a match for true demons, but no underling will be able to best me! Please leave this to me and press on!\" Elisabeth and Kaito looked at each other. It was true that Hina was under no risk of losing her powers. And it might even be better for her to fight the underlings alone, rather than alongside someone who she'd have to worry about protecting from Sacrifice. But Hina had only just woken up. \"You need not worry! I urge you, conserve your mana!\" Seeing their hesitation, Hina doubled down. As she did, the armored man, the King's replicant, took off at a dash. He loudly swung his sword. Hina easily blocked his heavy attack with the back of her halberd. Then she shifted to go on the offensive. Twice, three times they clashed, and each time, Hina would do a somersault off the ground and kick the armored man in the helmet. He staggered. Pressing the assault, Hina made use of her weapon's reach by putting some space between herself and the King's replicant. Adjusting her grip on the halberd, Hina spoke passionately. \"I can't make children the way a human woman can! But even so, I swore to become part of your family, Master Kaito! Even if it kills me, I refuse to do anything that would renege on\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Mm, well... To avoid misunderstanding, I should make one thing clear.\" \"What might that be, Lady Elisabeth?\" \"You two can have children.\" Hina abruptly ground to a halt. An unbelievably eerie, heavy silence filled the air. \"...Hi-Hina?\" \"Hina, are...are you okay?\" Even with Elisabeth and Kaito calling out to her, Hina remained motionless, as though she was frozen. Thinking he'd found an opening, the King's replicant charged. But Hina, moving only her arm, leveled a precise slash at him. The wolf-headed copy, now defying the King's replicant's orders, rushed at her from the left, but Hina silently slipped a knife out of her sleeve and hurled it at him as well. He let out a scream. Still staring straight ahead, Hina spoke in a terrifyingly quiet voice. \"............Lady Elisabeth, what did you just say?\" \"Erm, well, you know. You two can...have children. Mm... 'Tis the truth, I swear!\" \"If\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif I might be bold enough to ask, h-h-h-h-how, precisely, would we go about that?\" \"Hina, you're way too wound up. I'm interested, too, but I'm begging you, you gotta settle down a bit.\" Hina had begun forcefully trembling. Worried, Kaito frantically tried to pacify her. The whole situation had been thrown into complete chaos. Even so, Hina's halberd movements were precise and accurate. The way she was near automatically managing her offense and defense to keep the replicants from drawing even a step closer was amazing in a way. Swinging her halberd wide to keep her two foes at a distance, Hina's eyes opened wide. \"Quickly! Lady Elisabeth! How?! Promptly! Without delay! Please tell me!\" \"I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI get it! I shall tell you! I'll tell you!\" Faced with Hina's bloodcurdling intensity, Elisabeth leaped up. Breaking out into a cold sweat, she spoke in an oddly bashful manner. \"You know if we're speaking accurately, it isn't quite the same as a child... 'Tis more like a humanoid homunculus formed from a mixture of each of your physical data, then cultivated in a device within Hina's abdomen. Then, um, well...\" \"What then, Lady Elisabeth? What theeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnn?\" \"M-mm! Then...well, um...don't make me say it! 'Tis embarrassing! You do the deed! Then you insert Kaito's fluids into... Wait, why must I be the one to explain such a thiiiiing?!\" \"Elisabeth, Miss Elisabeth, settle down! And quit hitting me!\" \"Lady Elisabeth! Keep going! Quickly, quickly! You can do anything you set your mind to, Lady Elisabeth!\" Rapidly spinning her halberd, Hina loudly urged Elisabeth on. Punching Kaito all the while, Elisabeth continued in a desperate tone. \"Hyah! Then! With you-know-what as a base, you nurture the homunculus within Hina's womb! Kaito uses his mana to aid it along, and once it emerges, erm, your 'child' will be complete!\" Elisabeth puffed up her chest with pride, having gotten through her explanation all in one go. However, she received no response. Hina simply stood silently, continuing to spin her halberd. A despondent look crossed Elisabeth's face. \"...Was there something wrong with my explanation?\" \"Man, I'm surprised by how quickly you got dejected.\" In front of them, Hina's white shoulders began violently trembling. \"Hee-hee-hee......hee-hee-hee-hee...\" \"H-Hina?\" \"Dear Hina?\" *** Her voice exploded out, and the gears inside her body began rattling as they rapidly turned. The psssssht sound of surging steam even rang out. White smoke billowed from her ears. Frantically grabbing her slender shoulders, Kaito began pleading with Hina in his confusion. \"H-Hina! Are you okay?! Don't you go dying on me now!\" Strangely, Hina didn't reply to him. The next moment, she dashed off with explosive force. Leaving afterimages in her wake, she swung her halberd. Blood spurted from the wolf headdress\u00e2\u20ac\u201cwearing replicant as he went flying into the air. He whizzed through the sky, then came crashing back down into the ground. His body was bent at a sharp, brutal angle. The King's replicant was visibly shaken as well. Warily, he adjusted his grip on his sword. With astoundingly smooth movements, Hina charged toward him. Her emerald eyes were wide in wonderment, and her voice was oozing with delight. \"Oh, how wondrous! What a paradise this world of ours is! We can raise all the children to be just as charming as Master Kaito! We can have a dozen of them and live together in eternal bliss! I haven't any time to waste here! Drop dead and be quick about it!\" Hina attacked fiercely, and dents sprang up all over the man's armor. Dumbfounded, Kaito and Elisabeth simply watched over the chain of events. \"........................................................................Your wife is incredible.\" \"........................................................................My wife is incredible.\" Eventually, the two of them let out those feeble murmurs. At times, resolution, urges, and strong emotions\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhether they were positive or negative\u00e2\u20ac\u201dcould grant people abnormal bursts of power. But upon witnessing that effect to such a degree, Kaito and Elisabeth found themselves at something of a loss for words. One of Hina's heavy blows sent the King's replicant flying. He staggered uneasily but was still able to move. As she faced him, Hina looked over her shoulder and smiled."}, {"text": "\"Ah, my dear friends. To that end, please leave this to me! This brute seems rather firm, so it may take just a little bit of time to whittle him down.\" \"Got...got it.\" \"W-we leave it in your capable hands.\" \"Oh, and Master Kaito, is twelve children all right with you? Would you prefer more?\" \"L-let's leave it at twelve for now! W-we can iron out the details later!\" \"Aye-aye! This is an important matter for us! Oh, you're coming at me again? Very well! Die!\" No matter how one looked at it, in her current state, Hina seemed unlikely to lose. Having decided to leave her to it, Kaito and Elisabeth broke into a run. As they quickened their pace, the sound of Hina pounding on armor receded behind them. And with that, the two of them finally infiltrated the mass of flesh and headed inside the demon. The tunnels inside the mass resembled the inside of a human uterus. Kaito and Elisabeth dashed down paths that resembled birth canals and esophagi. It was like they'd been swallowed up by a monster or were traveling back up through a mother's birth canal. Their surroundings were so permeated with the stench of blood it was stifling. And unsurprisingly, they could sense a powerful source of vitality farther down the path. Strangely, though, the mass's insides had an ephemeral frailty to them as well. Perhaps due to the damage it had sustained from La Mules's attack, the mass was clearly hemorrhaging mana. The weakened King and Grand Monarch should be somewhere down this way. That thought propelling him, Kaito kept a watchful eye as he strode inward. As the two of them ran, the slapping sound of meat on the soles of their shoes rang out. They went deeper and deeper down the path, as though they were descending into the bowels of Hades. \"Did you notice?\" \"Yeah...\" Eventually, the two of them perceived a change. The pulsating sound that quivered through the entire mass was gradually getting louder. Thump, thump, thump, thump. The rhythm of some malevolent being's exertions of breath rocked their bodies. We're probably getting close to the center. They ran down a passage that had started to call to mind thick blood vessels. A wide, open space lay at its end. The scent of blood and flesh grew stronger. As he stopped to look around, Kaito found himself assailed with nausea. \"This is...\" \"How very strange and how utterly twisted.\" The fleshy walls surrounding them were hollowed out in a circle. They were propped up by crowded ribs and looked to be on the verge of collapse. Alongside them, two people's worth of massive organs were lined up. However, the way the organs were arranged was haphazard. The two hearts pulsed side by side as blood vessels wound their way around them. Their fused lungs lay scattered on the ground, and half-dissolved heaps of brain lay piled up around them. The spectacle surpassed grotesqueness and ventured into the realm of being downright bizarre. In fact, it was almost humorous. It was as if human organs had been enlarged and then put on display. After glancing over them all, Kaito's gaze returned to the hearts. Upon closer inspection, one right atrium and one left atrium each had a single person-shaped figure squirming within them. It was probably the King and Grand Monarch's true bodies, submerged in blood. Elisabeth wordlessly raised her right arm to call forth a torture device. But in a rare display, the Kaiser growled with his fur bristling. \"Look at that, boy.\" \"Huh? ...Wait, what is that?\" Prompted by the Kaiser, Kaito looked toward the wall of flesh to his left. Two types of organs had sunken into it. However, Kaito couldn't make out what they were from their roundish shapes. But the moment he thought back to the three underlings, he instinctively guessed their identities. Between the King's, Grand Monarch's, and Monarch's replicants, two had been male, and one had been female. The Monarch and the King were men. That meant that the Grand Monarch had to be a woman. The organs were a uterus and a pair of testicles. But what the Kaiser was pointing at was something else entirely. \"I know not. It is something that not even I know the identity of. And for me to not know of it, it must be abnormal in the extreme.\" The female organ was fused to the male organ. And at the point where they met sat a strange, fleshy, tumorlike cocoon. It was wrapped in soft, hypha-like fibers and filled with fluid. A small figure, one that belonged to neither the King nor the Grand Monarch, wriggled energetically within it. There was something living there that did not belong. Faced with that reality, Kaito froze, and Elisabeth scowled. \"That thing...could it be...?\" After thinking for a moment, she breathed in a small breath. With widened eyes, she gave voice to her terrifying hypothesis. \"Are the demons trying to birth a child?\" \"...! Is that even possible?\" \"Mm, two contractors can theoretically bear a child. Of course, it would give rise to naught but a normal human... But two contractors merging with their demons, going beyond ordinary transformations and warping into a mass of flesh, and then having a child is unheard of.\" \"Indeed, the girl speaks truth. Demons exist solely to destroy\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthis is blasphemy! Blasphemy against our very existence!\" \"In my opinion, such a creature would be fascinating... It would go against not just the laws of our world but the very providence of God and Diablo. And it offends the Kaiser, as well. It would certainly be safer to return it to nothingness before it is born.\" The Kaiser howled, and Vlad spoke in an unusually serious tone. Kaito felt a cold sweat bead up on his forehead. Looks like we were right to rush over here. There was no way anyone could have known that such a thing was being cultivated here. The fact that Elisabeth had marched here concerned that the demon would grow in power had ended up being important in an unexpected way. Kaito and Elisabeth nodded at each other. Then they changed their target. Aiming at the fetus, the two of them launched their attacks. When they did, the entire room squirmed, and the walls pulsed. Elisabeth and Kaito braced themselves for whatever was about to appear. But their vigilance ended up backfiring. The next moment, countless King faces appeared from all directions. *** The only things sharp about the sunken, squalid, muscled faces were the eyes. Countless eyeballs bore down on the two of them. Then strands of drool dripped from countless pairs of flaccid lips as they opened. All at once, they released multihued roars. Because they hadn't dashed away before the faces had finished appearing, there was no way for them to avoid the attack. \"Elisabeth!\" Kaito's scream was blotted out. He and Elisabeth were swallowed up by the vortex of gray noise. The ceiling crumbled; the floor crumbled; someone cried; someone laughed And then Kaito's vision went dark. 6 Her Feelings Pain. Pain was all that existed. Most of Kaito's memories from his previous life started and ended with pain. Assailed all over by that nostalgic agony, Kaito opened his eyes. When he came to his senses, he found himself lying atop a damp tatami mat. ...H-huh? Flies buzzed noisily over his eyes. He surveyed his surroundings. A dirty fluorescent bulb was swaying from the ceiling. The window was covered in packing tape, and his ripped-out teeth rolled about beneath the tea table. Then Kaito looked at his body. The shirt stuck to his scrawny torso was hardened from all the sweat and vomit staining it. His right arm was covered in shallow lacerations, and his left arm hung unmoving and was slathered in dark-red stains. His ankle was twisted at an odd angle, and his stomach was assailed by a heavy pain, as though one of his organs had ruptured. Kaito took a good, long look at the situation he was in. He was lying on his side in the room where he'd been killed in his previous life. It was almost as though everything that had happened after his resurrection had been nothing more than something he'd dreamed while on the verge of death. Faced with that desperate situation, a single thought crossed his mind. What, this again? Kaito remembered this. During his ceremonial trial with the Kaiser, he'd gone through the exact same experience. At the same time, he now understood why La Mules had died, as well as the nature of the King's mental attack. While their ranks were below his, first-class mythical beasts and spirits were similar in nature to God, and summoning them required dragging them down from a higher plane of existence. To do that, one needed to have a strong connection to God, but aside from the Suffering Saint, nobody could hold that power within themselves for long and still retain their sanity. That was what Elisabeth had said. Before she lost her senses, La Mules must have had her memories and will returned to her. Then, in her confusion, she'd ended up going insane and killing herself. Man, this is cruel, all right... It probably didn't do much to most of the paladins. But it'd be brutal on anyone with a traumatic past. If this had been my first time, I'd have been in trouble, too. Just like the last time, Kaito forcibly moved his body as he mused. His body was little more than skin and bones; even the act of breathing caused him to spasm with convulsions. But he staggered across the room anyhow, regurgitating gastric juices as he walked. I wonder how I'm supposed to wake up from this dream... Given what happened to La Mules, if I kill myself in the dream, I feel like my real body will probably die, too. As he thought through his problem in an almost insanely calm manner, he limped forward on his mangled ankle. As he did, he heard the sound of the front door opening and then the noise of stomping coming from the front hallway. His father was probably home. Looking up as though he'd been slapped, Kaito paused in his tracks. The screen door to the room slid open. Kaito's father was angrily shouting something. \"Kaito, ya little shi\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Bluh?\" As he did, Kaito matched the timing as his father stormed into the room and used it to bury his fist in his father's face. Kaito's own bones snapped, but the blow was clean. Blood gushed from his father's face. His nose had been crushed. Perhaps he'd even suffered a concussion as he toppled over onto the floor. Covered in blood from his own nose, his eyes rolled back in his head as he pathetically slipped into unconsciousness. \"Outta my way.\" Kaito's voice was cold as he spoke over his shoulder. He then completely ignored the man who'd abused him for countless years and eventually even murdered him. Not sparing so much as a passing glance in his father's direction, Kaito exited through the screen door. Dragging his mangled body, he made his way down the damp hallway and opened the front door. On the other side of it, there was nothing but darkness. \"...Huh, so that's how it is.\" Faced with a darkness that would have caused any human to instinctively succumb to terror, Kaito muttered those few words. Once, he'd spent hundreds of subjective years in a similar space. At this point, it would take more than that to scare him. Without an ounce of fear, Kaito strode into the darkness. He knew full well there was nothing he could gain if he didn't walk forward. This place really is like where the Kaiser tested me, Kaito thought. He'd gradually come to realize that, just where he'd been tested, his bodily sensations were fading away. He had become"}, {"text": "a being of consciousness alone. There was nobody there to observe him, to interact with him, or to define him. And he had no methods at his disposal to confirm his own sensations. It was hard to prove the existence of the self with nothing but consciousness in this space devoid of touch, sight, hearing, and meaning. But even in this cruel world, Kaito didn't hesitate. He just kept walking in search of an exit without a word. He went farther and farther and deeper and deeper into the darkness. Then Kaito stopped in his tracks. He could hear a voice singing a beautiful song. The voice responsible for the gentle tune was one he knew well. That song... In truth, Kaito had never heard one of those before. After all, his mother had passed before he was old enough to remember her. But he knew that gentle melody couldn't have been anything else. That's... It was a lullaby. He was sure of it. Kaito followed the source of the song. As he drew closer to the soft voice, the space around him shifted and changed. White light began mingling with the black of the darkness, and the space's empty gloom began taking on definite forms. Eventually, his field of vision had cleared up completely. Before he'd noticed, he'd arrived in a child's bedroom. ...I recognize this room. That was the first thought that crossed his mind as he looked around the room. The rectangular walls were covered with wallpaper adorned with a dull yellow floral design, and beside the window were cute confectionary-like plaster sculptures. The furniture was all white, and atop a beautiful chest of drawers with metal handles sat a group of dolls and stuffed animals. There was a four-poster bed, too, with pearl-gray sheets and a heavy mattress no doubt stuffed with down. And sitting on the bed was a young girl atop a pile of blankets. She was beautiful, but her complexion was marred by the effects of an aggressive illness. The way her long black hair was knotted and robbed of its luster was painful to look at. Her features were so fine they looked almost inhuman, but her skin was pale and her lips were cracked and caked with blood. In spite of all that, though, her expression was strangely calm. Although it was tinged with death's black shadow, she wore a lonely yet serene smile on her face. Her chest damp and reddened with blood, she wove her song. \"...Elisabeth.\" \"Marianne taught me this song, see?\" A young voice rang out. Kaito, not having expected a response, swallowed sharply. At some point, she'd turned to look at him. He could make out his reflection in her large eyes. He was about to call out to her, to the young Elisabeth, but he stopped himself. When she said Marianne's name, there was genuine affection in her voice. Marianne had gone mad because of Elisabeth, and Kaito himself had killed her. If it had been the normal Elisabeth saying her name, her voice would have been filled with nostalgia as well as deep regret and a tinge of disgust. The Elisabeth in front of him probably didn't know anything about what had happened. Having realized that, Kaito decided to give a gentle, quiet nod. \"Yeah, it's a nice song and a gentle one... A lullaby.\" \"Isn't it? You know, Marianne will sing it for me whenever I ask!\" The young Elisabeth puffed up her chest with pride. But the next moment, she violently balled herself up like she'd been struck by an arrow. Clutching her chest with her small hands, Elisabeth began coughing with such intensity it seemed she would vomit up her intestines. \"Hic... Hic... Cough, cough... Hack, hack, hack\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Elisabeth, are you okay?!\" Panicking, Kaito rushed over to her side. As she trembled in pain, he gently stroked her frail back. The anguish she was in was heart-wrenching. Kaito bitterly lamented that he couldn't do more for her. Eventually, Elisabeth settled down. She wiped the blood off her lips, then peered up. With tears welling in her innocent eyes, she looked at Kaito. \"Thank you, I'm okay now... But, huh? Who are you, mister?\" \"I'm...\" \"I should be the only one in this room... Where in the world did you come from?\" Kaito was at a loss for how to respond. He had no idea what kind of answer he should give. As the servant of the Torture Princess, he could give no true answer that wouldn't hurt her. No matter what he told her, it would indubitably cause her pain. I don't know if her young heart can handle how cruel the truth is. The explanation Kaito eventually settled on was vague but true nonetheless. \"I'm on your side.\" \"My side?\" \"Yeah. No matter what happens, I'll always be on your side.\" Kaito made his firm declaration. The young Elisabeth blinked repeatedly and tilted her head to the side in confusion. But it looked like he'd been able to convey his friendliness, if nothing else. After a moment, Elisabeth gave him a meek smile. \"Oh. I guess you are.\" \"Yeah, I am.\" \"Say, mister. Do you want to hear me sing some more?\" \"...Yeah, that'd be nice.\" \"Then how about I sing for you!\" Her voice full of vitality, Elisabeth resumed her song. Kaito listened silently to the gentle melody. The time passed by calmly. It was like they were playing house. But suddenly, the low roar of a beast rang out and shattered that peace. Kaito looked up with a start. Somewhere far beyond the window, a hound was baying, as though it were calling for someone. Upon hearing the rumbling voice, Elisabeth trembled. Terrified, she clung tightly to Kaito. \"Make it stop... I'm scared...\" \"Elisabeth.\" \"Everything out there is so scary. No, no more... I'm not going out there anymore.\" Her words had a sincere ring to them. The moment he heard them, Kaito realized something. Elisabeth was sick when she was young, so she shouldn't have had many opportunities to leave the castle. If that was the case, then which Elisabeth did those words belong to? There was a certain fact that Kaito had long since been aware of. Elisabeth had been swallowed up by the mental attack at the same time Kaito had been. This was her world. After walking through the space that the demon had created, he'd arrived at a place formed from her childhood memories. The words coming out of her mouth belonged not just to the young Elisabeth but her present-day self, as well. The young Elisabeth shook her head over and over, and tears welled up in her large eyes as she spoke. \"I'm done with it... Everything out there is painful and scary... And nobody out there likes me. They all hate me so, so much.\" \"...Do they?\" \"They do! Everyone would have been better off... Marianne would have been better off...if I'd just stayed in here and died. If I'd just done that, then the Torture Princess would never have been born.\" As she went on, the tone of her voice lost its youthfulness. When she murmured next, her tone was steeped in despair. \"None of those innocent people would have died.\" The present-day Elisabeth was stubborn. She would probably never have given voice to those words. The young Elisabeth reached out a trembling hand. With it, she grabbed tight onto the hem of Kaito's shirt. \"Mister, you're on my side, right?\" \"...Yeah, I am.\" \"Can you stay here with me forever, then?\" Kaito hadn't expected that. His eyes went wide, and he stared directly at her. Elisabeth slowly closed her eyes. Then the girl who'd lost both her parents, driven her tutor mad, killed her people, and been abandoned by all of creation whispered. *** \"It's lonely, being alone.\" In the next moment, Kaito hugged her tight. The young Elisabeth gave a small gasp. Kaito squeezed her body with all his strength. It was probably hurting her, but she just wordlessly went limp. As he held her warm, frail body tightly enough to shield her from all the world's hardships, Kaito whispered back. \"You know, I have someone I admire.\" \"Someone...you admire?\" \"Yeah. She's really strong and really scary and a terrible sinner. The people hate her, they loathe her, and they tell her to die.\" \"...I think the world would be better off without people like her.\" \"But you see, she saved me.\" There was great conviction behind his words. The young Elisabeth probably didn't remember summoning him. Even so, her body quivered. Obediently remaining in Kaito's embrace, she whispered in a timid voice. \"...Mister?\" \"People say that she's like a demon, but I've seen her smile, I've seen the way she lives more nobly than anyone else, and I've seen the way she continues fighting her harsh battles. To me, she's a hero.\" The young Elisabeth stirred slightly. Relaxing the strength in his arms, Kaito gazed at her face. The young Elisabeth and the present-day Elisabeth were the same yet different. The girl didn't seem to know who he was talking about, as she wore a quizzical expression on her face. In spite of that, Kaito smiled at her and continued gently speaking. \"I like her a whole lot. I would do anything for her sake.\" \"Really?\" \"Yeah. I promised my lover that we'd live together. But she understands that if I didn't cherish this person, then I wouldn't be myself... For that person's sake, I could do or become anything. I've never told her in person, but she's really, really important to me.\" Abruptly, he placed his hands on the young Elisabeth's shoulders. Then he gently pried her away from himself. After that, he quietly closed his eyes. He could hear a dog's howling from far in the distance. The first-class hound was calling for its master. When he opened his eyes, they were filled with determination. With no hesitation, he told the young Elisabeth what he needed to tell her. \"That's why I can't stay by your side. I've gotta go.\" \"Why? Why are you leaving me?!\" The young Elisabeth screamed, unable to understand. She clung to his arm, as though begging him not to go. But Kaito just gently shook off her small hands and silently turned his back to the young girl. Then he made to stand up from the bed. As he did, an adult-sized hand grabbed the hem of his shirt. \"Why, Kaito?!\" \"Because I love you. That's why I can't stay here.\" Without a shred of indecision, hesitation, or bashfulness, he made his declaration. At some point, his clothes had transformed from the shirt caked in blood and sweat to his military uniform\u00e2\u20ac\u201clike outfit. Obstinately refusing to turn around, Kaito continued his declaration to Elisabeth. \"If you want to stay here, so be it. I'm not gonna stop you. And I won't let anyone else complain about your choice, either. If you don't want to fight anymore, then that's fine, too. You've done more than enough. I can just go in your place.\" \"What...are...?\" \"I'll kill the King and Grand Monarch and save the capital. Until I kill the King and the dream ends\u00e2\u20ac\u201dactually, y'know, if you don't break out of it, it might just keep on going. If you think that'll make you happier, then go for it. Good-bye, Elisabeth.\" And with that tender murmur, Kaito walked forward. As he went, the strength in the fingers clutching his clothes gradually weakened. Then Elisabeth let go of him. As he strode along into the darkness, he continued. \"Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu, noble wolf and lowly sow\u00e2\u20ac\u201deven if every single other person scorns you, I will hold you in higher esteem than anyone else in the world.\" With that profession as his parting note, Kaito made to leave the room. However, just as he was about to open the door, a sound rang out. The hard, resolute sound of heels"}, {"text": "clicking sounded out from beside him. Kaito's eyes went wide. Silky black hair was fluttering right next to him, as was a dress with its inside dyed scarlet. A woman wearing a provocative bondage dress passed from his side and began walking in front of him. Kaito tried to call out to her pale back. But before he could, her usual chilly voice rang out and interrupted him. \"Do not make light of me, Kaito. Just who do you think I am?\" She looked over her shoulder, straight at him. Her crimson eyes blazed with pride. Then the woman who had been forsaken by all of creation made her firm declaration. \"I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow.\" Upon hearing those words, Kaito closed his eyes. Then he nodded with a faint, defeated smile on his face. After slowly opening his eyes, he found himself involuntarily blinking repeatedly. Elisabeth was standing before him and giving him a gentle smile. Kaito released the tension from his shoulders and, without hesitation, extended his hand toward Elisabeth as though inviting her to dance. And just like before, she laid her hand on top of his. Kaito enveloped her pale palm in his beastly left hand. Then the two of them began walking in the howling dog's direction. \"...H-hwah!\" \"I see you've finally risen, O unworthy master of mine. Had you taken but a moment longer, I was thinking of devouring you whole.\" \"You really must do something about that temper of yours, Kaiser. But the fact remains that you successfully woke up my dear successor and my precious daughter, and for that I am grateful. It would be rather dull for them to die here, not to mention the fact that I'd be taken along as well.\" As he awoke, Kaito turned toward the obnoxious voices. Ignoring the man and the beast, he looked over his surroundings. The King's faces had vanished, and the fleshy walls had returned to their original state. But he and Elisabeth had toppled over and were being sucked into the floor. Creepy red fibers had already started crawling their way across their bodies. If he'd been out any longer, he would have been in trouble. As he ripped apart the muscle fibers, which had even begun burrowing under his skin, Kaito spoke in an annoyed tone. \"...Hey, Kaiser. I'm glad you called for me; that was helpful. But would it have killed you to drag me out before I got like this?\" \"I said that I planned to consume you if you failed to wake, did I not? That was the point at which I intended to retrieve you.\" \"Are you kidding me? I'm begging you, man, do something about that temper of yours. I can't shake the feeling that you're really gonna eat me one of these days.\" Kaito plucked out the roots of the flesh that had been ensnaring him. Blood gushed out from the little holes they'd bored in his skin. However, Kaito didn't particularly care. He looked to his side, then called out to his partner in root plucking. \"...Elisabeth.\" She didn't respond, simply rising to her feet without a word. As she wiped away the filth from her dress, Elisabeth turned toward the demonic fetus. After staring intently at it for a moment, she gave Kaito his orders. \"I will deal with this thing. Your task is to kill the King and Grand Monarch before they can attack.\" \"All right, got it.\" Her voice was as cold as always, as though nothing had happened. Kaito nodded. The two of them stood back to back. They both raised their arms, as though carrying out executions. Then they spoke in unison. \"Behead.\" \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (rend).\" Kaito and Elisabeth swung their blades. The loud, splattering noise of meat being cut echoed across the room. The hearts in front of Kaito tore, and blood began gushing out of them. As their chunks scattered around the room, two corpses rolled pitifully atop the mess. Their bodies were dissolved, but they could just barely be identified as a man and a woman. The King and Grand Monarch were dead. Realizing that marked the end of their long battle, Kaito breathed a sigh. As he did, a tense voice called out from behind him. \"...I cannot kill it.\" \"Huh?\" \"My blade cannot pierce this baby!\" After hearing Elisabeth's words, Kaito whirled around. The fleshy cocoon pulsated. It should have been cut clean through, but it didn't have so much as a scratch on it. Then it swelled from within, and red cracks started appearing on its suspiciously shining surface. Then its membrane tore, and a gray hand extended out from within. All at once, the amniotic fluid rushed out and soaked Kaito and Elisabeth's feet. Kaito stared in mute horror at the scene that unfolded before him. Something had flopped out onto the floor. An innocent laugh, one that fit neither the time nor the place, rang out. \"...Ha-ha!\" Before their very eyes, a demonic baby had been born into the world. 7 The Final Battle The baby's body was warped. Its head was far too large, and its abdomen was swollen like a pregnant woman's. Furthermore, its shoulder blades were overgrown, making it look almost as though it had wings. It began trying to crawl. However, it was largely unsuccessful. Its efforts only produced more sickening sounds of flesh slapping against flesh. Eventually, it looked up and weakly stuck its hands out in front of itself. \"Ma-ma, hya-hee...hee-hee.\" Even though it had just been born, it was already calling for its mother. But there was no way of knowing what mother it was referring to nor how it was even forming words in the first place. \"Pendulum.\" Without a shred of hesitation, Elisabeth snapped her fingers. A blade hanging from a chain swung down from the fleshy ceiling, then stopped in midair. It changed directions, then went flying toward the baby. Then its blade collided with the baby's massive head. There was a distorted splorch. But the baby was still alive. \"Ahh-haa!\" The blade had definitely sunken into the baby's head. But it hadn't broken the skin. *** \"Hee-hee-hee-hee!\" The baby laughed, having mistaken being attacked for some kind of game. After grabbing the blade with its fat fingers, the baby pulled it from its head. Then it yanked down, hard. Its silver chain loudly snapped. Elisabeth's eyes went wide. The blade and chain fell quickly, slicing through the organs directly under them and crushing them. A massive avalanche of brain tissue rushed forth. It seemed that the baby had taken an interest in it. Grabbing a handful of the gray matter, the baby shoved it in its mouth and stuffed its cheeks full. Munch, munch. \"Is it...eating that stuff?\" Kaito's murmur was full of disgust. But the baby didn't swallow the brains. After coming into contact with the baby's saliva, everything it had chewed on had turned gray. The dust, which looked like ashes of the deceased, gently piled up. Apparently, the baby wasn't \"eating\" so much as \"destroying\" its target. It was impossible to guess which of its other actions were connected to destruction as well. As it meaninglessly transformed the brain tissue in its mouth to ash, the infant giggled with pleasure. As he watched it, a thought crossed Kaito's mind. That thing isn't good or evil. It lay far outside any framework of human morality. The problem was that they weren't able to kill it. The baby bit and tore at all the organs around it. It then began chewing on the blade and turning it to ash as well. Elisabeth hurriedly snapped her fingers and made the torture device vanish. Having had its toy confiscated, the baby nearly threw a tantrum. However, it quickly grabbed onto another chunk of meat. Kaito carefully observed it. At the moment, the baby didn't have a complete ego. But living things have a tendency to grow. What in the world would it become by the time it reached maturity? Or I guess what I should worry about is...what happens when it gets interested in us? Right as that fear crossed Kaito's mind, the baby lost interest in the lifeless meat. It turned its large head and looked directly at Kaito and Elisabeth. As it did, Elisabeth and the Kaiser exchanged a fleeting glance. Ash tumbled out of the baby's bloodstained mouth. Even though it had only just been born, its entire body released an aura of death as it laughed. \"Ahyah?\" \"We must abscond at once, daughter of Vlad!\" \"Obviously!\" The Kaiser shouted, and Elisabeth responded. Immediately afterward, the Kaiser grabbed Kaito's collar in his teeth and tossed him into the air. Elisabeth jumped on the Kaiser's back. As he'd aimed, Kaito fell directly behind her. Then the Kaiser took off at a terrific speed. \"Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Urk\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Kaito almost bit his tongue at the sudden acceleration. As the Kaiser sprinted along on his sturdy, muscular legs, a revolting noise came from behind him. Kaito turned to look. The baby was chasing them. When Kaito saw the way it moved, he felt goose bumps appear over his entire body. The baby didn't even know how living things were supposed to move their bodies. The way the baby completely ignored the natural bends of its joints made its movement akin to that of a mollusk. It spilled blood and shaved away at the ground as it went. But for whatever reason, the Kaiser made his way not toward the entrance to the mass of flesh as he fled from the baby but deeper within. Kaito shouted out in panic as he clung to the Kaiser's thick neck. \"Weren't we supposed to be running away?!\" \"Not on your life, boy! I cannot abide that shameless fool surviving\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's a blight on the pride of demons! For the sake of our pride, I will have you end that thing!\" \"But how?!\" \"Worry not. The daughter of Vlad has an idea. I shall tell you this while I have the chance, boy!\" \"What?\" \"Try not to die, O unworthy master of mine!\" On that ominous note, the Kaiser came to an abrupt stop. Kaito and Elisabeth went flying into the air. Elisabeth landed atop the meaty floor gracefully, and Kaito somehow managed to land as well. The pathway in front of them was blocked off by a wall. They had reached a dead end. It would appear they were in the deepest part of the fleshy mass. When Kaito turned around, he found that the baby was already coming into view. Assailed by primal fear, he snapped his fingers. But between its fat, pudgy fingers, the baby caught the blade that Kaito had materialized. \"Ooh?\" With a confused expression on its face, the baby gnawed on the tip of the blade. Ashes spilled out of its mouth. Kaito choked back his spit out of tension and hopelessness. We can't let that thing get outside. But we can't just let it eat us, either. What is Elisabeth planning on doing? \"Pillory!\" Elisabeth shouted as he was thinking. Darkness and crimson flower petals swirled around the baby. Two long horizontal planks with two holes in each appeared. They snapped open, then clamped shut around the baby's wrists and ankles. The planks caused its limbs to stick out. Having had its hands and feet sealed, the baby tilted its head to the side. But the planks' power would only be enough to hold the baby for a moment. As that misgiving crossed Kaito's mind, Elisabeth spoke. \"'Tis enough.\" It was as though she'd read his mind. At the same time, the fleshy walls surrounding Kaito began to tremble. He looked around in a panic. They'd held their rigidity up until then, but the flesh was beginning to go limp and wriggly. Unable to maintain its posture, the bound baby tumbled from side to side. The walls began restlessly"}, {"text": "undulating. The Kaiser howled, as though signaling that something was starting. Vlad spoke in a smooth whisper. \"The flesh of demons transforms into black feathers when they die. But first, it collapses.\" Kaito's eyes went wide. Of all the places they could have gone, they'd arrived at the deepest part of a collapsing demon. It was then that Kaito intuited what Elisabeth's plan was. Words played back through his mind once more, words that this battle had taught him the veracity of time and time again. \"Numbers beget force. And one can accomplish much through the use of force.\" I guess this is another one of those times. \"Ooh?\" The fleshy ceiling undulated. Its limbs still bound, the baby looked up with naked curiosity. Blades couldn't pierce that evil being. But any sort of shallow impact would probably serve no purpose, either. In that case, there was only one choice. They had to crush it in an instant, before it could turn the meat to ash. At that moment, a massive avalanche of flesh came crashing down on the baby. It was like the weight of the world had come tumbling down. An entire section of the flesh that had swallowed up a third of the capital's population and completely filled up the mercantile district and the royal castle had caved in. With no options available to it, the baby was engulfed by the onslaught. But Kaito and Elisabeth's situation was no different. The incoming blow was like an unmitigated natural disaster. Because of that, it would be virtually impossible for humans to stand against it. The massive crimson wave came bearing down on them. As it did, Elisabeth shouted: \"Death Row Cell!\" Stone walls deployed around them, sealing them in a tiny room with no windows or doors. It was a torture device designed to confine prisoners and starve them to death. The stone walls saved Kaito and Elisabeth from being engulfed by the meat for a moment. But the resistance the barrier offered proved to be fleeting. There was no way it could withstand a direct hit from a landslide. The stone walls crumbled in an instant. But Elisabeth summoned an identical set so quickly that Kaito could barely see her do it. As he stood stupefied, Kaito realized a certain fact. Magical techniques are the one thing we have that the baby doesn't. Wielding her magic freely, Elisabeth continued to ward off the deadly external pressure. She summoned those stone walls over and over again. It felt like an eternity had passed. Eventually, the flow around them lightened by just a smidge. Picking up on even that tiny change, Elisabeth shouted out. \"The Boondock Saints! Wicker Man!\" \"Simultaneous summoning? There's no way.\" Kaito mumbled quietly. A thunderous noise echoed from outside the walls. Kaito could guess what had happened. The Wicker Man had taken in as much meat as it could, then burned it up. Then the Boondock Saints had carved away at the resulting ash and shoved the room into the opening. Each time the giants and the flesh faltered, Elisabeth continued simultaneously summoning them. \"Elisabeth...\" \"Rgh...\" Beads of sweat rose up on her forehead. One by one they ran down to her chin. Her foe in this desperate battle was nothing more than a colossal mountain of flesh. That was what made it so terrifying. Vlad and the Kaiser watched her with interest. Kaito clenched his fists. At the moment, he was powerless. There was nothing he could do but stand amid the thunderous noise and believe in Elisabeth. A long, long time passed. Then the giant pushed conspicuously hard against the stone wall. At that moment, the violent noise and vibration stopped. Elisabeth lowered her outstretched hand and dropped to her knees. As she did, the walls around them began melting like heated toffee. The room's stone floor vanished, and they all tumbled outside. The first thing they saw was the gray sky. A vast sea of ash and flesh surrounded them. If Elisabeth had erred just once, they would have found themselves buried beneath it. They stood still in shock, their vision filled with the bizarre spectacle of raw, piled-up meat as far as the eye could see. Eventually, Kaito's whisper broke the overwhelming silence. \"Is it...over?\" In that moment, one chunk of ash-covered flesh violently stirred. Something red came flying out from within. Although it had been crushed all over and on the verge of grossly collapsing in on itself, it nevertheless gave a shrill laugh. \"Hee-hee-hee-hee, ah-ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!\" Vomiting blood as it moved, the baby leaped at Elisabeth. \"Elisabeth!\" Kaito shouted. Still kneeling on the ground, she extended her hand. Then she drew the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal from within a vortex of darkness and crimson flower petals. Then she sped off like an arrow. \"Hee-hee-hee-hee, hee-hee-hee-hee, ah-ha-ha-ha!\" \"Just die already.\" The mad, cackling baby and the Torture Princess clashed. Then, for a second, time stood still. Kaito swallowed his breath. After a few seconds of silence, the baby's massive head came tumbling off. The baby had consumed the utmost limits of what it could, and the blade had finally pierced it. The next moment, as though they'd received some sort of signal, the baby and the mass of flesh vanished. Having lost their footing, Kaito and the others were all hurled unceremoniously to the ground. Countless black feathers fluttered into the air before them. The feathers filled the sky, as if to convey some sort of blessing. Faced with that sublime, beautiful spectacle, Kaito realized something. Something had begun to change within the demon's world. The rays of sunlight that had been blocked off until then were finally starting to make their way down to the earth. Bathed in sunlight, the baby's corpse transformed into particularly large feathers, which blew away gently in the wind. Eventually, the feathers all burst into azure flames and burned away into nothing. Closing his eyes, Kaito whispered as he took it all in. \"...I guess it's really over.\" And with that, the curtain fell on the final battle. Kaito looked at his surroundings. The demon's world was collapsing, and Vlad and the Kaiser had vanished. Elisabeth collapsed, crashing to her knees atop the ground. Other than the amount of mana she needed to maintain the demonic roots within her body, she was practically running on empty. It would take a good while before she was back to full strength. As he gazed at her alarmingly defenseless back, Kaito shifted his expression. With a grim face, he rushed to her side. Kneeling in front of her himself, he called out to her. \"Elisabeth, let's make a run for it while we can.\" *** She didn't reply. Her face was firmly cast downward, and she didn't move a muscle. Frantically, Kaito grabbed her hand. Like he had once before, he pleaded with her with the intensity of one taking a vow. \"When the King hit us with his mental attack, you told me how you really felt. Let's go together. The three of us can live together again. You finished your job. I'm not gonna leave you on your own!\" Upon hearing his plea, Elisabeth looked up. For a second, she smiled through her tangled black hair. Her crimson eyes were moist, and she was on the verge of saying something. But as though she were waking from a dream, her expression abruptly changed. She pursed her lips tightly. Then she roughly brushed Kaito's hand away. Kaito was at a loss for words. She looked at him, then shook her head. \"I told you once before, Kaito. Return to the castle alone. Then take Hina and flee.\" \"Being alone is lonely! That's what you told me!\" \"Silence! I swore an oath!\" Elisabeth practically screamed the words out. Her tone was violent, yet the emotions in her voice were completely suppressed. \"I swore an oath to my people, to the people I tyrannized!\" At that moment, images of the people the Torture Princess had subjugated flashed through Kaito's mind. The men, the women, the children, the elderly. Their myriad corpses hadn't possessed a shred of dignity, and their resentful cries sounded out one by one. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth, cruel, hideous Elisabeth! A curse upon you, a curse upon you, a curse, a curse, an eternal curse upon you, Elisabeth! Faced with those screams, she'd sworn an oath. That was what she'd continued living for, shameless as it may have been. Kaito knew there was something he ought to say, but he couldn't for the life of him come up with it. And Elisabeth just kept shaking her head. Then she looked at him again. The smile that adorned her face was gentle, sincere, and exhausted. \"Go... Go now... Please go. Flee. Have a family. Cause none to cry on your behalf. And don't you cry, either. Live a life full of happiness and joy.\" \"Elisabeth...\" \"You need bear no burden. Harming the masses, being hated by the world, and spending your life burdened by sins is a heavy thing.\" As she spoke practically in prayer, Elisabeth extended her hands. In a wholly uncharacteristic gesture, she clasped Kaito's cheeks in her hands, as though she were trying to burn the image of his face into her memory so that she would remember him even if her eyes were gouged out. Given that she was about to face an inquisition, there was a chance of that actually happening. Then through her gentle gaze, she spoke. \"'Tis too heavy a burden for you to bear.\" Her expression was that of someone instructing a child. Seeing this, Kaito understood. He had no choice but to understand. No matter how much I call out to her here, Elisabeth will never take my hand. That was the oath she'd made. That was what she'd promised. Even if he brought her by force, she would no doubt return in order to take responsibility for her sins. In order to die as the Torture Princess. \"My beloved Master Kaito, my dear Lady Elisabeth! Where are you?! Are you all riiiight?!\" Then they heard a voice. Somebody was restlessly, desperately running around atop the parched earth. It would appear that Hina had made it out safely. She was sprinting all around but then stopped on a dime once she noticed the two of them. Tossing her halberd aside, she rushed up to them like an excited puppy. \"Oh, oh! Thank goodness! Thank goodness you two are all right! Nothing could bring me greater\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"...Hina, let's go.\" Kaito cut off her joyful shouts in a low voice. Sensing that something was amiss, Hina stopped in her tracks, her smile stiff. She looked back and forth between Kaito and Elisabeth. Leaving the sitting Elisabeth behind, Kaito stood. Hina shouted, as though she'd realized what was going on. \"But Master Kaito, Lady Elisabeth is... Lady Elisabeth? Whatever might be the matter? Shall we depart? I can cook us up a banquet to celebrate the battle's end! Delicious cooked organs, all the desserts you can eat... So please, Lady Elisabeth, stand up! Lady Elisabeth, I insist!\" \"C'mon. Let's go.\" \"But we can't... We mustn't... I won't stand for this! I simply won't! If Lady Elisabeth doesn't return with us, I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Let's go!\" Embracing Hina's shoulder, Kaito forced her to start walking. Her emerald eyes warped, as though she were on the verge of tears. Although she was about to continue her plea, Hina suddenly went silent. Kaito's hands were trembling. Realizing that, Hina shook her head and swallowed her impassioned cries. With that, Kaito began walking off into the distance. But his footsteps gradually grew slower and slower. Unable to bear it anymore, he stopped in his tracks and turned back toward Elisabeth. Her gaze was fixed directly on him. When she murmured, it was with a weak smile on her face. \"Why is your face contorted so, Kaito? Be glad. You were forcibly resurrected by the Torture Princess,"}, {"text": "then coerced into fighting demons. But now, your nightmare is finally over.\" \"Lady Elisabeth...\" \"You too, Hina. Shed no tears for me. A smile suits your face far better.\" \"Lady Elisabeth, I... I...\" \"Live strong. And for the rest of your days, may you spend them in happiness.\" Elisabeth gazed at Hina as though she were a beloved younger sister. Then she looked back toward Kaito. They silently locked eyes with each other. Faltering for a moment, Elisabeth shook her head. But then she spoke quietly, the words seeming to fall out of her mouth on their own. \"I quite enjoyed our date.\" \"Yeah...me too.\" Those weren't the words of the Torture Princess nor of his master. They were the honest words of Elisabeth Le Fanu. On that final note, Kaito snapped his fingers. Azure flower petals and black feathers danced down through the air. He and Hina disappeared. Elisabeth was the only one remaining. Eventually, she let out a short, deep breath. She looked up at the sky with serene eyes. Dazzling sunlight was streaming down from the cracks between the thick gray clouds. She could hear the footsteps of paladins off in the distance. With the noise at her back, she scrunched her face up as though she were about to cry. But then she broke out into a calm smile as she whispered: \"And my nightmare is finally over as well.\" And then, with the time she had left to her, the Torture Princess wove a gentle lullaby. 8 Destiny's End The cell had no windows, causing it to be steeped in constant gloom. Its chilly air called to mind a seabed and carried the scent of mold. If anyone spent too long confined there, the damp and the cold were liable to cause their body to ache and then to vomit up blood. Centipedes crawled along the ceiling. Rats scurried in and out of holes in the walls. And within that nasty, isolated cell, a single woman lay horizontal on the floor. Her face in profile was so beautiful she barely seemed human. Her hair spread on the floor was lustrous and black, her skin was as white as snow, and her lips were so red they seemed to be practically oozing with blood. But due to whatever horrendous crime it was she'd committed, her ravishing limbs were bound in a straitjacket. Lying down on the chilly stone floor, she sat motionless. She was silent, and her eyes were closed. Due to the silence of its sole inhabitant, a deep stillness permeated the cell. But the quiet, which seemed as though it would be endless, was suddenly shattered. The door opened. In an instant, the room was flooded with light. But a creaking noise rang out, and the room fell into darkness once more. The paladin had closed the door behind her. The woman's silver armor paired well with her fine silvery hair and mismatched blue and purple eyes. However, a number of unseemly scars decorated her face, as though it had split from within. In spite of that, though, her gallant, beautiful nature was as refined as could be. The paladin looked down at the bound woman. Although she'd no doubt taken notice of her visitor, she remained motionless. After waiting a moment, the paladin, Izabella, suddenly spoke. \"Elisabeth Le Fanu.\" \"Izabella, eh...? I see you survived.\" \"Somehow, yes. Unable to withstand the force of the mana, my whole body tore from within, yet here I stand.\" \"Hmph, so you bear scars... What a fool you are.\" \"I'm much obliged for your concern. But I wear these scars proudly. I have no regrets.\" \"Concern? Hardly... Now, what business do you have?\" \"I came here to meet with you.\" Izabella gave her answer. When she did, Elisabeth's mouth snapped shut. It was as though Elisabeth didn't take a shred of interest in matters regarding herself. After wavering for a moment upon seeing Elisabeth's reaction, Izabella continued in a calm tone. \"I have something I wish to inform you of.\" \"...What might that be?\" \"Your servant, Kaito Sena, has yet to be located. Your castle was empty before the Church even began their search. He seems to have absconded with a number of your riches and automatons and gone into hiding.\" \"...Have you set pursuers on him?\" \"We have. However, he is contracted to the Kaiser. If he focuses his power solely on escaping, finding him is likely to be difficult.\" \"Mm, I don't doubt it.\" Elisabeth's response was concise. Izabella dutifully responded with a nod. Having finished saying what she'd come to say, Izabella peered around the room restlessly. As soon as she did, though, she suddenly launched into some meaningless small talk. \"This room is frigid, not to mention dark. Hardly what I'd call pleasant conditions.\" \"Given my sins, the fact I was exempted from interrogation and torture alone would easily qualify as special treatment.\" \"Perhaps... Oh, are your restraints getting loose over there?\" Izabella leaned in. Her tone was clearly forced, almost as though she was trying to get whoever was standing on the other side of the door to hear her. She ran her fingers over the leather belts, none of which were loose in the slightest. Then she drew her face close to Elisabeth's ear. \"Please stay quiet and listen to me, Elisabeth.\" *** \"Only a handful of people within the Church are responsible for this decision. But I was fortunate enough to be granted an audience with Godot Deus before his disposal, and both of us wish for your continued survival. The fourteen demons may be dead, but mankind's avarice has no limits. We have no guarantee that another contractor won't arise. I won't deny that you have a duty to pay for your sins and that mankind needs a common enemy. But we can't afford to lose your strength.\" \"...Hmm.\" \"The state is unlikely to overturn their decision saying the Torture Princess being burned at the stake is a necessary symbol. Treason though it may be, if you have any will to commit a jailbreak, I have trusted men who I can set into motion. Elisabeth, have you no desire to escape? You fought so hard.\" Then Izabella paused. After running her fingers across the Torture Princess's leather restraints one more time, she went on. Her voice was tinged with sadness. \"You killed many, but you saved many, as well. You are the Torture Princess, but you are also a hero.\" *** \"I feel that it is wrong to disregard that fact. If you have the will to break out of here, simply nod.\" The paladin whose brother was killed by the Torture Princess urged her on. However, Elisabeth refused to nod. Izabella waited. But after a prolonged silence, she shook her head and stood up. \"Hmm... It seems it was only my imagination.\" As she made her announcement for the person beyond the door, Izabella separated from Elisabeth. Then, with the blue and purple eyes resting between her tragic scars, she looked at the sinner who was merely awaiting death. Izabella silently gazed at the capital's savior and at the murderer who'd killed her brother along with countless innocents. But with another shake of her head, she changed her expression. Then, wearing the stern face of a soldier, she spoke again. \"Now, as an envoy of the Church, I have one more announcement for you.\" As commander of the Holy Knights, Izabella made her proclamation to the Torture Princess. \"Elisabeth Le Fanu. Your execution is scheduled for dawn on the morrow.\" No reply came. Elisabeth just gave a slight nod, as though to affirm her destiny. Official notice of the Torture Princess's execution had been posted about two weeks prior to Izabella coming to inform Elisabeth. And as soon as the notice was posted, the news spread throughout the capital like wildfire. After having been trampled over and oppressed by the demons, the people had been filled with a relentless sense of fear, rage, despair, and indignation, and it took little convincing for them to change the target of those emotions. No sooner did information get out about the location where the execution was slated to take place than people begin gathering there. They were so fervent in their desire to stake out spots in the plaza that disputes rose up day after day. And then the morning of the execution arrived. The sun rose, and with it, a black carriage came like a sinister specter. All at once, the people raised vitriolic jeers and threw rocks. As they did, the door of the carriage opened. The Torture Princess made her appearance and basked in the single-minded malice of those present. The scene must have made for a strong example. She'd been made to wear a white dress and had been symbolically bound with thorny briars. As blood dripped down her body, the beautiful woman made her way down the road toward the platform where the stake had been erected. The people lining the street let out hateful shouts. They clenched their fists as they yelled. \"Kill her, kill her, kill her, kill her, kill her, kill her! \"Loathsome Torture Princess; repulsive Torture Princess; cruel, hideous Elisabeth!\" Even upon hearing their voices, her expression didn't waver. A faint smile adorned her lips as Elisabeth looked out into the furious, shouting crowd. But then, all of a sudden, she furrowed her brow in puzzlement. Among the people filled with fear and loathing, there was another group who was focusing another emotion on her altogether. The young girl who'd innocently praised Kaito's arm as \"cool\" was on the verge of tears. Her mother, too, was casting a heartbroken gaze at Elisabeth. The old woman who'd once knelt and thanked Elisabeth was there, too, clutching at the sleeves of those around her with trembling hands. Unnoticed by the people beside her or perhaps being intentionally ignored, she was frantically trying to convey something. The group was small in comparison to the mob, but they continued to shout, undeterred by the fact that their voices were being drowned out. For an instant, one of their sorrowful calls reached Elisabeth's ear. \"Don't kill her.\" \"She's the one who saved my family,\" it said. \"Even though she's a murderer and sinner without peer,\" it said. \"...I truly am surrounded by fools.\" And with that small whisper, Elisabeth kept walking. Before long, she arrived at the platform. Rejecting the executioner's roughly extended hand, she walked up the wooden steps to the stake herself. A group of men fastened her to the post. A priest approached her. As he made to begin praying, Elisabeth interjected. \"'Tis far too late for prayers. Get on with it.\" \"But it is for your\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Enough. There shall be no salvation for me. This is my end.\" \"If you are resigned to your fate, then I will respect your wishes. Do you have any last words?\" \"...........................None.\" After hesitating for a few moments, Elisabeth gave her answer. She closed her eyes, opened them back up, and slowly shook her head. \"I have nothing to say, nor any to say it to.\" The priest nodded, then stepped off the platform. An executioner wearing a leather bag over his face approached her in his place. He took the torch he was holding and used it to light the kindling at Elisabeth's feet. Cheers rose up from all around. Just like Vlad once had, she began burning in the flames of man. Elisabeth looked through the billowing gray smoke at the elated masses. As the heat lapped at her toes, she gave a reflexive comment. \"It...hurts.\" In contrast with her words, her expression was serene and tranquil. Gazing up at the sky, she thought back on the words she'd just said. I have nothing to say, nor any to say it to. That was what she'd declared. And it was true. There was no other answer she could have given. Everyone she'd held dear had"}, {"text": "died. Her parents, her people, and Marianne. However, a single name slipped through her lips. \"Kai...to...\" The words he'd once told her flashed through her mind. She recalled his stupid, nonsensical promise. \"And hey, you bringing me back to life and summoning me here must have been some kind of fate... So until you start walking the road to Hell, I'll try and stick by your side for as long as I can, even if I'm the only one.\" \"You have my thanks.\" The crackling of the flames grew louder. Elisabeth's whisper vanished among them. Then she spoke a few heartfelt words, words that would reach no one. \"Just as you promised, I was never alone, right to the end.\" \"Throughout Elisabeth Le Fanu's bloody life, she was accompanied by a single foolish servant.\" She thought that had been altogether quite fine. Then she closed her eyes. The family she had saved broke down into tears, and the old woman covered her face and wailed. The Torture Princess was to die alone, forsaken by heaven, earth, and all of creation, then descend into Hell. ...However, at the eleventh hour, something happened. Ksssssssssssssssssh! Suddenly, a blade came whirling through the sky. It blew away the fire, kindling and all. As the loud noise rang out, the platform collapsed. Elisabeth went flying and crashed into the side platform the executioners were standing on, almost as though the angle of her flight had been planned. The people in the crowd let out confused cries. Above their heads, a magnificent storm of azure flower petals and jet-black feathers spiraled down. The spectacle that was unfolding was beautiful, yet for some reason, it struck fear into the hearts of all in attendance. Amid the uproar, a young man appeared in the air. He wore a black military uniform, and it fluttered as he glared down over the crowd. In his left arm, he was carrying an attractive, silver-haired automaton in a maid outfit. And of all things, the Kaiser accompanied him on his right. None of the people in the crowd could truly tell that the grotesque black hound was in fact the Kaiser. But driven by their instinctive repugnance and terror, they cried out all the same. Watching them, the young man's face curled into a malicious smile. Flanked by an oddity on each side, he gave a loud, booming laugh. \"What a carefree bunch you all are, killing off your own pawns while humanity still has enemies!\" \"It can't be...\" Elisabeth muttered in shock. The young man snapped his fingers before her astonished eyes. Snap! In response to the dry noise, twenty jewels appeared in the air around him. As he channeled mana into them, the people's screams grew even louder. Images of Godot Deus floated up above the jewels. As a high priest of the Church, the faith the people held in him was considerable. He raised his wrinkled head, then began making some manner of pitiful plea. As he did, the young man gave a sinister laugh and snapped his fingers once more. Snap! Ksssssssssssssssssh! A screeching noise rang out, and the stones holding the high priest's soul shattered in unison. The fragments sparkled as they fell through the air. Shocked by the abruptness and the atrocity of the deed, the people screamed. Their deep scars left from being attacked by demons had been pried open. They trembled, then succumbed to their rage and hatred. In an instant, their gazes shifted to one of stark animosity. The young man nodded, satisfied. The people didn't know. They didn't know Godot Deus had told the young man that the reproductions of his soul were slated to be destroyed or why he'd told him. After all, they had no way of knowing. They had no way of knowing that Godot Deus, who'd understood the importance of Elisabeth's execution better than anyone, had keenly known the vulnerability his death would create in mankind. There was no way they could have heard. There was no way they could have heard what he and the young man had discussed right before this, when all his crystals had been gathered in one place. There was no way they could have known what mutual objective the two of them aimed to fulfill with this display. And just what was that objective? The most effective method by which to unite people was to give them a common enemy. And as long as such an enemy existed, mankind would find themselves in need of a dangerous, powerful blade. To that end, the young man\u00e2\u20ac\u201dKaito Sena\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshouted. \"Letting your guard down just 'cause you killed all fourteen demons? Ha! What a joke! You guys are a bunch of dumb-a\u00e2\u20ac\u201dno, fools. From here on out, I shall lead the Kaiser and become the stuff of nightmares! And I'll start with that woman over there, the tyrannical foe of us demons! She will be a hindrance to us no more. With my own two hands, I shall slay the Torture Princess!\" \"Why are you doing this, Kaito Sena? I thought you were a man of integrity! What are you thinking?!\" Flustered, Izabella shouted at him. Perhaps due to her honest nature, it seemed that she was panicking in earnest. Kaito watched her with relief, glad that his acting seemed to have passed muster. The Kaiser stepped on his foot, and the maid gently poked him in the side. Hurriedly, Kaito snapped his fingers. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (dance)!\" Countless blades dived at the Torture Princess. But the executioners made a split-second decision, pushing Elisabeth aside and covering for her. The brawny men formed a wall with their bodies and guarded the Torture Princess from the would-be assassination. Then, at Izabella's orders, the paladins got to work. Unwilling to let any who bore ill will toward the innocent escape, they activated the barrier they'd been intending to use in the unlikely event the Torture Princess tried to escape. After looking at the sacred white light they were weaving together, Kaito nodded. \"...Yup, I can break through. Looks like I was right.\" He'd wanted to be able to make his escape even if the paladins threw up a barrier, so after he'd left Elisabeth alone on the hill and made his way back to the plaza, he'd tried to figure out how strong it was. Then, by torturing the Monarch, he'd gathered the mana he'd needed to destroy it. Again, he snapped his fingers. An explosion of azure petals and black feathers danced through the air. Then, with a noise like glass shattering, the barrier vanished. \"Oh-ho, it seems I am at a disadvantage here. Very well. I take my leave now, gentlemen! We shall meet again!\" After promising another encounter, Kaito gave a twisted laugh. The Kaiser, too, laughed mockingly at the crowd in its humanlike voice. Still embracing the back of Kaito's neck, the automaton smiled sweetly. Then their master snapped his fingers once more. As if by magic, the Kaiser's contractor vanished. Finally, the finishing blow was dealt in the form of a delighted voice, which rained down on the terrified, furious, panicking crowd. \"Next time, I shall deliver upon mankind a truly demonic calamity!\" \"That...utter...imbecile!\" As the crowd was whipped up into a frenzy, Elisabeth quietly cursed. She clenched her fist, then punched the platform. However, no one was looking her way. She'd been neglected so thoroughly it was hard to believe that she'd just been on the verge of being burned at the stake. Now alone, she bit down hard on her lip. As she looked down toward the ground, she thought back to something he'd said. The words had been heartfelt and directed straight at her. \"I like her a whole lot. \"For that person's sake, I could do or become anything.\" \"...I told you, Kaito, 'tis too much for you to bear.\" Elisabeth muttered the words quietly. But there was nobody there to respond to her. As though to console her, the azure petals and black feathers gently brushed against her slender shoulders as they fell. Due to the unforeseen turn of events, the Torture Princess's execution was suspended. The paladins hastily mobilized a search party to pursue the Kaiser's contractor. But despite devoting their full efforts to the chase, they were unable to locate him. Given the appearance of a new demon and one that had publicly proclaimed hostility toward mankind, to boot, the Church held a discussion, then handed down their official decision. The Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu, was informed of her new orders. Her mission was simple. It was to kill Kaito Sena, the fifteenth contractor. Afterword Hello, Keishi Ayasato here. You hold in your hands the newly released third volume. Thank you all so much for buying the third volume of Torture Princess. My editor and I decided to cram as much content in each volume of this series as possible, so I guess the action's been pretty nonstop for these past three volumes. I'm sure those of you who have read it can tell, but the third volume marks the end of the first story arc. That said, I've already planned out where the plot will go from here. Of course, only God knows whether or not we'll get to that point, but nothing would make me happier than to complete the story of the Torture Princess and the boy she summoned. It is my humble wish for us to meet again in the next volume. As an aside, I wrote another limited-edition booklet for Animate to go with the third volume! As I mentioned in the second volume, skipping it won't affect your enjoyment of the main story, but the story is once more fun and prattling, so if you're interested in taking a peek at the day-to-day routines of Kaito and the rest, I would love it if you checked it out (I'm the type to toss in advertisements each and every time). Please take a look, even if all you do is admire the fascinating, adorable cover Saki Ukai drew for it. The two heroines trade outfits! I'm almost out of room in the afterword here, so as is custom, I have some people I'd like to thank. As always, Saki Ukai, thank you so much for all your beautiful illustrations. To my designer and my publisher, your suggestions were invaluable, and to my editor O, I wish to extend my sincere gratitude. And a big thank-you to my beloved family, in particular my older sister, who helped me with corrections on the first draft! And last but not least, to all my readers, I wish to thank you with all my heart. The fact that you all read my books brings me endless joy. I'll put everything I have into the next volume, so I hope you all look forward to it. And on that note, I pray we will meet once more. The resurrected young man's battles aren't over just yet. To the Ignorant Faithful Pray, O ye faithful. Pray that our Lord's benevolence may be upon us. Pray that, in His unfathomable love, He will heal this scarred world of ours. As you are all aware, the battle against the fourteen demons has come to an end. And in its wake, the fifteenth demon and its contractor have appeared and declared their animosity toward us. The paladins are currently in pursuit of this contractor. But what we need now face, above all else, are the harsh wounds we bear. The dead are countless, and the suffering has been immeasurable. Untold numbers of the innocent and the pious alike have fallen victim. With the Saint's guidance, they now rest at God's side. But the grief our people feel is profound, and their lamentations are endless. It is in these trying times that I would ask you to hark back to the first miracle. The Saint carried God into our world. And once He rebuilt our scarred world, she fell into a deep"}, {"text": "slumber. It follows that our entire lives were built upon her suffering, upon the sacrifice she made. We must take care to respect her, to revere God, to cleanse ourselves, and to live righteously. With how many are falling victim, as though the tale of old is being recreated, doing so is more important than ever. Carrying on upon land ravaged by demons is no mean feat. Thankfully, due to its unforeseen strength, the Capital was able to escape total destruction. But even so, living with such disgraceful scars is a task far too hopeless, and far too unpleasant. So pray, all of you. Implore Him, all of you. Believe in His compassion, seek out His love, and pray for a miracle. Our Lord may be distant, but the Saint is close at hand. We must humbly pray, wishing for a miracle like that of old. We must pray that she remains boundlessly compassionate. But even as you all pray, you remain unaware. Incapable of understanding. Incapable of understanding that a true miracle is a miracle precisely because it occurs. Come now, O ye ignorant faithful. Pray that God will be your Savior. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. 1 An Invitation from the Beastfolk A few days ago, the Monarch, the Grand Monarch, and the King had fused into a mass of flesh and attacked the Capital, dealing it a fatal blow. Humanity had narrowly defeated them, though, finally ending the menace the fourteen demons had posed. As proof of that, and to exemplify the conclusion of mankind's nightmare, the Church had announced that an execution would be carried out. Elisabeth Le Fanu, the Torture Princess and a peerless sinner, would be symbolically burned at the stake. People had crowded around the execution site in order to catch a glimpse of that historic moment. Ultimately, the death sentence was put on hold. The reason being that a new demon and contractor had loudly declared war on humanity. In the end, the curtain had not fallen on mankind's nightmare. And so the Torture Princess, having escaped the stake, began her demon subjugation anew on the Church's orders. As for her current status, she was in her castle, asleep. It was still early in the afternoon. In other words, she was enjoying a leisurely afternoon nap. Elisabeth was lying down with her eyes closed, surrounded by stone walls and atop a well-made yet simple bed. She looked almost like a lovely Sleeping Beauty. However, she wasn't even slightly drowsy. The fact that her lips were pursed and her eyebrows occasionally twitched in frustration made it obvious. Without warning, a strange noise rang out, and a white orb came hurtling through the broken shutters of the room's window. The Church's communication device was emitting a shrill noise. Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech! Crack! The next moment, a swirling vortex of darkness and crimson flower petals appeared out of thin air, only for a whip to emerge from within it to strike the noisy intruder. The sphere took a sudden nosedive until Elisabeth extended a hand and caught it. As the wings on the orb's sides gently drooped, a huge number of glyphs flashed across its surface. After she read its contents, Elisabeth quickly sat up. \"Good work.\" With that, she nodded and hurled the orb away. It went flying out the window. Elisabeth clapped her hands together, then murmured in displeasure. \"I see... Hmph, showing our face rather frequently now, aren't we? Amateur.\" Following that remark, she reached her hand out into empty space. Darkness and crimson petals swirled once more. Elisabeth withdrew a serrated knife designed for torture from within, then tossed it forward. Thunk! The knife firmly planted itself into both the wall and the map affixed to it. The map was already riddled with knives. Each time the Church sent her information regarding sightings of a particular individual, she'd stabbed the map in the corresponding location. The arrangement of the knives was beginning to reveal a definite pattern to the sightings, one that likely not even the fugitive in question was aware of. Elisabeth gazed at the map with her dark, crimson eyes. Then she opened her shapely mouth to speak. The voice that came out of it was alarmingly hollow. \"Worry not, Kaito. Your days of bearing sins and being loathed by the world shall not be many.\" Suddenly, a tired smile made its way across her face. Her voice was dry, yet full of pity as well. \"For soon, I will come to put you down myself.\" A heavy silence fell over the room. Snorting, Elisabeth lay back down on the bed. She closed her eyes once more, but she tossed and turned restlessly, unable to find sleep. Eventually, covering her eyes with her arms, she ground her teeth as she whispered. \"'Tis quiet... Too quiet.\" Silence pervaded her castle. There was no obnoxious voice asking her why the hell she was sleeping. And there was no charming call, telling her it was time for tea, either. That was only natural. It would have been far stranger for there to be anyone eccentric enough to willingly talk to the Torture Princess. Consequently, she was completely and utterly alone. \"Ah, achoo!\" \"Ha, Master Kaito sneezed! How adorable! Or rather, are you all right? Have you caught a cold?\" \"Um, y'know, I don't think golem bodies can get sick. Maybe someone's talking about me behind my back?\" Completely unfazed, Kaito rubbed his nose. Without a moment's delay, Hina pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and gently pressed it against his face. \"All right, Master Kaito\u00e2\u20ac\u201dblow!\" \"Thanks, Hina. I'll wash it and give it back, achoo!\" Kaito sneezed once more. Quickly folding up the handkerchief, Hina passionately clenched her fists. \"I think not! I will be taking this handkerchief, along with the memory of your delightfully adorable sneeze, and storing it in my treasured Master Kaito Collection as Collection Number 1983!\" \"That's gonna be a no. C'mon, give it here.\" \"Never! Ahem. With all due respect, is this not but a meager request from your loving wife\u00e2\u20ac\u201deek, I said 'wife'! Shall I bat my eyelashes?\" \"Even being my wife doesn't make it okay. You can't keep it!\" \"Master Kaito, you meanie!\" Hina puffed up her cheeks. \"Making a cute face isn't going to suddenly make it okay,\" said Kaito as he took the handkerchief from her hand. A mass of people was passing by as the two of them went through their inane exchange. The makeup of the crowds was truly varied, from their occupations and social statuses to their races. There were townsfolk and merchants, sailors and laborers, magical beast demolishers, demi-humans, and beastfolk. It was no wonder\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe town was built at the intersection of two large rivers, serving as both a mooring place for ships and a hub for regional commerce. Due to the diversity of the merchants and the sheer number of people, their surroundings were quite lively. Stalls lined both sides of the road, and the busy sounds of trade filled the air. Although it looked like your run-of-the-mill market, this place had one special trait. No permit was required to sell by the roadside, nor were there restrictions on what could be sold. Perhaps it was because no one had to fear random inspections conducted by soldiers, but despite the dubious public order, the whole town was as animated as its inhabitants. Even so, if one strained their ears, they could make out disquieting rumors. \"What, that old man? He went to the Capital. No matter how much building material ya bring up there, it's never enough.\" \"We're in bad shape here. Our client went under, you see... No, as in, literally went under. All the apprentices got swallowed up by that mass of flesh. I still can't believe it myself... What about you? I hear the apothecaries got hit real hard.\" \"It was a real piece of work. And it isn't just the apothecaries. Everything just keeps getting more expensive. And who knows how long it'll take before things settle down...or how many people'll string themselves up before then.\" A few days ago, the demons had invaded the Capital. The attack had been nothing short of devastating. Due to how concentrated the population was, the death toll had been immense. Many buildings with historical value had been destroyed. The main marketplace and the factories had been annihilated, too, in addition to the losses of various storehouses, transportation systems and communication devices, and many other essentials. The monetary damages had been incalculable. And it hadn't just affected the Capital\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe surrounding regions accepting the massive influx of refugees were showing signs of financial strain as well. The labor shortages were becoming problematic, while the stability of the food supply was constantly in question. The damage to the nation's economic and political center had cast a grave shadow over the lives of its people. The current situation filled Kaito with sorrow. The conversation bubbling up around him continued to reach his ears. \"We don't have enough workers to go around. But none of these refugees are taking any jobs. The Church says they're working on it, but I dunno. The Capital itself has the paladins watching over things, so it's doing all right, but everywhere else is in shambles.\" \"They keep demanding more mercenaries, huh? They still haven't caught the Kaiser's contractor?\" Kaito and Hina instinctively exchanged a glance. Then they quickly distanced themselves from the marketplace. After all, the Kaiser's contractor in question was none other than Kaito himself. The two of them were currently fugitives. Of course, there was a profound reason behind that. Once, after a lifetime of abuse at the hands of his father, Kaito had been killed. Following his death, Kaito's soul had been summoned to another world, where he obtained a new life. And the one who'd summoned him had been none other than the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu, a sinner fated to be executed after fulfilling her duty of killing fourteen demons. Together with Kaito, the Torture Princess slew the demons who'd attacked the Capital, successfully completing the mission handed down to her by the Church. Having finally atoned for her crimes, she was supposed to have been burned at the stake. But Kaito refused to accept the Torture Princess's fate. Accompanied by the Kaiser, whom he'd formed a contract with, Kaito turned against humanity. As the fifteenth demonic contractor, he'd loudly announced his intent to become a villain to the entire Capital. All that had been for the sake of granting humanity a new enemy and convincing the Church to postpone Elisabeth's execution. This was how Kaito had come to shoulder the heavy burden of sin, now hated by all and on the run. And as for Kaito and Hina's current status, they were gathering provisions. It was a trifling, obvious task. But the fact of the matter was that people needed to eat. Kaito had yet to fully fuse with his demon. As such, he still required nutrients to survive. But serious obstacles stood in the way of his and Hina's desire to procure a steady supply of food. First, the town's food situation was strained because the supply lines had been thrown into disarray. But more importantly, Kaito's left arm had assumed a beastly form, causing him to stand out considerably. The obvious solution would have been to ask Hina to buy what they needed, but her striking silver hair, emerald-green eyes, and miraculous beauty made that less than ideal. Of course, Kaito wasn't at a complete loss. The first time they confronted this problem, he'd turned to Vlad, who was ostensibly his teacher when it came to matters of magic. \"Shapeshifting, disguises, or invisibility spells, you say... Ha, how mundane! You know, I once had a device that could stop time, which would have easily prevented anyone from ever catching you. Back when I was alive, you see,"}, {"text": "I wasn't particularly keen on surprise attacks. I would instead spearhead my demonic troops and boldly launch grand invasions. In short, my dear successor, I'm afraid I can't be of much help. I never took it upon myself to even learn such uninspired spells in the first place!\" Well, he sure was completely useless. Kaito dejectedly thought back to the pose Vlad had struck as he'd answered the question with a finger pressed against the side of his head. The stone in his pocket containing Vlad's soul\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor rather, a replica thereof\u00e2\u20ac\u201drattled around. He seemed to have sensed the slight against him and was protesting. But Kaito merely ignored him. Well, at least I was able to cobble something together, in the end. Kaito let out a sigh as he adjusted the bit where the black cloak covering his head and body had slipped down. At the moment, Kaito and Hina were taking after the Butcher and concealing their faces behind black cloaks. It was a simple method, and one that would normally make them look rather conspicuous. However, there was no shortage of people in this town involved in illicit business, making their choice of attire quite common. Somehow managing to avoid being noticed, the two of them turned their attention to their shopping. \"Should we check out that one next?\" \"Okay!\" Nodding in agreement, Hina walked up to the fruit stand. There she found a basket left directly atop the cobbled pavement, and she pulled an orange out from it. Or rather, she pulled something that looked like an orange from it, although it might have been an entirely different fruit altogether. After checking to make sure it had no serious bruises and hadn't been chewed through by worms, she turned back toward Kaito. \"Is this acceptable?\" \"Looks good to me. Let's grab two of those... That, and two bags of dried figs, please.\" \"Comin' right up.\" The wizened merchant took Kaito's order with a hoarse voice. Just as Kaito had suspected, the merchant didn't even glance at his customer, simply bundling up the goods with practiced\u00e2\u20ac\u201dalbeit indifferent\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmovements. Kaito frowned as he handed over the payment. It was pricey, as was to be expected. But the price of commodities would probably only continue to rise. It's a good thing that Godd Deos was able to save the king and the bigwig aristocrats. The blame for most of society's woes will probably end up falling on me. The economic decline, the shortage of goods, and the disorder stemming from the apocalyptic despair will most likely continue for a long while, but they should all improve as the Capital recovers. I just hope that things won't get too bad before then... It wasn't only everyday folk who were feeling the squeeze; feudal lords, the representatives of the mercantile guilds, and the Church's high clergy were under a great deal of pressure as well. All sorts of people and organizations were going broke. But all Kaito could do was hope for them to hold on. As Kaito became lost in thought, Hina stored the oranges in the magical leather bag they'd taken from the castle. The bag was already loaded up with bundles of rice and herbs, rock salt, a few days' worth of vegetables, and dried cheese. \"We should stock up on other stuff that'll keep well, like dried meat and fish.\" \"Understood. In that case, we should go there.\" Hina nodded, leading the way to the shop two stalls over. It might have been the shopkeeper's seniority that made this booth noticeably nicer than any of the other offerings on the street. Slabs of meat hung from hooks affixed to its simple yet robust roof, and wooden wicker baskets lined the roadside in front of it. Chickens and ducks raised a loud clamor from within the cages. It seemed they were butchered beside the nearby well once purchased. As they approached the shop, Kaito stopped in his tracks. Almost simultaneously, Hina quietly whispered to him. \"Master Kaito...\" \"Don't worry. I noticed.\" Kaito's response was concise. As they spoke, Hina stooped over and looked at the ducks, while Kaito stood stock-still behind her. Without once shifting their gazes, the two of them searched their surroundings. At some point, a disquieting presence had become mixed in with the hustle and bustle. Several gazes filled with tension, wariness, and unmistakable animosity were focused on the two of them. Furthermore, they could hear a commotion starting up in the distance. Somebody was forcibly stopping the flow of pedestrians. Although Kaito and Hina couldn't see them yet, whoever the interlopers were, they were ignoring the protests of the people around them and trying to block off the street. There could be no doubt that their objective was to apprehend the two fugitives. Kaito shook his head slightly. \"I'll admit my disguise was pretty garbage, but still... They found us pretty damn fast, didn't they? What a pain.\" \"It was unavoidable. The bounty on your head is rather large, after all. We should be grateful that at least we aren't being ambushed by someone after they found out about the reward.\" \"Yeah... Things got pretty messy last time.\" The two of them let out heavy sighs. The ducks kept on quacking. At the same time, the crowd began to stir. A group of armored men were approaching, violently pushing through the crowd. One of them shoved aside a drunkard, who pitched forward and tumbled to the ground. Their determined advance toppled over a handcart full of bouquets, too. An emaciated dog barked as it fled. A chain of furious protests rang out. The band of warriors didn't even spare the angry crowd a glance as they encircled Kaito and Hina. The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Everyone waited with bated breath to see what would happen. Completely oblivious to the situation, a shopkeeper-like man emerged from the back of the stall, flourishing a meat cleaver. \"What's all this ruckus, some kinda fight? I don't care who's in the right, but I'll take the side of a pretty lady any day, my dear!\" \"Ah, I happen to be married, so please don't mind me. My deepest apologies for the trouble.\" With a quick bow, Hina drew away from the storefront. \"And I'm her lucky husband,\" said Kaito as he embraced her without missing a beat. With a sidelong glance, he confirmed who their pursuers were. Leading the group were a few paladins from the Church's local branch office. Everyone else in their party looked weak, both in posture and in build. It didn't look like there were any mages or priests, even among the lookouts. In spite of himself, Kaito felt let down. He shook his head a little. As soon as they rushed at us all frantic-like, I had a feeling they weren't any run-of-the-mill group. \"Man, they made the wrong choice.\" \"Indeed, that they did.\" \"Seriously.\" Kaito and Hina nodded at each other. Throughout their whole exchange, the paladins continued closing the distance. Kaito squinted. The paladins' silver suits of armor lacked their usual luster, and their gaits were sluggish. It looked like they'd been negligent in their daily training, not to mention failing to take good care of their armor. Despite the town's size, being transferred here probably amounted to a demotion, and their days had likely been spent idly. The man who appeared to be their leader raised an annoyed voice, one altogether lacking in zeal. \"You're Kaito Sena, correct?\" \"...Try to keep your foolishness in check, if you don't mind.\" \"Not planning on giving a straight answer, you bastard?!\" The man reached his arm out, his voice filled with pent-up rage. He grabbed Kaito's shoulder and gave it a yank. Kaito turned around with little resistance. Upon seeing his face, the man gave a short gulp. Kaito wore a wicked grin, one wholly befitting the Kaiser. \"To think someone would dare to go up against me with such shabby men and arms.\" Kaito's voice was as cold as ice. The paladin went pale. The situation would quickly deteriorate if the man was allowed to scream. Not wanting to provoke the crowd more than necessary, Kaito quickly set into motion. He reached into the pocket opposite the one where he kept Vlad's stone and pulled out a fragment of a jewel. A blue flash lit up the cobbled road. As it did, Kaito snapped his fingers. \"La (activate).\" The jewel fragment burst from within. Azure light and black feathers surged up all around them. The two stark colors violently swallowed up Kaito, Hina, and all the nearby paladins. Against the backdrop of the terrified cries of bystanders and livestock, the azure and black wound together in a swirling eddy of magic. Then, with a small popping noise, they vanished. Clap, clap. The soles of his leather shoes audibly struck the ground as Kaito landed. Then he looked down at his surroundings from atop the ruined hill. This was the location where the Torture Princess had fought the Duke and eventually burned him to death. Kaito had traveled to that hill in the blink of an eye. The jewel fragment was a magical teleportation device. By releasing the magic sealed within it, the user could instantly travel to a location where another fragment from the same jewel was buried. Kaito had taken an old jewel from Elisabeth's castle and, under Vlad's tutelage, had used blood and pain as an intermediary to infuse it with mana for this purpose. Now that he thought about it, Vlad technically had been useful in getting out of their most recent jam. Moments later, Hina touched down beside him. On the other hand, the paladins failed to stick their landings and ended up tumbling down the slope. One of them stepped on something dry, then screamed. \"Wh-what is this place?!\" Human bones lay scattered atop the hillside. Due to their fierce battle against the Duke, the land here had been churned up, and many of the coffins resting in the earth had been destroyed. \"Looks like they're all here.\" Kaito murmured quietly as the confusion and screams continued. There was a reason he'd specifically chosen to come all the way to this distant place. Due to the Duke's horrid deeds, the whole region had been deemed corrupted and subsequently sealed off without exception. In other words, as long as they were here, there was no need to worry about unrelated people getting involved. \"Now then, I'd better do something to reward your foolhardy valor!\" Kaito gave a loud shout. He grabbed the black cloak he was wearing and forcefully hurled it away. His black outfit, resembling a military uniform with its bloodred embroidery, came into view. Then the wanted sinner made a grand declaration. \"As the Kaiser's contractor, and as the enemy of all mankind, I shall be your opponent.\" Over the past few days, Kaito had quickly come to a number of realizations. First, hitting people with the back of his sword was surprisingly difficult. And second, trying to strike fear into people's hearts while taking care not to leave any lasting effects was quite the task. \"Killing one of them by accident would be an absolute mess. Definitely wouldn't be able to undo something like that.\" \"Good work out there! The way you fought was most befitting the ultimate personification of evil, yet at the same time, completely gentlemanly! A splendid job once more! I'm going faint, and my heart is pounding, and I'm head over heels in love with you!\" \"Your praise makes it all worth it.\" \"Eek, Master Kaito, you're so cool!\" shrieked Hina as she hopped up and down. Kaito acknowledged her reaction with a raised hand. Their pursuers had fallen into heaps on the ground in front of them, all of them fully unconscious. However, none of them had sustained any serious injuries. Once they woke up, they'd be able to descend the hill and call"}, {"text": "for help on their own. They might find themselves assailed by nightmares for a few days, though. They'd better, or I'm in trouble. Kaito looked down at his downed foes with a serious look on his face. After all, he needed the people to continue believing that Kaito Sena was the enemy of mankind. Given his position, he couldn't content himself with a simple life on the run. His goal was to stave off Elisabeth's execution. To that end, he needed the Church to keep believing he was a serious threat to humanity. Each time he took down a would-be pursuer, he made sure to take every chance he got to etch unforgettable fear into them. Fortunately, none of their pursuers had been particularly strong, possibly because the Capital was preoccupied with its own defenses or for some other pressing reason. But Kaito was well aware of the fact that he wouldn't be able to keep up the farce forever. Pretty soon, I'm gonna hit my limit. Before that happened, he needed to figure out a way to have Elisabeth's execution called off. And more than anything, he needed to change her mind. I still can't think of any way to do that. The Torture Princess's sins were far too severe. No matter what justifications she may have had, she could never take back the things she'd done. There was no way she could possibly atone enough to make up for it. Short of changing the past, there was no way to erase the sins she'd committed. The people she'd killed were never coming back. Kaito knew that, and so did Elisabeth herself. Kaito closed his eyes, puzzling over what in the world he could possibly do. Then a deep voice rang out. \"You truly are a hopeless, pitiable fool.\" \"Kaiser.\" The voice was inaudible to any but Kaito, his contractor, and it replied to him with humanlike laughter. With his magnificent canine body still hidden, the Kaiser went on. \"Indeed, O contractor of mine. It is I, a flawless hound wholly wasted on an unworthy master such as yourself. How many times must you repeat this foolery before you're satisfied? The matter should be simple. All you need do is make good on your proclamation at the Capital and amass power by gathering the pain of others in a manner befitting my master. Then you could simply destroy the foundations of this world and reshape it as you desire.\" \"How many times do I have to tell you? I have no plans to tyrannize anyone. I'm not gonna become like my father.\" \"Ha, a brute that looks down on brutes. That in itself is laughable. What difference is there between one brand of evil and another?\" The Kaiser scoffed, and Kaito narrowed his eyes a little. It was true; considering his current position in a vacuum, he was far more deserving of the descriptor evil than his father ever had been. He was the enemy of mankind, after all. Amused in spite of himself by that fact, Kaito was ready to respond. \"Ha-ha, you have a point there... But you gotta understand, Kaiser, it'd be a waste of time for me to try to amass power by hurting people. There's not a doubt in my mind that Elisabeth would come barreling in and murder me the moment I tried.\" \"But at this rate, you'll find your head removed from your shoulders regardless. How shameful, how utterly shameful. Dying, no matter how it happens, is a disgrace. It follows, then, that you should give in to your deepest desires and try fighting like you really mean it.\" The Kaiser's words were to the point. Kaito nodded. It was exactly like the Kaiser had told him once before. The power of demons was supreme, and could first be attained when one extended their hand past the limits of avarice and desire. And one who forgot their greatest wish was naught but a fool masquerading as a saint. Even so, I'm not going to betray Neue. Kaito thought back to the boy who'd sacrificed himself for Kaito and been eaten by the Earl's spider. The boy's existence was like a knot tied around Kaito's heart, stopping him from crossing that final line. He refused to do anything that would cause others to have to sacrifice themselves the same way he had been saved. And he couldn't bear the thought of becoming a thug who just grinned as they tormented the weak, like his father had done. But at the moment, he had something far more important to do than respond to the Kaiser. \"So what brings you guys here?\" Kaito called out, his voice ringing with confidence. However, he received no reply. Nevertheless, he leveled a cool gaze toward the shadows behind the gravestones and the shattered coffins. Perhaps shaken by the intensity of his confidence, the air shifted a little. Immediately after they'd teleported, he had noticed a few presences who'd come along, following the traces of his mana. Hina had noticed at the same time he had, or perhaps even earlier. But when he cast a sidelong glance at her, he saw that she wasn't holding her halberd at the ready. She was simply waiting to spot movement and taking care to avoid putting the other party on guard. Yeah, that's the right call. After all, Kaito couldn't sense a shred of hostility from their new pursuers. What were they doing? What was their goal? As he concealed his bewilderment, Kaito continued staring at the spot where the newcomers were lurking. Having run out of patience, a few figures finally made their appearances. Just like the set of pursuers prior to them, they were clad in full-body armor. However, the material differed from that of the paladins and Royal Knights, making use not just of metal but of leather and scales as well. Their outfits had a vermilion motif and gave off a unique aesthetic and cultural impression. But what surprised Kaito the most was their faces. \"...Beastfolk?\" Their new pursuers were not, in fact, human. They all had animal heads, their bodies were covered in dense-looking fur, and their feet were adorned with pointy claws. Kaito recalled what Elisabeth had once told him. \"Demi-human-beastfolk crossbreeds. Not an uncommon sight, particularly with the influx of various races in low-class towns. They make up about thirty percent of slum dwellers, and in the north, it exceeds forty percent. Visibly pure-blooded demi-humans and beastfolk are generally in the nobility, though, so they're rarely seen in human settlements.\" Kaito looked over the beastfolk before him a second time. Their bodies didn't have all the same parts humans did. While they didn't look especially noble, they were probably still purebloods. But based on Elisabeth's explanation, that meant they shouldn't be showing up on human land. Why were the beastfolk there, then? The questions just kept piling up. But Kaito didn't exactly have time to ask the beastfolk directly. Their hands already on the hilts of their swords, the beastfolk began moving. They approached Kaito and Hina, their movement offering no openings. Raising his hand, Kaito struck a pose that would let him snap his fingers at a moment's notice. Hina pulled out her long halberd from their bottomless magical bag in a single fluid motion. The beastfolk peered up at Kaito, as though appraising him. He returned the examining looks with a composed, questioning gaze. The next moment, the beastfolk nodded among themselves, then moved as one. Bending the knee like loyal retainers, they all knelt in front of Kaito. \".........What?\" \"Sir Kaito Sena, we presume.\" The voice that spoke up was deep. Dumbfounded as he was, Kaito reflexively thanked his golem body's native translation functions. The odds were high that the beastfolk were speaking a different language from the one humans regularly used. If not for his built-in translation ability, Kaito probably wouldn't have been able to understand the beastfolk at all. The beastman, who had coppery hair, a brilliant tassel atop his sword, and a wolf head, picked up where he left off. \"We wish to humbly request you travel back to our territory with us.\" The beastman raised his face. His golden eyes glimmered with determination as he looked at Kaito. The next words that came out of the wolf-headed beastman's mouth weren't what Kaito had been expecting in the slightest. \"We intend to receive the enemy of mankind as an honored guest.\" \"Explain to me what's going on here.\" Kaito immediately made a firm request. The moment he'd heard what the beastman had said, memories from his past life had rushed through his mind. Back in his old world, there hadn't been any sort of clear menace to humanity like the demons. Because of that, international politics there were a good deal more complicated. And just the other day, this world, too, had been largely freed from the menace of the demons, with the exception of Kaito. Kaito knew next to nothing about the historic relationship between humans and beastfolk. However, he had a pretty good sense of the friction that existed between the two groups. Beastfolk were banned from some areas within the human lands, and the border around the area where the pure-blooded beastfolk lived was generally closed off. That information was enough for him to more or less surmise the resentment that plagued interactions between the two races. As a matter of fact, the very hill they were standing on had been the site of a bloody conflict fought by humans and beastfolk long before the Duke had started using it. At the same time, according to Izabella, the borderland between the pureblood region and the human realm had been the image of tranquility ever since the third peace treaty. Now that the situation has stabilized, they're inviting the enemy of another race into their home base. Kaito wasn't stupid enough for the implications of that decision to go over his head. He absolutely had to avoid destroying the delicate balance between the two parties. But the beastfolk weren't out of surprises just yet. \"The reason we wish to invite you is thus. A sudden tragedy has occurred in our lands, and we would humbly ask of you to aid us in settling the matter. Some entity has been attacking our villages, and several terrible massacres have already occurred.\" \"Massacres?\" Upon hearing that unsettling word, Kaito instinctively furrowed his brow. The wolf-headed beastman's lustrous fur rustled as he nodded. It was possible that he'd seen the tragic scenes himself, as he spoke his next words in a pained voice. \"They didn't spare women, children, the elderly...not even infants. We lost several patrolling warriors as well. I'd never laid eyes on a hellscape like that before. If this goes on, yet more villages will be slaughtered. We need strength.\" \"Hold on a second. If you need help to stop the killings, then I'd be glad to lend a hand. But just now, you said that you intended to receive the 'enemy of mankind' as an honored guest, right?\" \"Indeed, I did.\" The wolf-headed beastman nodded seriously. But Kaito had difficulty finding a connection between that oddly specific choice of phrasing and the massacres in the villages. His tone grew tougher as he gave voice to his misgivings. \"Why do you need the 'enemy of mankind'? It feels weird to say it myself, but willingly asking for help from the Kaiser and his contractor is plain nuts. If the situation is so dire that you can't deal with it yourselves, couldn't you just ask the humans for help?\" \"We are requesting your assistance precisely because we do not have that option. We cannot afford to let the humans know what we're doing. Mankind has been assailed by demons as of late, and in order to be good neighbors, we've been freely, albeit surreptitiously, providing them aid in the form of resources and money. However, we cannot see this recent"}, {"text": "tragedy as anything but a complete betrayal of that goodwill.\" \"So in other words...\" \"We suspect that the perpetrator is human\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand not merely an individual, but a group.\" The wolf-headed beastman nodded, and behind him, his subordinates did the same. Kaito gulped. The fight against the demons had only just ended. Now there were claims that a tragedy had been carried out by human hands. Could that really be what was happening? Kaito found himself baffled. The beastman before him spoke with a voice full of bloodlust. \"Allow me to speak frankly. Depending on the circumstances, we may wish to employ you, the enemy of mankind, as a guest commander. The Church's lauded canon, the Shepherd, La Mules, is no more. But they still possess many other living weapons they call saints. The only ones capable of facing them in a head-to-head battle are the demons.\" \"Do you have any proof humans are behind the killings?\" Kaito posed his question in a low voice. But he already had a sense of what their answer was. The wolf-headed swordsman stared back at Kaito. Fury and conviction burned in his golden eyes. That was answer enough. Quietly exhaling, Kaito revised his question. \"All right, then. What's your reasoning?\" \"No kin of ours would have left the corpses in such an appalling state.\" Kaito frowned, unsatisfied by the beastman's answer. It didn't seem like anything more than an emotionally charged judgment. But the beastman pressed on, assuring him that it wasn't so. \"Our sense of morality differs from humanity's. We use the fur, the skin, and the bones of the deceased, and should circumstances permit, we also partake of their flesh. Such an act may be difficult for humans to appreciate, but that is the way we have held funeral rites all the way back to the age of the Forest King. But these corpses were defiled to an extreme degree.\" He clenched his fists tightly as he spoke. Kaito could practically make out the sound of bones creaking. \"The victims had their innards pulled out while they were still alive. Then their entrails were left to rot alongside the bodies. Our people would never do such a thing, not even to a foe. But it wasn't the work of a demi-human, either. We share half our territory with them, but their ethics line up closely with ours.\" So process of elimination, huh? The culprit wasn't a beastman or a demi-human. That left only one possibility. Kaito cast his gaze downward. From his human perspective, using the body parts of the dead and consuming them sounded plenty sacrilegious. But even in other worlds, different countries had different death rituals. Having completely different races no doubt only made that effect more pronounced. On top of that, beastman fur and skin were considerably more robust and versatile than their human equivalents. They probably had a long history of prospering by using their own bodies as resources. And while Kaito's spiritual sensibilities as a former inhabitant of modern-day Japan made it hard for him to fully comprehend, the expressions on the beastfolk's faces clearly showed just how much of a taboo they considered the mistreatment of those corpses to be. The wolf-headed beastman repeated himself in a voice steeped in hatred. \"We have a hard time imagining anyone but a human could have done this.\" \"It could also be someone trying to get you to think that.\" \"Of course. That's precisely why we need your assistance. We must decide on a carefully considered judgment. If this was the act of one of our countrymen, then we must dole out a suitable punishment. And if a human did this, then we must repay their cruelty with blood.\" The beastman spoke quickly and sternly. Kaito reflexively covered his face with one of his hands. He, Kaito Sena, was the enemy of mankind. It looked like the beastfolk wanted to use his power to secure their territory as well as have him act as a third party who could make calm decisions regarding the tragedy. The burden being placed on him was surprisingly heavy. He heaved an equally heavy sigh as he removed his hand from his face. \"Why me, though? I said it before, didn't I? As soon as you get a demon and a contractor involved, don't you think the situation's just gonna take a turn for the worse?\" \"Sir Kaito, it's not as though we reached out to you based on no information at all. We've heard about the incident with the Earl.\" \"The Earl?\" Kaito tilted his head to the side at the unexpected mention of a name from his past. The Earl was a demon who'd bought up children and used them to perform Grand Guignols. Kaito had gotten wrapped up in one of his hellish games, but Neue had protected him, allowing him to narrowly escape with his life. He wouldn't have thought that incident would come up, nor had he thought it would have anything to do with the beastfolk trusting him. As question marks floated across Kaito's face, the beastman elaborated. \"Before we came up with our plan to contact you, we obtained some documents that were leaked during the Capital's destruction regarding the battles against the fourteen demons. Within them was a record that was appended after the Kaiser's escape detailing the battle against the Earl. The Torture Princess had given a new testimony about the servant she'd been concealing from the Church.\" \"About me?\" Surprised by that information, Kaito opened his eyes wide. As he did, he recalled what Clueless had said. \"Elisabeth. You're the one who failed to report having summoned the soul of someone from another world, aren't you?\" Elisabeth had concealed some\u00e2\u20ac\u201dpossibly all\u00e2\u20ac\u201dinformation regarding Kaito from the Church. But after the fight against Clueless, they'd discovered Kaito's existence, and Elisabeth had probably been forced to give a fresh, detailed report on him. Elisabeth had never told him what that report contained. The wolf-headed beastman began talking about its particulars. \"It appeared to emphasize the fact that her servant was a Sinless Soul, one who, at the time, didn't deserve to be executed. The report also had information about how you tried to rescue children during the battle against the Earl. It seems you even cut off your own hand to that end.\" \"...Sure, but in the end, the Earl ate them all. I couldn't save a single one of them.\" \"Even so, you fought desperately, making no distinctions between the demi-humans and beastfolk among the human children. That's why we decided it would be worthwhile to take a gamble on you. And our conviction has only deepened upon following you and watching you fight. Forgive me the discourtesy of asking, but you were holding back while facing those human warriors just a moment ago, weren't you?\" \"I mean, yeah.\" Kaito nodded frankly. He hadn't adjusted to his power yet. Apparently, it was obvious to anyone who knew what to look for that he'd been going easy on his opponents earlier. The wolf-headed beastman gave a deep nod in reply. \"The difference between your strength and theirs was plain to see. It would have been all too easy for you to kill them. You could have even done all manner of cruel, unspeakable things to them. But you chose not to. And you don't give off the thick stench of gold and blood that evildoers do. We've come to the conclusion that you're exactly the person the report made you out to be.\" \"I see. Well, if you guys are fine with it, then I don't have any problems. I'll take you up on your offer. I can't make any promises about the whole temp commander part, but lead on.\" Kaito gave his answer. Offering no interjections, Hina just wordlessly pressed herself against him. The wolf-headed beastman's golden eyes glittered. He quickly lowered his head and professed his thanks. \"Are you quite sure? You have our gratitude and will enjoy our finest hospitality.\" \"I'm gonna say up front that I dunno how useful I'm gonna be. There is something I want to confirm for myself, though... Would you mind leading us to the village where the killings happened? I'm no expert, but there should be stuff I can figure out anyway. Oh, right...\" Kaito opened his mouth to speak. His next few words slipped across his lips a little too naturally. A light smile crossed his face as he asked his question. \"...Are the bodies from the massacre still where you found them? I wanna have a look at the corpses.\" His tone was cheerful\u00e2\u20ac\u201dtoo cheerful for the words he'd just said. A moment later, Kaito was aghast at how callous he'd been, and as expected, the beastfolk scrunched up their faces as well. A pervasive look of repugnance flashed across their eyes. It was then that Kaito realized a certain fact. Man, I really am a demon's contractor. He was, without a doubt, the vessel the Kaiser had acknowledged. The teleportation circle the beastfolk were using was different from those used by humans. The principles behind both methods were identical, but the beastfolk's circle used shavings from dried organs and a powder made from desiccated blood and crushed bone. \"It is a magical tool made from the remains of a late mage of ours.\" The explanation was given by the wolf-headed beastman, whose name was apparently Lute. Apparently, even people who knew nothing about magic could use it to go where they pleased. The downside was that you needed to draw the circle a second time when you wanted to go back to where you came from. And while the tool was convenient, it would no doubt be branded as contraband anywhere in human society. Even possessing such a thing would likely carry a stiff punishment. \"The legend of the Saint who carried God within her body is well celebrated in our lands as well. But instead of God, we place more stock in the land and in nature, for they are what foster life. We have escaped Diablo's affections, and we are far removed from the blessings of God as well. While we have the ability to sniff out and analyze magic's dregs, those among us who can properly wield magic are few and far between. Because of that, our mage requested that their remains be used as communal property.\" \"I see, so it's kinda unique.\" \"It gladdens me that you understand.\" Lute had given his explanation with caution, as though he'd been afraid of incurring Kaito's revulsion. Kaito nodded. If they'd gotten permission from the mage in question, then he had no intention of disparaging their culture. As the two of them talked, Lute's subordinates were hard at work drawing the teleportation circle atop the hill. Before long, the pattern was complete, its form far more geometrical than the kind human mages used. \"Please, this way. First, I can lead to you to the village where one of the massacres took place. We were searching for traces the killer left up until this morning, so...the bodies should still be undisturbed.\" \"All right, please do.\" Lute gestured for Kaito to line up next to him, and so he did. Hina followed beside him. Kaito spontaneously reached behind her back and embraced her, and she leaned in tight to his side. Then Lute drew a scarlet stone from his breast pocket and struck it like flint, pouring a shower of sparks over the places where the shaved organs were piled up high. \"Hoh (A rain of gold), hoh (a tempest of flame), hou (the awakening), hoh (has come), hou (now burst into flame).\" As he did, flames shot up around the teleportation circle's circumference, and a cloud of red and white sand began billowing forth from its center. The fierce sandstorm blotted out Kaito's and Hina's sight. The two hues blended together in front of their eyes in complex patterns, like a sand painting. The sand"}, {"text": "then hardened into a wall, cracked, and collapsed. The red-and-white mass toppled onto the ground in square chunks, then vanished. When his vision returned, Kaito found himself standing in the land of the beastfolk. So this is what it's like, huh? Kaito recalled the information he'd heard from Hina back when Lute's subordinates had been setting up the teleportation circle. The pureblood borough was where the beastfolk nobles lived. That was common knowledge, even among humans. But it was impossible to have a society with only an upper class. Soldiers were needed to protect the borders, farmers to till the land and tend to the livestock, merchants to manage the flow of goods, and all sorts of other people. Beastman society had advanced far past the days of subsistence hunting. But as far as humans were concerned, they generally assumed everyone but the ruling class was treated as nothing more than possessions. As a result, the perception of the pureblood borough as a \"land of aristocrats\" had persisted even to the present day. The logic was that limiting the number of owners made for more convenient negotiations. But the simple village sitting before them proved that vague yet extravagant impression of outsiders was flawed. The village was surrounded by a wooden fence with toxic vines wound around it, likely as a basic defensive measure. All over the village, Kaito could make out animal-shaped weather vanes and cloth charms hanging low to the ground that made it clear how much the inhabitants revered the wind and the earth. The buildings' foundations were stone, but pretty much everything else was made of wood, with scales and leather plastered onto the roofs and doors. The beastfolk lands were farther north than where most humans lived, but it was unclear at a glance how much protection from the elements the buildings actually offered. Finally, the last noteworthy feature of the hamlet was the boorish chains strung up between a dozen or so of the houses. Assailed by unease, Kaito strained his eyes. The chains were wound together like a spiderweb, and there were a number of pieces of game hanging from them. There were large figures, medium-sized figures, and figures so small that you could hold them in your arms. And all of them were swarming with flies. The hanging figures' silhouettes shifted slightly each time the insects squirmed. It was at that moment that Kaito noticed the thick, familiar scent of blood and rotting flesh. Before he confirmed the nature of the figures, he closed his eyes once. The Kaiser's eerily human laughter resounded in his eardrums. Hina made to step in front of him, but Kaito stopped her with one arm as he prepared himself for the worst. Then he opened his eyes again and looked straight ahead at the tragedy. As he'd suspected, the ones strung up were the village's inhabitants. The fox-headed beastfolk were decorating the village like spoils from a hunt. A carnival. The aftermath of a fox hunt. Imprudent similes flashed through Kaito's mind. But eventually, he arrived at the most appropriate descriptor of all. A massacre. There was no other word that could describe the horrible scene before him. Blood and bile ran along the length of the chains and dripped slowly to the ground. All the victims had their stomachs carved out, their empty abdominal cavities visible from the outside. White maggots were wriggling around in their flesh. Clenching his fists, Kaito drew closer to the corpses. He looked up at their expressions. Their faces were all stiff and filled with a terrible sense of anguish. The intensity of that emotion was no different between humans and beastfolk. \"Yeah...I'm sure it must have been painful.\" Kaito spoke quietly. Rage and hatred toward the unknown perpetrator flared up inside him. But his experiences in life had left him well accustomed to those negative emotions, and he quickly regained his composure. Looking back between the buildings, he posed a question to Lute. \"...What about the insides?\" \"The insides?\" \"What happened to their innards?\" Kaito gave his inquiry in a dispassionate tone. After being taken aback for a moment, Lute hesitated to answer. Kaito waited for a response. There should have been a fairly substantial amount of other viscera. However, those organs were nowhere to be seen. He could make out little bits spilled here and there, but most of it was clearly missing. A few seconds later, Lute gave his pained reply. \"It repulses me just to say it, but they were all shoved into a barn. There is no shortage of people who ridicule beastfolk for engaging in animal husbandry. We came to the conclusion that the way the killer dealt with the organs, too, was intended to provoke us.\" \"Have they also been left the way you found them?\" \"Given the state they're in, we deemed it difficult to handle them individually. We plan to burn the entire barn to the ground later.\" \"Let me have a look.\" Kaito made his request directly. Stooping over, Lute gave him a worried warning. \"...It's really quite a dreadful sight, you know.\" \"That's fine. I've seen people who had their guts and brains fused together while they were still alive.\" With a sympathetic nod, Lute took the lead and began walking off. However, his underlings stood frozen in place. It looked as though they didn't want to have to see the grisly scene in the barn a second time. Kaito and Hina left the subordinates behind and followed after Lute. He stopped in front of a shed adjoining a small farm. After hesitating for a moment, he pulled off the bar sealing its door shut. He doesn't want to have to open the door himself. Once he realized that, Kaito spontaneously took the initiative. Trading places with Lute, he placed his hand on the door. Then he slowly pushed it open. Flies buzzed around noisily. The stench of blood and rotting flesh ran thick. Kaito nodded as he strained his eyes against the oddly subdued, dim red light. Yeah, seeing this would definitely be traumatic if you weren't used to this kinda stuff. With Hina beside him, his stare was fixed on the grisly spectacle. A mountain of beastman innards sat amid the muck, blood, and tallow clinging to the floor. Ravaged intestines and pulverized stomachs blended together, their contents spilling out. The stench they gave off was even worse than that of the corpses. The various lumps of flesh were so repulsive that it was almost unimaginable to think they'd once been inside people. Upon closer inspection, though, there were things other than innards mixed into the pile. Kaito spotted pig heads and cow heads, garnishing the pile like comical decorations atop a macabre cake. Kaito grabbed one of the pig heads by the ear and pulled. It made a grotesque sound as it came out. Mucus leaked from an orifice. After carefully examining the opening at the base of the severed head, Kaito looked back toward the mountain of innards. A few seconds later, a quiet mumble escaped his lips. \"...There's no meaning to this.\" Suddenly, Kaito released his grip. The pig head fell. After bouncing once off the floor, it sank back into the sea of guts like a deflated rubber ball. Behind him, Lute spoke up dubiously. \"What do you mean by that?\" \"What I mean is that this isn't any kind of provocation, message, or sacrilege.\" Kaito's declaration was firm. He pointed at the animal heads artlessly mixed in with the innards. \"If they wanted to give it some kind of meaning, there had to have been a better way they could have used the animal corpses. It's too random, too crude to have been by choice. It relies too heavily on the viewer's imagination.\" \"But then...why use the barn?\" \"Oh, that part is real simple.\" Kaito's voice was lilting as he gave his answer. A spectacle on the scale of the one before him didn't even faze him anymore. Because of that, he simply described the situation as he saw it. \"There were stains on the ground from the extracted innards. In other words, the perpetrator started out simply leaving the guts on the ground after they yanked them out. But over time, they started to build up and get in the way. That's the reason why the killer gathered them all up and shoved them in one place. Then the animals were noisy, so they shut them up. I know it's a messed-up way to put it, but it was probably all just part of their assembly line.\" As he listened to Kaito talk, Lute's fur stood on end. Kaito wondered a little if that was a normal reaction, or if Lute's rage was simply that tempestuous. Lute's golden eyes were filled with loathing as he glared alternately between Kaito and the grim scene. \"You...you mean to tell me that that's the reason they created this monstrosity?\" \"Yeah, probably. And you don't have to glare at me like that, you know. It's not like I'm the one who did it.\" \"...Ah, forgive me. How rude of me.\" Lute hurriedly looked away from Kaito. But the repulsion and disgust he'd directed toward Kaito for coming up with such a fiendish conjecture still remained in his eyes. Kaito, not pointing that out, just nodded and closed the barn door. He then made his way back to the chains between the buildings. When he did, he resumed his examination of the strung-up corpses. The victims' shoulders had stiffened in an odd way. That was due to the fact that the chains had been run into their left shoulders, then behind their necks, and finally back out through their right shoulders. They'd each lost huge amounts of blood. And all that had probably happened while they were still alive. \"So whoever it was, they hung the victims up while they were still alive, then tore open their chests and ripped out their insides, huh?\" \"And there isn't any major damage to the chains, is there? They must have run it through with a single blow each time without any need to try again.\" \"There's no way a regular human could use a chain that way... This must have been done by someone else.\" Kaito and Hina were whispering to each other. Behind them, Lute straightened out his posture. At some point, his subordinates had assembled as well. The beastfolk were silent, their expressions tense as they awaited Kaito's conclusion. I know how they feel. As he felt their intense gazes wash over him, he realized why they'd thought this atrocity had been committed by human hands. They didn't want to believe that one of their own could perform an act of such heinous violence, even if it meant ignoring reality. And it was only natural to want to know the purpose behind such an incomprehensibly brutal act. The witnesses needed there to be some kind of motive in order to come to terms with this tragedy. That was precisely the reason why the beastfolk had decided their enemy must be mankind. And there are even parts to that logic that are sound. Humans wasn't to blame for this. But it also wasn't the work of a beastman. The crime couldn't have been committed by just anyone. And there hadn't been any objective beyond causing pain. It had been perverse. It was just an insane, evil crime. \"I know who did this.\" Then Kaito made his assertion. Hina quietly nodded. The beastfolk were struck speechless. \"...Who in the world was it, then?\" The chains rattled in the wind. The bodies swung back and forth. The flies took off, and the thick, rotting fragrance wafted by. Assailed by every unpleasant sensation imaginable, Kaito spoke. \"It was a demon. I'm sure of it.\" But there was a fierce contradiction between that answer and reality. All fourteen of the demons' contractors were supposed to be dead. After all, it had"}, {"text": "been none other than Kaito himself, alongside the Torture Princess, who had killed every last one. 2 A Mysterious Foe Time flowed on mercilessly, leaving mortal matters and concerns behind in its wake. The sky grew dark. The hill where Kaito had knocked out the paladins was blanketed in darkness as well. Even the holes in the earth gouged by conflicts past were cast in black relief. It was as though a jet-black sea had spread over the entire area, concealing the coffins and bones in deep shadows and bringing a gentle silence to the surroundings. Then a sharp noise rang out. \u00e2\u20ac\u201dClick, clack. A beautiful woman stood atop the hill's summit, her heels ringing like the notes of a song. It was Elisabeth Le Fanu, the Torture Princess. She cast her crimson gaze on the area around her, taking it in with a scornful eye. \"So this is where you went, eh? You chose yet another unpleasant and nostalgic spot.\" Elisabeth scoffed. Her silken black hair fluttered, as did the dress she was wearing, which was colored scarlet on the inside and extended past her waist. As she stood atop the hill, she began searching for irregularities. A few seconds later, she dropped to one knee and knelt on the ground. Not shying away from the bones around her in the slightest, she inspected the spot where she'd noticed the influx of mana. At first glance, there didn't appear to be anything left. Someone had probably been in charge of destroying the evidence and, as such, had carefully scooped up the earth and smoothed it out. But concentrating to her utmost, Elisabeth discovered a spot that was stained ever so slightly red. \"Hmm.\" She scooped it up with the tip of her finger and stuck it in her mouth. As the mana lingered on her tongue, she searched her memories. Upon zeroing in on a particular magical tool, she spat out the dirt and lightly brushed off her soiled tongue. \"Mana mixed with the taste of old flesh. Blood, bone, and organ shavings. Primitive, but convenient. I'd thought it banned across all human lands, so... Ah.\" Elisabeth heaved a deep sigh. After receiving notice from the Church about a new sighting of the Kaiser's contractor, she'd made the unusual choice of visiting the scene herself. The reason she'd done so was because there'd been a point that had caught her attention in the report she'd received. It had been in the testimony of one of the paladins who'd apparently been saved after barely escaping with his life. When he'd been on the threshold between dreams and consciousness, he reported feeling like he'd heard the Kaiser's contractor having a conversation with someone. There was a chance that the person Kaito had been talking to had been no more than Hina, Vlad, or the Kaiser. But the timing was too ominous to casually overlook it. 'Tis been quite some time since Kaito made his declaration of war at the Capital. Unlike the demons to date, Kaito was capable of holding a dialogue. Now was around the time when people would start to realize that. Someone might have finally tried to make contact with him. That was what sparked Elisabeth's apprehension. And it seemed her fears had been wholly on the mark. And what's more, the first to come into contact with him had been of a different race. \"The other person is a beastman, eh? This is turning out to be quite bothersome indeed.\" If that was the case, then she had a new problem to deal with. The beastfolk's pureblood borough was completely off-limits. The Church's eyes didn't reach that far, and Elisabeth now found herself wholly unable to pursue Kaito. The Torture Princess was a pawn of the Church, and a powerful weapon to boot. If she went and trespassed on the beastman territories on her own, it could very well end up sparking a war. \"What in the blazes have you gotten yourself wrapped up in, Kaito? What are your intentions?\" Elisabeth whispered, and the darkness around her grew steadily deeper. No answer came back. That was only natural. Once, Kaito had tried to remain by Elisabeth's side to the bitter end. But now he was off in a distant land. Kaito Sena had chosen to become the enemy of mankind. And now the beastfolk had reached out to him. It was unclear what the significance of that was, or what consequences it would bring about. The only thing for certain was that Kaito had temporarily slipped Elisabeth's reach. \"...'Tis nonsense.\" She bit down on her lip, enraged. But the thing that upset her wasn't Kaito's disappearance itself. No, the object of her anger was a different emotion that was welling up within her whether she wanted it to or not. She had just felt a definite sense of relief at the fact that she was unable to kill Kaito Sena. And as the Torture Princess, that was something she could not allow. \"Ah, achoo!\" \"Oh my, did you catch a cold? Our lands are far chillier than those in which humans live. As you can see, we are blessed with thick fur. But adjusting the temperature to suit human tastes is an area we find ourselves tragically deficient in. If the fire doesn't meet your needs, please don't hesitate to say something.\" \"No, no, I'm fine. It's not a cold. It really does feel like someone's talking about me behind my back, though.\" Lute's words were brusque yet filled with earnest concern, and Kaito's reply was easygoing. The sun had long since set, and they'd left the village where the massacre had taken place behind. They were currently in a different small village, one that sported a row of simple houses just like the last. Its tall fence was crafted from interwoven branches, and Kaito and the others were huddled around an open-air fire near its entrance. Trees spread out in every direction. Humidity percolated in the shadows the trees cast, causing the chill to sink into their skins. However, the strong flames did a lot to help drive the cold away. A pot full of water sat atop the fire, and finely torn flower petals sat simmering inside it. Before long, the water was dyed a vivid orange hue. Hina had been watching over the pot, and her maid uniform rustled as she quickly stood. \"All right, if I decoct these any longer, it'll go bitter. Quickly and carefully...now!\" Removing the pot from the flame, Hina scooped out the withered, mushy petals. She placed them on a separate plate, then sliced up some dried fruit and added it to the pot. As the lingering heat warmed them up, the orange water started to take on a reddish tinge. After deciding the hard chunks had spread out enough, she began ladling the pot's contents into bowls. \"There you go, Master Kaito and Mr. Lute. Eat up.\" \"Thanks, Hina.\" \"Oh my, you've done a wonderful job with the leaves we brought along. Your functions are a marvel, Madam Hi...na... No, forgive my rudeness. I'd been told you were an automaton, Madam Hina, but I should have referred to you the same way I would a person. In my carelessness, I spoke presumptuously. My apologies. Erm...\" \"Hee-hee, please, don't worry about it. I am my beloved Master Kaito's eternal lover, his faithful companion, his soldier, his weapon, his love outlet, his sex doll, and his bride\u00e2\u20ac\u201dall because I am a puppet. And I take great pride in that fact.\" Hina flashed a gentle smile. His eyes filling with admiration, Lute held his bowl high. \"Well said. Whatever one's nature is, being able to take pride in it is a beautiful thing. In that case, I wish to express my thanks toward your functions once more.\" Though he was singing Hina's praises, Lute didn't bring the bowl to his mouth. It seemed beasts and beastfolk alike favored their senses of smell, as the shape of his mouth relaxed while he savored the aroma. Apparently, it was beastfolk custom to wait for food to cool completely before eating. Kaito was the first to have a taste. The broth had a curious viscosity to it. A honey-like sweetness that was mixed with the fruit's acidity filled his mouth. The flavor seemed to wash all the fatigue from his body. Slowly exhaling, Kaito looked up at the night sky. As he gazed at the smattering of stars in the darkness, he let out a small remark. \"...I'm not seeing anyone.\" \"Quite. And I was so ready to rend them limb from limb.\" \"I've yet to sense anyone suspicious around us, either.\" As they calmly passed the time, the three of them quietly whispered among themselves. They were feigning being relaxed, but they were constantly surveying their surroundings. Lute's subordinates were doing the same. All of them were waiting. They were waiting to ambush the killer when they attacked a new village. Their simple yet precise plan had been suggested by a rather unexpected source. \"Let's put aside the matter of who the killer is for the moment. Right now, we should be focusing on how to prevent the next massacre.\" Back at the village with the strung-up victims, Kaito had shelved the prospect of identifying the one responsible. Just because they'd figured out that the culprit was a demon didn't mean they had any concrete way of stopping the killings. Their top priority needed to be preventing the murderer from preying on any more victims. And in order to do that, they had to figure out where the next attack would take place. But even though Kaito had been called in to help, his investigative capabilities were borderline nonexistent. Unfortunately, his presence wasn't doing much to improve the situation. They also didn't have time to add him to the patrols that were going from village to village. More victims would undoubtedly spring up in the interim. \"Is there any way we could figure it out for...oh. Well, I guess we could ask him.\" It was at that point that Kaito thought of asking a particular man for advice. Specifically, the Kaiser's previous contractor: Vlad Le Fanu. After all, the man had committed his fair share of massacres himself. His unique viewpoint might prove useful. With that hope, Kaito ran mana through the jewel containing the replica of Vlad's soul. Extravagant azure petals and black feathers sprang out from within. With that as his backdrop, Vlad made his appearance, as gracefully as always. His cravat paired well with his aristocratic outfit, and it waved from side to side as he crossed his legs in the empty air. \"Do you have some business with me, my dear successor?\" \"There's something I want your opinion on. Do you mind?\" \"Hmm... Rather cheerful words, coming from a man who abandons others to mind-numbingly boring jewels once they've served their purpose.\" \"Sorry about that, then. Back in you go.\" \"Let me hear you out.\" It looked like Vlad's complaints about boredom were rather serious. The beastfolk were startled by the man's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwho was clearly no saint\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsudden appearance, even though he was just a phantom. However, Kaito decided to leave off the explanation for later and instead told Vlad what had been going on. Stroking his chin, Vlad nodded thoughtfully. \"Lend me a map.\" Something had clearly piqued his interest, as he stared intently at the map Kaito held up. He fired off a series of questions to Lute as he pointed to various locations. \"Where did the past killings take place? Hmm, beastman diets vary from species to species, so villages tend to be homogenous, correct? What types of animal were the victims? What, don't call them 'animals'? Oh, quit fussing over minor details. Hmm, I see. Now, how were they killed? Skinned, skewered, strung up... Now then, would you tell me about the species that live in the villages in this radius? Yes, all of them.\" Finally satisfied,"}, {"text": "Vlad stroked his chin again. Having been made to recount the details of the past killings, fatigue crept across Lute's and his subordinates' faces. Kaito silently swore that if Vlad couldn't come up with anything after all that, then he'd never let him outside again. But Vlad himself snapped his fingers, his gesture overflowing with composure. He indicated a particular village with a white-gloved hand. \"The next attack will be here.\" \"How can you know that?\" Kaito was taken aback at Vlad's confidence. Vlad pointed at the map again, tracing a large circle with the site of the most recent attack at its center. \"Oh, it's simple. At first glance, the locations of the killings don't seem to have any rhyme or reason. But they're all selected from within this circle surrounding the most recent attack, are they not? I think it rather likely that our foe's teleportation capabilities are restricted to this circle's diameter.\" \"I mean, even so, that's a big area.\" \"Quite. And we had already calculated the range our enemy was teleporting at. But the area is too large to narrow it down to a single village they might target.\" \"If that's the case, then you'd best change your point of view. Take a gander at the villagers who've been killed up till now. In order, it's rabbitfolk, birdfolk, and foxfolk. Skinning, skewering, and stringing up. They've each been killed in an appropriate way, but they're rather diverse, aren't they?\" \"You're not wrong, but so what?\" \"The village I marked is both within the circle and home to deerfolk. In other words, a species with a trait not found in any of the victims to date\u00e2\u20ac\u201dtheir antlers.\" \"But what does that have to do\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Hmm? Isn't it obvious, my dear successor? Think about what will happen after they're killed. The new spectacle, with the corpses all lined up. Think of all the possibilities that antlers offer when you're tormenting them and using them as decoration!\" A heavy silence descended on them. The very air seemed to have suddenly grown colder. Kaito was at a loss for words, and Hina shook her head. Lute and his men were practically brimming with bloodlust. As he basked in their judgmental gazes, Vlad smiled sweetly. Then he brazenly went on, as though it were only natural that he give an answer when posed a question. \"If it were me, I would undoubtedly choose this place! Assembly-line work is best when you're having fun!\" Man, \"unthinkable\" doesn't even begin to describe the way he thought about it... I mean, I called it an assembly line, too, but still. As he sipped at his flower soup, Kaito ruminated on the earlier events. There were times when people really should refrain from saying everything that came to mind. Although they'd gotten into a small quarrel, the group eventually decided to go off Vlad's hypothesis and lie in wait at the deerfolk village. While the deer-headed beastfolk were taken aback by the arrival of both the national guard and visitors of another race, they let them in regardless. Despite their confusion, they'd even tried to show their guests a warm welcome. But Kaito and the others had turned them down, instead directing them not to come outside that night no matter what unless they were given the signal to flee. Then, after holding a meeting on their routes and plans, they took up their positions by the village's front entrance. At first, Kaito had been worried about that fact and had asked if it was okay for them to be out in the open. But according to Vlad, his concerns were unfounded. \"Our foe will clearly be lax. After all, if they were to run into a patrol, they could simply annihilate the small fries to the last man! This time, though, those who were fated to become prey have brought along the Kaiser's contractor. And our foe is unaware of that fact. Because of that, our presence should have little effect on how our foe moves. Go forth and meet them boldly! That is the proper way a tyrant ought to conduct himself!\" Vlad had, in fact, been useful. But his thoughtless remarks toward the beastfolk had crossed the line. At present, he had been crammed into his jewel once more. It had been squirming in displeasure for some time now. But Kaito blithely ignored Vlad's complaints. All's well and good if his intuition's on the mark, but...if it isn't, more people are gonna die. Anxious, Kaito cast a glance toward Lute. His golden eyes were filled with a tension so fierce that it seemed like he might stop breathing. Lute had agreed to Kaito and Vlad's proposal. But it hadn't been anything more than a compromise on his part, as he hadn't been able to come up with anything more effective. Kaito could tell. Lute had been the one to invite him. But that definitely didn't mean he trusted Kaito and his companions. He'd promised them hospitality, but the situation was nowhere near peaceful enough to just take an outsider at his word. Given that they invited me as a visiting commander, a member of the nobility has to be behind it. I don't know how monolithic the beastfolk are, but if nothing else, it's gotta be someone who's at least involved in their national politics. Still, he didn't know who that person was. For that matter, they hadn't even taken him to their headquarters or told him anything beyond the details of the killings. And in spite of all that, they were having him do dangerous fieldwork for them. If Kaito's promise to help turned out to not be of any use, Lute and his men probably weren't planning on giving him any additional information. In a sense, it could be said they were taking advantage of his goodwill. But even though he realized that, it didn't make him feel particularly put out. After all, I'm just a fugitive right now. I'd much rather be of use to someone than aimlessly running around and trying to find someplace to hide. Kaito had no desire to get exploited in some scheme and become embroiled in an international controversy. Compared with that, sleeping outside in order to help catch a serial killer was a piece of cake. Besides, the unease that Lute and his men were feeling was genuine. They wanted to resolve the situation from the bottoms of their hearts. And the fact that a huge number of beastfolk had been brutally killed was true as well. Given all that, he had no reason not to lend them his aid. But the thing that's bugging me is... Why was a demon doing this? They were all supposed to be dead. Had a new contractor appeared? Or could it be that... On that note, Kaito shook his head and cut off that train of thought. Mindlessly listing off possibilities wouldn't do him any good. Any matter involving demons quickly surpassed rational expectations. Right now, he needed to focus on the danger directly in front of him. As he forcibly changed gears in his mind, he drank down the rest of the floral soup. His bowl was empty, and Hina's eyes sparkled when she saw that. She raised her hand with the vigor of a puppy wagging its tail. \"Master Kaito, Master Kaito! The seconds your faithful Hina made are over here, my love!\" \"Could I have more, then, darling?\" \"Of course! I shall serve it alongside a hearty helping of love!\" Hina smiled as she took the bowl from Kaito. As he watched their exchange, Lute displayed a dumbfounded expression. After a moment, though, he oohed admiringly. \"My, how passionate. Could it be that you two aren't master and servant, but lovers?\" \"We're married, actually.\" \"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! My heart's fluttering so hard that I might just die!\" Upon hearing Kaito's immediate reply, Hina's face flushed. Placing her hands on her cheeks, she began twisting back and forth. Lute became more and more bewildered. \"O-oh. That reminds me, Madam Hina, you did just refer to yourself as his bride. I see. So Madam Hina, the automaton, is your wife, then, Sir Kaito?\" \"Why? Is that weird?\" Kaito posed the question. Lute had reacted with revulsion and disgust to some of the things he and Vlad had said and done. And the beastfolk revered nature, so there was no guarantee that they wouldn't feel hostility toward automatons. Kaito gave up, not expecting anything in the way of a favorable response. But to his surprise, Lute violently shook his head from side to side. \"No, not in the slightest!\" Kaito was a bit astonished at how insistent Lute seemed. He definitely didn't seem to be lying. Oddly bashful, Lute cleared his throat. \"Ahem, the thing is, you see... My wife is both a decade my junior and a goatwoman. She's a wonderful girl with a pure heart who loves the wind and the earth...but as you can see, I'm a wolfman. We encountered no small amount of antagonism leading up to our marriage. I am very fortunate that my master is an open-minded one, and that my subordinates get along with my wife so well. To this day, though, there are those who speak poorly of us behind our backs.\" \"My goodness, how dreadful! It grinds my gears when people get in the way of mutual love!\" \"Thank you for your kind words. You truly are a compassionate woman. In that respect, I see little difference between the two of you, and you clearly hold a great deal of affection for each other. I think the two of you are wonderful for each other!\" With that, Lute patted his chest. Kaito involuntarily softened his expression. Hina's cheeks were growing more and more flushed, and she was twirling her fingers aimlessly in the air. \"'Wonderful for each other'? Oh my... While it's true that Master Kaito and I are a uniquely fated pair, and that we were bound by destiny the moment the world came into being, hearing you say so makes me feel rather bashful. Eek!\" \"Yeah, hearing you say that makes me real happy. I bet your wife's happy, too, having a husband who thinks so fondly of her.\" Kaito's pleased expression and Hina's bashfulness seemed to be contagious. Lute laughed in embarrassment as he scratched his head. His subordinates were looking their way in amusement. Upon noticing that fact, Lute got flustered and called out to them. \"Now, look here, you lot! What do you think you're doing, listening to us so intently?!\" \"Lucky you, Captain, getting to brag about your wife to someone new!\" \"All of us have heard every last one of your stories a million times already, after all!\" \"Be quiet! Ahem... My goodness, though, what a surprise, being able to bond with another devoted husband like this.\" \"Yeah, same goes for me.\" Kaito nodded. Lute's smile reached his golden eyes as he whispered gently. \"You see, we beastfolk don't much care for lies. So to speak quite candidly, I had thought you a rather cold-hearted man. But deep down, it seems that you're a compassionate gentleman after all.\" Kaito found himself blinking at how unexpected the remark had been. Lute's red tail swayed gently as he slowly went on. \"When we came to invite you, I purposefully gave you few reasons to lend us your assistance. I didn't even mention offering remunerations for your military advice. But despite all that, you came with us anyway. To tell you the truth, we'd been prepared for a much more protracted negotiation.\" \"Really? Wait, did I totally just miss a chance to get information out of you guys?\" \"We held several trump cards to use if you tried. But if we'd had to, we probably wouldn't be sharing this fire as we are now. When inviting along a demon's contractor, great care must be taken in evaluating their character. Or so I'd thought, in any"}, {"text": "case, but it appears the impression of you that we got from the battle against the Earl held true.\" Lute flashed him a faint smile, to which Kaito responded with a strong nod. As he'd thought, Lute and his men didn't plan to offer up any information regarding the beastfolk. Even so, though, it looked like his amenable behavior had curried him some favor. They seemed to hold more trust in him than he'd expected. That fact alone made Kaito truly glad. Lute raised his bowl to try to conceal his bashfulness. He completely drained the cooled floral broth, then spoke. \"By the way, Mrs. Sena, might I trouble you for seconds?\" \"Eeeeeee! He called me 'Mrs. Sena'! He called me 'Mrs. Sena'! For that, you can have as many refills as you want!\" \"Wait, Hina, hold up. We're lying in ambush here, we can't drink too much, or\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhuh?\" Then Kaito trailed off midsentence. Something was shining near the edge of his vision. Upon closer inspection, the moonlight was reflecting off something in the tree line. But there was nothing natural that should have glinted like that late at night in the forest. Everything was completely silent, the lively atmosphere from a moment ago having vanished like a distant memory. First Hina, then Lute stood up. Kaito rose to his feet as well. Then he looked at the \"thing.\" \"...What is that?\" It looked like neither a human nor a beast. In fact, it didn't look alive at all. At first glance, it looked like a silver spider. Or, perhaps, a better way to put it would be to describe it as an intricate mass of rubbish. Kaito squinted. Whatever it was that had appeared out of the darkness, it was made out of a series of joined pieces of metal. But although it did have eight legs, its basic shape was like that of an insect or a crustacean. However, the metal plates that made up its body constantly shifted and squirmed as they glimmered. The fact that its exterior was constantly undergoing minute changes caused its appearance to be wholly divergent from that of any creature found in nature. Kaito involuntarily racked his memories for something similar to compare it to. Suddenly, an old memory flashed through his mind. His teacher back in elementary school had been fond of visiting art museums, and Kaito thought back to the contents of a picture his teacher had enthusiastically described during recess one day. ...Avant-garde art. The picture had been a piece of art enclosed in inorganic material that was designed to ridicule the living. That was the closest thing he could come up with to describe the entity before him. But there was no reason for it to exist in this world, let alone within the beastfolk territories. It was probably akin to an underling that someone had created. As he vigilantly collected his thoughts, Kaito felt a sense of unease. All the underlings up till now have been weirdly large animals and hideously distorted people. Underlings were, fundamentally, living creatures who'd undergone terrible transformations. Because of that, no matter how hideous they became, they usually resembled their original forms, more or less. But the thing he was facing now was far too alien to be a mere mutation. It was simply too inorganic. And it was giving off too much power to be classified as a familiar. But then what the hell is it? Kaito found himself at a loss. Then the thing\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhich probably resembled a machine more than a work of avant-garde art\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbegan moving. It immediately became oddly blurry as the chunks of metal making up its body started audibly vibrating. Then, as though it had received some kind of order, it spread its eight legs wide. It looked almost like a massive silver lily sitting atop a grassy field. Then it vanished. \"...Huh?\" Kaito lost sight of their foe. At the same time, his arm moved. His beastly left arm practically moved on its own to pursue the path the silver thing had taken. His sharp claws dug into and caught the flying machine. Sparks flew, as though two swords had just collided. After taking stock of the situation, he came to the realization that his arm was numb. It was so very heavy. Kaito let out a shout from the depths of his diaphragm. \"Hrrragh!\" Using all his strength, he swung down the arm he'd caught the thing's leg with. The machine nearly crashed into the ground. Just before it made impact, though, it gave off a clacking noise and rearranged its body. Its previously straightened legs sprang joints. They gently bent, reducing the impact and allowing the machine to make a clean landing. \u00e2\u20ac\u201dScreeeee, scraaaaaw! It let out a high-pitched, roar-like noise. Hina frantically rushed over to Kaito's side. He turned to her, then asked a question. \"Hina, you know what that thing is?\" \"I'm very sorry. My Self-Recording Device contains no information on anything resembling that. It isn't an automaton, and it isn't the same type of construct as the Church's communication devices. Whatever could it be?\" \"Oh-ho! Now there's a surprise!\" A deep voice rang out from somewhere rather unexpected. Kaito's eyes went wide. It was rare for anything to elicit a response from the Kaiser. With his body still hidden, the supreme hound laughed in amusement. \"Why, if it isn't Deus Ex Machina! I surely didn't expect to see that in a land such as this!\" \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dWait, what did you just say?\" Kaito frowned at the strange echo. However, he didn't have time to sit around asking questions. The shrill noise rang out once more. \u00e2\u20ac\u201dScreeeee, scraaaaaw! The machine rose to its feet. Its torso didn't so much as twitch as its eight legs began rapidly revolving. Spraying mud every which way, it drilled its way into the dirt. Then, in the blink of an eye, the machine disappeared from the surface. \"...It burrowed.\" \"Master Kaito, I implore you to stay within a range I can defend you from.\" Their entire party surveyed their surroundings. For a moment, the area was silent. The leaves on the trees rustled ever so slightly. Then the ground exploded. The machine came flying out, its eight legs gathered to form a spear. So fast that it seemed to have been shot from a catapult as it hurtled toward Lute. \"Captain!\" \"I'm fine!\" Without needing to be told, he'd already anticipated that he might be attacked. As he calmly replied to his subordinate, Lute dropped down low to the ground. As he prepared for the impact, he readied his sword and let out a cry. \"You shall pay for the atrocities you've committed on our people! Starting with those legs of yours!\" As he raised his stormy battle cry, Lute brought down his sword. He'd probably assumed already that his weapon wouldn't pierce it, so instead of trying to cut the machine, he used the whole of his blade to strike it. A hard noise rang out. His attack had landed cleanly on the machine. But as Kaito watched, he was taken aback. Even though the machine had been caught by Lute's intense blow, it was just casually floating in the air. Its legs had grown even more joints, and those appendages coiled around Lute's sword. \"Rgh!\" \"Lute!\" Kaito tried to snap his fingers. Before he could, though, a graceful, explosive blow landed squarely on the machine's torso. \"Hiyah!\" The hem of Hina's maid uniform fluttered in the wind as she lashed out with her ax kick. The sound of metal scraping echoed out from where the sole of her foot had connected with the machine. After resisting for a second, the machine was blown away, sword and all. It crashed loudly into a tree. The tree's trunk bent, creaked, then snapped, crashing to the ground with a thunderous noise amid a pillar of fumes. Her silver hair swaying, Hina quietly lowered her foot, and her billowed-out skirt came to a gentle rest. \"Please, pull yourself together! You don't want your wife mourning for you!\" \"Ah, how shameful! I vow to return the favor!\" As he replied to Hina's reprimand, Lute tried to adjust his grip on his sword. However, it had been sent flying along with the machine. His ears flopped limply. But he shook his head vigorously, and they stood right back up. Having regained his dignity, he directed a sharp cry to his troops. \"A spare sword!\" \"Here!\" One of them pulled a new sword from their luggage and tossed it to him. Upon catching it, Lute nodded and drew his new weapon from its scabbard in a sweeping motion. As he did, the machine rose back to its feet. Seemingly stunned, it began joining its silver metal plates together. \u00e2\u20ac\u201dScreeeee, scraaaaaw! Destroying it with brute force is gonna take a while. If we even can, that is. Having arrived at that conclusion, Kaito wiped away the sweat clinging to his brow. If they were able to fix it in place, they'd probably be able to pull out a victory. But if worse came to worst and it successfully burrowed its way to the village, another tragedy was bound to unfold. The question, then, was how to finish the battle quickly and decisively. Kaito racked his brains for the method that seemed most effective. Then he suddenly recalled a certain entity's existence. Wait, that's right. I have seen something similar to that thing, and it's not just the avant-garde art. During the short period he'd attended school for, he'd seen one of the bosses in a video game that his classmate had been playing. It had been composed of a series of planks, and his classmate had used a variety of weapons to tear it apart. The boss had been powerful. But individually, the planks weren't anything special. Abruptly, Kaito spoke. \"Kaiser.\" *** \"Kaiser!\" \"What are you causing that racket for? A master as unworthy as you should take care not to call me so frivolously.\" \"I'm gonna stop that thing. Lend me your power.\" With that, Kaito made his plea. The Kaiser scoffed in irritation. Then he let out his humanlike laugh. \"Ha, as if. That thing has nothing to do with demons. And destroying it would do little to exemplify my strength. Why, then, should I go out of my way to lend you my fangs?\" \"...It doesn't have anything to do with demons?\" The Kaiser's words weren't just surprising; they came as a legitimate shock. Put another way, they meant the thing before them was neither an underling nor a familiar. But it wasn't a human, beast, or spirit, either. What, in that case, could it possibly be? ...\"Deus Ex Machina\"? That was what the Kaiser had called it. Kaito couldn't afford to simply stay in the dark regarding the machine. He needed to find out what it was. But although his instincts were screaming that fact out to him, he temporarily swallowed his questions. Right now, I gotta focus on taking out the enemy in front of me. With that objective in mind, he gave voice to a different query. \"Answer me this. That thing is pretty strong, but the chunks of metal it's made of aren't all that tough...right?\" \"Something to that effect, I suppose. I can make out power residing in each of its pieces, but only by coming together as a colony can they demonstrate their strength. But whether you cut it or strike it, destroying its metal with your own is likely no mean task. And I've little desire to eat anything so hard. Now then, what do you intend to do?\" \"To be honest, I'm still not all that great at magic. But I've got a method that'll definitely hit it and should be effective, to boot.\" Kaito made his assertion. The Kaiser was silent for a few seconds. Eventually, though, he seemed to understand. Having guessed at the method Kaito was thinking of, the"}, {"text": "Kaiser finally took on an interested tone. \"I see. As always, the manner in which you think leaves me unsure as to whether you're a madman or a fool. So what would you have me do?\" \"I've just got one request. I need you to bring me over there as accurately as you can.\" \"Hmm very well, I suppose.\" Considering the lengthy time that he'd taken in consideration, his tone was rather indifferent even though he had agreed to help. All the while, the machine had been determining the new arrangement for its metal plates. Minute changes were taking place atop its arachnoid back. In the blink of an eye, it had gained a set of airplane-like wings. It looked like Kaito's hunch had been right on the mark. The longer the fight went on, the greater its range of attack would grow. Oscillating its metal plates one by one, the thing flew high into the air. Hina readied herself to hurl her halberd after it. But Kaito stopped her with one hand. With a confused expression, she stood down. \"Master, if I may, why\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" As she was in the middle of asking her question, the Kaiser materialized next to Kaito. The hound could alter his form on a whim, but at the moment, he'd chosen to stand as tall as two adult men. As he stooped down, the Kaiser uttered a languid murmur. \"I suppose I don't mind tossing you from my mouth.\" The next moment, he bit down on Kaito's collar and hurled him into the air. The machine was silently making its descent from on high when Kaito flew precisely in front of it. His military uniform fluttered as he blocked the machine's path. It seemed like it hadn't anticipated his actions, either, so it didn't intercept his flight. However, it reached out one of its feeler-like sections and spontaneously ran Kaito through. Its appendage met little resistance as it pierced through his flesh and bone. \"Master Kaito!\" \"My word!\" Hina screamed, and Lute looked up at Kaito in astonishment. A moment later, though, a sliver of relief spread across Hina's face. Kaito had given her a nod. The Kaiser would be in trouble if his contractor died. The throw had been highly precise, and the part that had gotten stabbed was Kaito's right shoulder. Given all those facts, Kaito's life wasn't in much danger. Nice throw, Kaiser! Then Kaito turned back toward the machine and grabbed on to its feeler with his beastly left arm. Purposefully gouging his wound, he ripped out a chunk of his flesh. Blood spurted forth, and he dashed the red, mana-rich liquid all over the machine's body. When he did, his blood began seeping into the spaces between the sheets of metal. After verifying that he had done what he needed, he let go of the feeler. He snapped his fingers as he began making his descent. \"La (overflow).\" Instantly, his blood transformed into water. Then, using Kaito's pain and mana as its fuel, the water began growing. As it expanded, the water filled up and pressed against the gaps between the metal slabs. The internal pressure proved too much for the machine to bear. The links between the sheets crumbled in an instant. The water took that opportunity to freeze over. The machine had been transformed into a spherical chunk of ice. Its metal sheets, separated and in disarray, were imprisoned within. The block of ice collapsed onto the grassy ground with a thunk. It showed no signs that it would ever move again. At a glance, the individual sheets of metal didn't individually have enough power to break out of Kaito's ice after all. \"Got 'em!\" Kaito nodded in satisfaction. Nobody but him had gotten hurt. He'd been able to keep the number of victims to a minimum, just like he'd planned. Hina would probably be livid, though. He turned around, intending to apologize to her. When he did, he saw Lute charging toward him with the ferocity of a raging bull. \"Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!\" \"Well, that's a surprise.\" He was even letting out an enraged cry for some reason. Kaito blinked rapidly. All the fur on Lute's body was bristling as he grabbed Kaito's arm, and it remained that way as he inspected Kaito's wound. Upon seeing the vast amount of blood gushing out, he spat out orders to his subordinates. \"Bring over the bandages and magical salve! Hurry!\" \"I-I'm fine. You really don't need to go that far. And I can more or less use healing magic myself, so...\" \"Even so, just what do you think you're doing? In front of your wife! I hardly think someone who prides themselves on being a devoted husband should cause their wife such worry!\" Lute shouted at him. Kaito nodded, suddenly understanding. But it looked like that wasn't the only reason for his anger. Lute scratched violently at his head, as though to demonstrate how irritated he was. \"Damn how feckless I am! To think you would risk your life for us so! How am I ever supposed to repay such kindness?!\" Although he was clearly vexed, Lute seemed to be feeling somewhat ashamed. Kaito was at a loss for what to say. If he told Lute not to worry about it, it would undoubtably have the opposite effect. For starters, he once again turned down the magical salve that Lute's subordinates had brought him; the beastfolk had few magicians among their numbers, so it was likely quite valuable to them. Instead, he applied healing magic to his shoulder himself. The wound closed up without a hitch. But after seeing the way Kaito's skin had knitted together, Lute put forth a proposal. \"We should pay a visit to our headquarters. You'd best get that looked at by a medical specialist, just to be on the safe side.\" \"I appreciate it, but...is it really okay for you to take me there?\" \"Please! It pains me that you would think us such unfeeling monsters! Know this, Sir Kaito! Our people place far more pride in repaying debts than humans do!\" Visibly indignant, Lute let out a shout that seemed vaguely rude to humans. His subordinates hurriedly got to work drawing a teleportation circle atop the grassy earth. Based on how quickly they'd reacted, it didn't seem like any of them opposed the notion. Apparently, Kaito's conduct had yielded unforeseen effects. It looks like they trust me now, I guess... Huh. As he sat there dumbfounded, a number of empty-handed beastfolk approached the block of ice. They had no way of knowing if the machine had been alone, so there was no way they could pass up this chance to gather important information on their foe. But after consulting with his comrades, a single gray wolf with a sturdy physique broke off from the group and moved away from the ice. As he approached Kaito, he called out to him worriedly. \"It might be sealed up, but doesn't your wound still hurt? Here, let me give you a hand.\" \"No, no, I can walk on my\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Hwah!\" \"While we're grateful for your concern, the two of us will be fine on our own. I shall carry Master Kaito.\" \"H-Hina?\" Before he'd had a chance to react, Hina had scooped him up and was carrying him under her arm. As he hung embraced by her slender arm, his eyes darted about. The gray wolf gave her a sympathetic smile and a short bow. Then, clearly not wanting to get involved in a lover's quarrel, he quickly left the two of them alone. Kaito timidly glanced up at Hina's face. Her shapely lips were tightly pursed. Not looking toward him, she murmured quietly. \"For now, I shall say nothing. But Master Kaito, do know that I intend to get quite upset at you later.\" \"I'm, uh, I'm sorry. Really, I am.\" Kaito reflexively slumped. A human laugh resounded deep in his eardrums. \"You know, I find myself thinking this somewhat frequently, but as far as human males go, you really are quite pathetic.\" Kaito, to his credit, tried to offer a rebuttal. But the moment he opened his mouth, Hina broke into a run toward the men who'd just finished drawing their teleportation circle. After nearly biting his tongue, Kaito decided to shut up. As his bride carried him at a brisk dash, he cast a sidelong glance at the block of ice. Then, all of a sudden, he realized something. Deus Ex Machina. He had seen something similar to it since coming to this world. The Boondock Saints. A titan of blades that only the Torture Princess could create. ...That's what that thing looked like. However, as far as figuring out what it all meant, Kaito hadn't the foggiest. 3 A Brief Reprieve The Torture Princess had returned once more to her castle atop its hill of craggy stone. Her sleek black hair was splayed across her sheets as she slept. After all, there was nothing she needed to do at the moment, nor, for that matter, anything she could. Her target, the Kaiser's contractor, was currently in nonhuman lands, a place where she couldn't carelessly venture. Ever since she'd discovered that fact, she'd been spending her time idly. But although she was lying down, Elisabeth was not, in fact, asleep. She was finding the deafening silence hard on her ears, leaving her unable to get any rest. And so, as she lay on her bed, events from the past bubbled up in her mind. Once, Elisabeth Le Fanu had stood in silence among a raging torrent of jeers. Having been forced to wear a straitjacket and stand in the public square, she'd found herself the subject of a terrifying amount of hatred. And before that, her narrow, cramped cell had been so quiet that there was a chance it had had an effect on her psyche. Even after the Church had returned her castle to her, she still hadn't had anyone to talk to. Until the day she summoned a Sinless Soul as a servant to foist various chores and responsibilities upon. \"Who would have thought I'd end up reeling in someone from another world?\" Elisabeth's tone was sardonic. It had been a coincidence of astronomic proportions, one that verged on a miracle. But the way she saw it now, it had hardly ended up being a joyful one. After all, Kaito Sena was a colossal fool. He was stupid man, unthinkably good-natured, naive, and possessing an unparalleled sense of stubbornness. For the sake of someone wholly undeserving of being saved by him, he'd even made a contract with a demon and endured unspeakable pain. If anyone asked Elisabeth what she thought of his behavior, she would probably describe it as the most foolish act anyone had ever committed. \"You know, you're the only one who ever saved me.\" That was what Kaito Sena had told her. She had forcibly summoned his soul when all he'd wanted was to die, gotten him wrapped up in her demon hunt, and warped his very destiny, and he'd thanked her. \"The only one who saved me from that hell was the Torture Princess. Just you, Elisabeth Le Fanu.\" What a truly, truly pitiable man you are. She considered something, and not for the first time. Kaito Sena was like a faithful mutt. And because he'd been starving, wounded, and shivering, it didn't matter how the person who picked him up and took him inside treated him. He would think highly of them regardless. It was true that there had been some joyous aspects to his second life. He'd met Hina, for one. But it was ludicrous to think of someone as your savior just because they tossed you a few sandy scraps of bread when you were starving. Due to his own misfortune, Kaito Sena had found value in someone he ought not have. And if that wasn't worthy of being called pitiable, then what could possibly be?"}, {"text": "He'd even taken the Torture Princess out on a date, for crying out loud. And he'd told her that even if every single other person scorned her, he would hold her in higher esteem than anyone else in the world. \"What a fool he is. What a hopeless, irredeemable fool. The largest idiot in all the world.\" \"I like her a whole lot.\" \"For that person's sake, I could do or become anything.\" Then Kaito Sena had chosen to become an enemy of the entire world. The mere normal, human boy who knew nothing of magic had done it ever so innocently. In a sense, he'd been like a child looking up to a hero. That was how trivial his reason had been. Elisabeth ground her teeth. Then, like a child, she curled into a ball. The oppressive stillness around her persisted, causing her chilly bedroom to feel like the inside of a coffin. Nothing in it moved. Nothing in it changed. But then, all of a sudden, it underwent a transformation. Some sort of pleasant aroma wafted up. Actually, it was rather smoky. She could even make out the sound of something crackling. \"...Wait. Hold on a moment, now.\" Elisabeth sprang up from the bed. A vigorous fire was burning directly before her eyes. \"A fire?!\" \"Oh-ho, I see you've awoken! Nothing is burning, no\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's a splendid bonfire!\" Somebody was sitting in front of the fire, turning around in response to her alarm. His face was concealed underneath his tattered black cloak, and he was gently flapping a feathered fan. Atop the fire was a massive cut of meat hanging from a pair of tripods. Drops of fat were dribbling off its carefully seared surface. \"What in the blazes do you think you're doing, Butcher?\" \"Why, I'm roasting some meat in someone else's castle!\" \"And to think, you even realized it belonged to another.\" Elisabeth instinctively narrowed her eyes in exasperation. Ever since the Marquis had destroyed its shutters, her bedroom's window had been left perpetually open. The smoke was drifting through it, finding its way outside. But the ventilation it provided had been the only thing standing between her and becoming the victim of a murder. The Butcher's hearty laugh made it wholly unclear whether or not that fact had registered with him. \"I must say, though. I caught wind of the commotion at the Capital! 'How dreadful,' I thought, and after dealing with this and that, and stocking up on some things, I raced over here like an arrow!\" \"The slowest arrow there ever was.\" \"At any rate, Madam Elisabeth, I daresay you haven't been eating anything decent since that hubbub, eh?\" The Butcher's tone didn't waver a note as he carried on. Elisabeth's shoulders twitched. He was completely right. She was, by nature, a glutton and a gourmand. But ever since Kaito and Hina had left, she'd only taken in the bare minimum amount of sustenance necessary for survival. Unfazed by her lack of a reply, the Butcher continued turning the massive slab of meat. After adjusting its position, he nodded, pleased. Then he stylishly sprinkled salt on it from oddly high in the air. \"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho, my meats are the finest meats around! Filled with love and bravery, they'll never let you down! Eat them and your courage will increase one millionfold! As always, I'm your friendly neighborhood Butcher! Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!\" \"Oy, Butcher. Quit the singing. It's dreadful.\" \"My goodness, how could you say such a thing? My voice has the timbre of a lovely baby bird!\" \"The world may never know where that confidence of yours wells from. And on that note, why on earth are you trespassing in my castle?\" \"As I told Mr. Dim-Witted Servant and Ms. Lovely Maid once before, it brings me great joy when you cry out how exquisite something is. Allowing a customer of mine to go hungry would besmirch my honor as a merchant.\" The Butcher spoke with a persistent calm. Elisabeth gazed silently at his back. Then she recalled a scene from some time ago. Back at a bar in the Capital, Kaito had offered her a bowl of gruel, a bowl that he'd gone well out of his way to bring her. \"I figured you might be hungry,\" he'd said to the Torture Princess. Elisabeth posed a subdued question to the Butcher. \"...And that was your sole reason for coming?\" \"Why, yes. That, and nothing else.\" The Butcher nodded in a dignified manner, and Elisabeth found herself at a loss for words. The flames gave off dazzling lights as they cracked and popped. As he checked to make sure the meat had been properly cooked, the Butcher went on. \"No matter what the times may bring us, one must always remember to eat. That's what it means to be alive, you know. And it's a merchant's role to deliver the provisions for a meal. And besides, meat is ever so splendid. Even when one feels lonely, some good meat will get them right back on their feet.\" \"And just who is it you're saying is lonely, pray tell?\" \"Oh my, no, I was merely recounting my own experiences. Time spent alone tends to pass in an eerily slow fashion.\" As he shook his head, the Butcher thrust an iron skewer through the slab of meat. When he pulled the skewer free, clear liquid gushed out. Satisfied with the meat's state, he lowered it off the flame. Then, grabbing it by the bone, he held it in the air triumphantly. \"And there you have it!\" \"Hmm.\" \"And my, what a surprise, what a delight! Grilled arm of troll!\" \"Are you sure you didn't mean to say 'What a fright!'?\" \"Now, now, dig in!\" Not discouraged in the slightest by Elisabeth's quip, the Butcher held the meat out to her as she sat cross-legged on the bed. She took it, albeit with some dismay. Meaty juices began dripping down onto her sheets. \"Hmm... Hmhm...\" Elisabeth stared intently at the slab of meat. Now that she examined it closer, it really did seem to be a troll's arm. It didn't, by any stretch of the imagination, look appetizing. But the skin was cooked crisp and juicy, and it was letting off an entirely reasonable aroma. And above all else, the Butcher was standing in front of her and practically bubbling with excitement. Reflexively, she glanced from side to side. But to her misfortune and moderate annoyance, there was nobody present but her to offer retorts. The array of knives resting in the map on the wall glinted in vain. Steeling herself, Elisabeth opened her mouth wide and thrust the meat in. Then she chomped down on it with surprising vigor. \"'Tis vile!\" \"Whaaaat?!\" Elisabeth's judgment was immediate, and the Butcher hopped up and down to protest it. She furrowed her brows as far as they would go. In ill humor, she began listing off her impressions. \"The skin is aromatic and crispy, and its rough, wild texture is halfway decent! But the taste, the crucial element, is completely off! 'Tis unlike beef, nor is it like pork, chicken, goat, or sheep! What causes it to possess this bizarre, muddy flavor?! I can find no words to describe it besides troll-like!\" \"Hmm, well, it is troll, after all.\" \"If I had to describe it with a color, I would say it tasted green!\" Filled with anger as she was, Elisabeth didn't stop eating. The feeling of food making its way into her empty stomach was incredibly pleasant. She stuffed her cheeks with meat, complaining all the while. \"Why, should I, have to, eat, something, so, vile?!\" Just as one would have expected, troll meat had a truly, truly bizarre flavor to it. As she worked her way through the meat, she thought back to her dining habits of old. Everything Hina had made had been exquisite. And although Kaito's cooking was generally dreadful, the purin he made, if nothing else, was perfection. But now she was gnawing at a troll's arm, all on her own. What on earth has become of me? Elisabeth bit into the skin, tore at the meat, and shredded the tendons with her teeth. All the while, she was steadily growing angrier and angrier. Forget all this nonsense about enemies and allies, killing and saving! There is a matter that most surely takes precedence! Kaito Sena had decided to become an enemy of the world. Saying it was for Elisabeth's sake, he'd taken Hina and left without consulting anyone else. Then he'd begun walking down the path of a figure destined to be reviled and cursed. Who, exactly, was supposed to benefit from that outcome? Now that she thought about it coolly, there were countless things she wanted to say to the two of them. Her heart was full to the brim with a terrifying amount of complaints and abusive remarks she wanted to level at them. But most of all, she needed to give Kaito a solid punch to the face. Then she needed to ask him to give it a rest and to put an end to his idiocy. Aye\u00e2\u20ac\u201deverything else can come after that. The Church had ordered Elisabeth Le Fanu to kill Kaito Sena. She held certain convictions that were immutable. But Kaito probably wouldn't give up, either. No matter how hard they struggled against their fate, in the end, coming to blows with each other was the only path open to them. She had a duty to kill the enemy of the world. But before she surrendered herself to that tragic fate, she was going to give Kaito a solid kick in the pants. Now was no time to be feeling glad that he'd left the human territories, nor was it any time to be sleeping. Her foe was the most foolish servant in all the world. She needed to do what must be done. And with that thought in mind, Elisabeth gulped down the last of the meat. *** Nothing remained but the splendid bone. With excellent form, she held it up high and hurled it. It spun through the air as it made its way out the window. The bone gleamed as it faded from view. With fists clenched and her expression contorted by anger, Elisabeth shouted out. \"Damn you! Why should I be forced to eat something so vile! And why must my thoughts be filled with such distress! I shan't forgive you for this, Kaito, you bastard. I shall hunt you down and have your head!\" \"Hmm, it seems as though the odds that Mr. Servant meets an untimely demise have risen somewhat, haven't they...?\" The Butcher crossed his arms. Elisabeth's indignation and bloodlust were boiling over before his very eyes. Then, gladdened by the fact that she seemed to have regained her vigor, if nothing else, he reached into his sack and pulled out a fresh chunk of meat. \"My, my, my, what do we have here? Why, it's a dragon tail!\" \"This foolishness again?\" And with that, for the first time in a long time, Elisabeth's castle felt alive again. \"...What the hell is a 'troll-like' flavor?!\" \"Oh, Master Kaito, you're awake! What's the matter?\" \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201doh, sorry, Hina. I guess I was just having a weird dream.\" Kaito pressed down on his forehead. It would appear he'd fallen asleep at some point. Because of that, and because he'd expended enough of his own mana that Elisabeth's blood had kicked in, he'd seen some sort of weird dream. He spent a moment pondering what significance the phrase troll-like flavor could possibly have. Then he slowly sat up, turning his attention away from the dream to his surroundings. The room he was in was made of wood, and it had a number of white beds lined up within it. It wasn't clear how they'd pulled it all off, but its walls sported authentic vines, and its ceiling displayed an array of dainty pink flowers. The room's construction had"}, {"text": "clearly been designed to put nature's beauty front and center. The fragrance of the flowers also seemed to have a sterilizing effect. Their aroma was sweet, but it had a sting to it as well. Hina was sitting atop a wicker chair at his side. On his other side, he was flanked by a goatperson wearing gloves and a sanitary cloth mask. Then he noticed the thick bandages wrapped around his shoulder. The beastman healer gave a slight nod. \"The wound had sealed almost completely before I even began treatment. Very impressive. But your skin was thin in places, so I applied herbs to help speed along your recovery. You passed out due to a mana deficiency and some mild fatigue. You should be all better now. Feel free to get up and move around as you please.\" \"Oh, Master Kaito, thank goodness! Thank goodness!\" Hina cast her arms wide and squeezed Kaito in a tight embrace. Bewildered, he glanced at the healer. The goatperson, who was more than likely a goatwoman given the size and shape of her horns, offered a nurturing smile. \"I told her there was nothing to worry about, you know. But even so, your wife waited by your side on the verge of tears, not leaving you alone for a moment. Do you have anything you'd like to say to her?\" \"Sorry, Hina. I guess I really gave you a scare there, huh?\" Kaito gently returned her hug, repeatedly stroking his wife's back. As she gradually calmed down, Kaito rummaged through his memories. So, uh... I definitely remember getting on that teleportation circle Lute and the others drew... After he had, they'd traveled to a gorgeous building artisanally crafted out of wood and colored stone. According to Lute and the others, it was one of the royal family's secondary residences. Then they'd led him to the infirmary that had been set up in one of the rooms. Upon obeying the healer's instruction and lying down on a bed, he'd immediately passed out. \"Wait a minute, a secondary residence of the royal family?\" Kaito opened his eyes wide. This wasn't just some hospital they'd been brought to. Flustered, he made to get down off the bed. But he found himself unable to move. At some point, Hina had anchored her slender arms firmly around him. \"Um, uh... Hina dearest?\" \"Why yes, Master Kaito? I believe I did tell you that I intended to get quite upset at you later.\" It seemed her frustration wasn't just talk. Kaito's face went stiff. But then Hina loosened her arms. After taking a step back, she fixed him with a pointed stare. Then she made her pained appeal. \"Haven't I told you? When you go off on your own and do such dangerous things, my love... Do you have any idea how much that determination of yours makes me want to kill my powerless self?\" Hina's face contorted, just like it had back when the two of them had had their fight back at the castle. Immeasurable grief was welling up within her jeweled eyes. Her expression made it clear how much her concern for her bridegroom had been eating away at her heart. Struck by realization, Kaito reached his own arms out. He hugged Hina tight. It was the best option we had. That was something he still wholeheartedly believed. He wasn't the same man he'd once been. If he needed Hina's help, he had no problems asking for it. And this time, he hadn't. That was all there had been to it. But he also realized why Hina didn't find that answer satisfactory. They were a couple. They'd promised to become a family. There was no excuse for hurting her the way he had. \"Hina, I'm really, really sorry\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhuh? Is it just me, or are you squeezing me again?\" \"Hee-hee-hee, it seems you still need some scolding. But, um, Ms. Healer? Is Master Kaito stable enough to hold long conversations?\" \"Oh, very much so. And for patients prone to recklessness, being scolded by a family member is often the best medicine. Please, don't mind me. Go ahead and be as hard on him as you want.\" \"What kind of doctor are you?\" He'd been ambushed from a wholly unexpected direction. Hina brought her lips close to Kaito's ear, then blew gently on his earlobe. A shiver ran down his body, and Hina began seductively whispering harsh words. \"Are you listening to me, Master Kaito? Battles constantly bring about unexpected developments. But even when time is of the essence, I forbid you from acting on your own. Even with the prowess you've attained in magic, you still have next to no combat experience. I am your sword and your shield, and you should make use of me whenever possible.\" Hina earnestly laid out her arguments. Their contents were sound, and more than reasonable at that. Kaito also felt a little like he was getting brainwashed. By the end, all he found he could say was, \"I'm sorry. I won't do it again.\" Then the wooden door opened. A wolfman warrior stuck his nose in the gap and sniffed. \"Sir Kaito, how are you feeling? I'd heard you'd woken\u00e2\u20ac\u201doh, my apologies, I seem to be intruding.\" \"No, no, you aren't intruding! Come save me, Lute!\" \"I beg your pardon. Do you find yourself in the need of assistance?\" Kaito gave a frantic shout. Lute stepped into the infirmary, his head tilted to the side in confusion. Hina reluctantly drew away from Kaito. Then, after clearing her throat, she picked up the fruit that had been left by Kaito's bedside. Slipping a knife out of her cuff, she began peeling it. After listening to what the two of them had to say, Lute burst into laughter. \"Ah-ha-ha-ha! Well, if that isn't mutual love for you. What a relief that your wounds didn't amount to anything too serious! It seems your wife already scolded you for your recklessness, so I suppose there isn't much reason for me to say anything more on that front.\" \"Oh yeah. She gave me a good earful.\" \"You really only have yourself to blame. Whenever I get hurt, my lovely wife here gets just as upset.\" \"Wait, this is your wife?!\" Kaito let out a hysteric shout in spite of himself. Her mouth still hidden beneath cloth, the goatwoman healer waved at him. The gesture was playful, but her expression was as stoic as ever. Apparently, Lute's wife was a much more levelheaded person than Kaito had imagined she'd be. After grinning widely and returning her wave, Lute turned back toward Kaito. \"Ahem. Now then, Sir Kaito, if you have no objections, there's someone I'd like to bring you to meet.\" \"'Someone'?\" Kaito parroted the word Lute had said, confused. It was then that he remembered the mind-boggling fact that they were currently in one of the royal family's secondary residences. He reflexively corrected his posture. As he did, Hina lifted a chunk of fruit to his mouth. \"Say 'aah,' Master Kaito.\" Unable to refuse, he munched on the white flesh. Although the situation had taken a turn for the comical, Kaito could still clearly make out Lute's following words. \"Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast. My master, and the second imperial princess of the Forest King.\" The beastfolk had three kings. They were the progenitors of all beastfolk: the Forest King, an ancient wolf; the Water King, a white deer; and the Wind King, a colossal hawk. When the world had been remade, the Saint had prayed to God and created three intersex beasts. Their children were just as diverse as the rest of the beasts, and they worked to increase the beastman population and protect the land they'd been given. Ever since then, the three of them had kept on living. Their existence was one of the primary reasons why faith in the Saint hadn't found much popularity among the beastfolk\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey lived under the protection of beings of legend to this very day. Because of that, it was only natural that they didn't revere the Saint to the degree humans did. At present, the three kings lived and ate together, herbivore and carnivores alike, in order to prevent inter-beastman conflict, act as symbols of unity, and preserve the peace. But while they still contributed to society, the three of them had ceded power. They had reigned since time immemorial. But they no longer governed. Instead, they'd chosen several members from each tribe and appointed them as royalty, granting them authority and leaving matters of national politics to them. And one such member of this nobility was Vyade Ula Forstlast, the second imperial princess of the Forest King. The power she wielded was less than that of the first imperial prince or the first imperial princess. However, she had a private army in order to deal with matters of public security, and the way she'd used her own funds to maintain the towns under her supervision and manage the systems preventing the rivers from flooding had earned her the moniker of the Wise Wolf. In fact, the zealous support she received from the populace surpassed that of even the first imperial prince. And at present, she was sitting directly in front of Kaito. How the heck did things even get to this point? Faced with her majestic visage, Kaito's mind was awhirl. The lighting throughout the entire audience chamber was dim. Furthermore, the room's delicately embroidered curtains cast whimsical shadows atop the stairs leading up to the throne. Their large floral design was gorgeous, yet at the same time, possessed the same solemnity a large, aging beast would. Concealed behind them, though, lurked a number of dangerous presences. A number of soldiers were standing at attention, weapons held at the ready. Their nervousness was palpable. You can't blame 'em, given that their master is meeting face-to-face with a demon's contractor. On high alert yet seemingly defenseless at first glance, Vyade sat atop the throne and smiled. She was a wolfwoman, and one with fur as white as the driven snow. The insides of her triangular ears were a lovely shade of pink, and a flower crown was perched between them. Her elbows were sitting atop beautifully arranged floral armrests. Just like the curtains, the layers of cloth she was wearing were delicately embroidered as well. As Kaito knelt in front of her, she called out gently to him. \"A pleasure to meet you, Sir Kaito Sena, our visitor from another world. I wish to extend my gratitude for your earlier efforts.\" \"Yes, uh, ma'am. It's a...great honor?\" \"There's no need to be so stiff. We would never dream of forcing our etiquette on a visitor of another race, much less one from another world. Please, be at ease.\" Vyade's words were kind. Even after being told that, though, Kaito stumbled over his response. Due to his experiences in his past life, Kaito held a certain amount of distrust and antipathy toward public authority. But the nervousness this woman was sparking in him was of another type altogether. It was the first time Kaito had ever found himself wondering if it was really all right for someone like him to be talking to a person of her status. I guess there really are places where you can find people who've been aristocrats their whole lives. \"Or could it be that you're unaccustomed to beastfolk? If that's the problem, then, here.\" A hard, clicking noise rang out. The air in front of Kaito began gently shifting. A gentle fragrance floated up, and the soldiers' stress became even more pronounced. Whether he wanted to or not, Kaito immediately sensed what had happened. Vyade had come down from the throne and was currently stooping in front of him. As he panicked over what best to do, he quickly found that his hand had been taken. A wolfish hand\u00e2\u20ac\u201done that, much like a human's, had five long fingers\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas wrapped around his. It was"}, {"text": "covered in soft, white fur and sported a pad in the middle of its palm. If Kaito was allowed to be completely blunt, it was squishy, and felt kind of nice. \"How do you find it?\" Vyade gave a small laugh. Taken wholly aback, Kaito raised his face. His gaze was met with a beautiful pair of blue eyes. Vyade showed him a warm smile. \"Ah, you finally looked me in the eyes. I really must thank you, you know. You fought for the sake of our people, not even hesitating to receive wounds. And as for you...\" Suddenly, she cast her gaze to his side. As she did, Kaito received a shock. Hina was watching Vyade grasp his hand, and the look in her eyes was terrifying. Kaito broke out into a cold sweat. But Vyade just gave a small chuckle, before reaching out her other hand toward Hina. Then she caressed Hina's cheek as one would to comfort a child. \"I must thank you as well, Madam Hina. Your efforts were indispensable.\" \"I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI am my beloved Master Kaito's maid! It was all Master Kaito's doing, so...I am undeserving of your kind words.\" \"Hmhm. Now that the two of you have been kind enough to look at me, let us speak of what is to come.\" Vyade lightly rose to her feet. Then, with the springy footsteps of a young girl, she returned to the throne. But as soon as she reassumed her rightful seat, she swathed herself once more in majesty and dignity. As he watched her, Kaito found himself dumbfounded. Vyade was a wolfwoman who gave off a strange impression. She seemed like both a teenage girl and a woman over a century old. Humans had difficulty gauging beastfolk's ages in general, but hers was even more of an enigma. Then she looked down on them with gravitas befitting the second imperial princess of the Forest King. \"We've carefully removed those sheets of metal from within the block of ice and run some tests on them. However, at the moment, our technology is proving insufficient to determine much, other than the fact that their material seems impossible to reproduce. I find it unlikely that we'll derive much useful information from the remaining specimens going forward, either. And we still have no guarantee that only one of those things exists.\" \"Yeah, I thought of that, too. Even if it can change its form, there's no way it committed all those massacres single-handedly.\" \"Consequently, I wish to ask for your continued sojourn and cooperation until we can definitively state that we've put a stop to the massacres. We need to determine that thing's true nature and, if it has one, who its master is.\" Upon hearing what Vyade had to say, Kaito narrowed his eyes. That was no doubt the reason she'd used such innocent-seeming methods to demonstrate her affection for them. She'd been very intentionally trying to get Kaito and Hina to feel a bond toward the beastfolk. Depending on what master that thing serves, it might even have intended to start a war between these guys and the humans. After a few seconds of deliberation, Kaito chose his words carefully. \"You know, I really do think that thing came from a demon.\" The Kaiser had declared it had nothing to do with demons. But Kaito was intentionally keeping that fact to himself. He'd decided he needed to do whatever he could to prevent a war from breaking out. Although it seemed she'd guessed at his true intentions, Vyade replied with a calm nod. \"No matter what race they originally hail from, a demon's contractor is an enemy of all who live in this world. If our foe truly is a new contractor, we'll need to send notice to the human side as well. Truly, we need to find out what that thing was, and quickly. You yourself may be a contractor as well, but your soul is a proud one. For lending us aid yet harming none, Sir Kaito, you are a great friend to us indeed. We would ask that you continue lending us your strength going forward; what do you say?\" Vyade smiled, as though to encourage a favorable response. While it was unclear if the smile itself was genuine or not, the confidence and trust it contained clearly were. Kaito nodded. Genuine or not, his choice was the same. It was all too clear what he needed to do. \"I'll stop the killings and find out who our enemy really is. And until we're done, I'll give you all the help you need.\" \"You have our gratitude. For now, that will be more than enough. Once we're finished, depending on how things end, we can negotiate from there. But as for today, I'm sure you're tired. Fia, would you show them the way?\" A rabbit-headed lady-in-waiting standing nearby nodded. Her ears flopped as she bowed to Kaito and Hina, after which she gestured for them to stand. The two of them gave Vyade deep bows, then followed after Fia. The imperial princess's soft voice called out to them from behind. \"I hope you two will believe in me, Sir Kaito and Madam Hina, when I say I wish for us to be close friends. And we wish to remain good neighbors to the humans as well. That is precisely why we must quell this distressing situation.\" \"Don't worry, Your Highness. We believe you.\" Kaito gave a courteous response. And in truth, he suspected that everything she'd said had been true. As Fia led them through the building, Kaito thought back to what Lute had told him. Apparently, the second imperial princess was a calm, levelheaded individual. That was in stark contrast to the first imperial princess and third imperial prince, both of whom were allegedly hot-blooded and fixated on expanding the beastfolk territories. Vyade, the second imperial princess, hadn't informed the two of the killings. That was precisely the reason why she'd needed to call in Kaito, a third party, to act as her pawn. The fact of the matter was, she had made stopping the massacres her top priority. In other words, her desire to avoid war was genuine. She had no desire to send the beastfolk to ruin, nor to see the forest desecrated. And Kaito felt the same way. He didn't want to see anyone have to get hurt or suffer. Deus Ex Machina. In order to achieve that, he needed to find out that thing's true nature as quickly as possible. What was the killer secretly hoping to achieve? Or what were they trying to start? \"Hey, Kaiser... Kaiser, can you hear me?\" After the lady-in-waiting led them to their guest room, Kaito called out to his demon as he sat atop the bed. However, there was no reply. The Kaiser was proud, and fickle to boot. Because Kaito had repeatedly called on him for matters of little importance in recent memory, he seemed to have chosen to completely obscure his form. Kaito probably wouldn't be able to ask him about Deus Ex Machina until the following day, at the earliest. \"Seriously, why do you have to be such a pain in the ass?\" Undeterred, Kaito tried to play on the Kaiser's emotions. Even so, there was no reply. It would appear the Kaiser had completely blocked out his master's voice. The jewel in Kaito's pocket containing Vlad's soul rattled around, as though expressing its amusement. But Kaito had no business with Vlad, so he completely ignored him in turn. \"Dammit, why now?\" Sighing, Kaito adjusted his seat on the bed. Then the door to the room opened, and Hina stuck her head in. \"How did it go, Master Kaito? Any response?\" \"Nah, nothing. Doesn't look like he's planning on chatting today.\" Then Kaito gasped. Hina tilted her head as she stood before him. Her damp silver hair rustled. \"Is something the matter?\" Her outfit was a complete one-eighty from her usual maid uniform. Before settling down in the guest room, Hina had decided to take a bath. She was an automaton, so she didn't normally need to take baths, but the lady-in-waiting had offered her one anyway, suggesting it might be nice to wipe the dirt from her body and use some of their scented oils. Kaito had been in favor as well, so she'd been away from the room until her return moments ago. Currently, her supple white skin was dressed in a thin, floral-patterned negligee. The exotic garment's soft hem fluttered as Hina did a little twirl. \"Ah, did I catch you by surprise? My maid outfit had gotten a bit dirty, so they were kind enough to let me borrow this. Is it unseemly, do you think?\" \"You're so pretty.\" \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?!\" \"Ah, sorry. Err, I mean, I'm not sorry. It just kinda slipped out.\" Kaito pressed down on his quickly reddening face. Hina blinked rapidly. A moment later, her cheeks went bright red as well. She began bashfully fidgeting as she tripped over her words. \"M-Master Kaito, y-you really mustn't attack me b-by surprise like that. It's really quite unfair.\" \"I mean, I wasn't trying to attack you by surprise or anything. One minute I was thinking it, and before I knew it, I was saying it.\" \"That's what'sh sho unfair about it... Now I can'p even talg write... Ohhhhh, how embarrashing.\" Hina crouched and balled herself up like a pill bug. Kaito watched her, finding it adorable. Eventually, after burying her head all the way down in her arms for some reason, Hina whispered softly. \".....................................................................I'm so happy that I could die.\" \"No, wait, don't do that. I'd really rather you kept on liv...ing...\" It was at that moment that Kaito realized the important dilemma the two of them were now in. He frantically cast his gaze around the room. Much like the other rooms, the guest room's stone walls were adorned with vegetation. In fact, beastfolk held nature in such regard that they didn't normally build buildings out of stone at all. But due to the climate and their use of fire, they'd searched for an appropriate material and eventually settled on a unique strategy of mixing stone with various other materials. The room they were occupying was simply another one of the fruits of that technique. Its windows were large and arranged so as to allow as much sunlight in as possible. At the moment, though, it was covered by the largest pelt Kaito had ever seen. It looked like it was designed to be rolled up when the weather was nice. A mattress stuffed with hay was placed atop the wooden bed, as were a number of blankets. All of them, along with the carpet on the floors, were decorated with intricate embroidery. And on top of all that, the room was impressively spacious. It would no doubt have been a pleasant place to while away the hours. However, it had an important problem to it as well. Th-there's only one bed. In other words, at this rate, Kaito and Hina would end up sleeping together. In his mind, Kaito could imagine Lute giving a hearty laugh. Upon hearing they were married, Lute had probably thought it the tactful thing to do. But his good deed had, in fact, been gravely unnecessary. Kaito and Hina had slept in the same bed once before. But now that they'd confirmed their feelings for each other, he doubted it'd end at just that, nor did he have faith in his ability to stop there. At a loss for what to do, Kaito looked around the room again. Luckily, the carpet was thick. If he snagged one of the blankets off the bed, it would be more than comfortable enough to sleep on. Nice! I can just sleep on the floor, and then we're all good! As Kaito clenched his fists, having made his decision, though, he noticed something. That's...huh? He'd finally noticed that Hina was"}, {"text": "acting strangely. She'd stood up at some point and was staring a hole into the bed while deep in thought. \"Hina, what's the matter?\" \"Well, Master Kaito...\" \"Hmm?\" \"We are married, you know.\" Kaito broke into a violent coughing fit. He certainly wasn't dense enough to miss what she was implying. Flustered, he opened his mouth, then thought twice and closed it tight. Insecurity was welling up in Hina's big green eyes. Her gaze was imploring, and hopelessly forlorn. Kaito narrowed his gaze a smidge, then thought back to the earnest words Hina had once said to him. \"I wish...to become a family with you...Master Kaito.\" She'd broken her body on his behalf, even going so far as to lose her arms and legs, and that had been the one wish she'd made of him. And his teary reply had been thus: \"You've always been... The moment we met, you became my companion, right?\" And that was how, at the end of that battle, after making the insane choice he had, Kaito Sena had finally found a family. \"Master Kaito, if you don't find it objectionable... I think it would be an appropriate time to, you know...\" Hina gripped her clothes tightly as she spoke. Her voice trembled as she went on. \"...Do you...not want to?\" Then her nervousness finally surpassed her limits, and her cheeks flushed the reddest they had yet. Completely losing her usual assertiveness, she shook her head in a panic. \"I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI apologize for being so forward! I will take the floor, so please forget I said\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Hina!\" Kaito abruptly grabbed her slender wrists. Her expression turned to one of shock. Although he was on the verge of insisting on sleeping on the floor himself, Kaito shut his mouth. That wasn't it. No! That's not what I'm supposed to say here! Silently, the two of them stared at each other. Her eyes were as moist as a puppy's. About to reflexively look away, Kaito resisted the urge and opened his mouth. But at the last moment, he couldn't get the words out. Hina gently hung her head. When she did, though, Kaito silently pulled her toward himself. Then he hugged her tight. \"M-Master Kaito?\" Hina's voice was shrill. As he listened to it, Kaito felt his vision blur. The palpitations of his heart and the sounds of Hina's gears were deafening. For a moment, he was concerned the two of them were both just going to drop dead like that. But then Hina returned his hug, squeezing so hard that she was practically hanging on to him, and he knew he'd made the right choice. She's right. We are married. In sickness and in health, no matter what dangers befell them. Until death did them part, Kaito and Hina planned to stay together. \"Hina, I'm never gonna let go of you again. That way, we'll never be apart.\" \"Master Kaito, I'm undeserving of such blessed words. I'm so, so very happy right now. I feel like I'm in a dream.\" \"So, I'll, uh...um... I wonder what I'm supposed to say now.\" \"Give it your best try, Master Kaito!\" \"I'm trying! I am! So, I'll, uh... You know, after this, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I promise to take good care of you! So...\" Then Kaito extended out his arms and suddenly let go of Hina. She was a good bit taller than he, and as he looked up at her face, he saw her waiting for him to finish with a serious expression on her face. Kaito inhaled, exhaled, and upon getting his breathing in order, posed his question. \"Tonight, would you be interested in becoming one, together, as a couple?\" \"Yes! Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!\" His tension had caused his wording to come out affected and overly formal. Hearing it, Hina nodded so fast that her head bobbed up and down, and a smile spread across her face like a flower opening its petals. The bed creaked. Hina had lain down in front of Kaito, her cheeks tinged scarlet. As he sat beside her silver hair, he gently placed his hands on the bed. It creaked again. While all she was likely doing was automatically mimicking human breathing, Hina's large breasts heaved up and down beneath her thin negligee as though to demonstrate how tense and excited she was. Kaito swallowed. But then he quickly lifted his arms and adjusted his posture. Still horizontal, Hina blinked repeatedly. \"Master Kaito, if I may, why are you sitting with your legs folded underneath you?\" \"Oh, it's just that my old man and his mistresses would always just go at it like dogs in heat. I figured it'd be better to say something before we get started, so I wanted to sit more formally in seiza.\" \"Say-za? How interesting! I'll do that, too!\" Hina bounced to her feet, then knelt the same way Kaito was. The two of them were sitting facing each other. Both of their expressions were meek, but then, at the same time, they both burst into laughter. After the two of them finished giggling together, Kaito placed his hands flat on the bed in front of him and gave Hina a deep bow. She followed his lead. \"Then, with that, please take good care of me. Thank you? No, that sounds kinda weird. Here I come? No, no, no, wait, that one doesn't count! Uh... I promise to take good care of you!\" \"Please, come at me all you wish! Until the day my steel heart stops beating, I, too, wish to spend my life with you, to protect you, and to eventually break by your side. But until then, I hope we spend many long years together.\" The two of them lifted their heads at the same time. As evidenced by the continued reddening of their cheeks, both of them felt somewhat embarrassed. Then Hina averted her gaze for just a moment. Kaito tilted his head to the side, wondering what was wrong this time. Rather hesitatingly, she posed a question to him. \"The thing is... I'd thought it best to ask you beforehand, but please, you must promise to try not to take offense.\" \"Hey, what's the matter?\" \"Would it be preferable if I were to act bashfully? Or would it be acceptable for me to act somewhat vulgarly?\" \"Khak!\" Kaito found himself having another coughing fit. He heaved as air forced its way out of his lungs. Hina reached an arm out to him in concern. With one hand, she gently stroked his back. Thanks to that, he managed to settle down. Upon sensing that fact, Hina slid her pale hand up to the nape of Kaito's neck. Her slender fingers tickled, sending a shiver down Kaito's spine. \"Hi...na...\" \"Master Kaito.\" Then she shifted her weight backward and fell once more horizontally atop the bed. Spontaneously, Kaito ended up falling on top of her. Bashful as she was, a seductive smile spread across Hina's face. Her abundant breasts were pressing softly against the bottom part of Kaito's body. The sensation was warm, and they felt as though they'd melt between his fingers if he grasped them. Whoa. Kaito suddenly felt a violent spell of dizziness come on. Bringing her face close to his ears, Hina exhaled and gave a sweet whisper. \"Please, Master Kaito, kiss me.\" \"S-sure.\" As she'd requested, he laid his lips atop hers. Hina timidly surrendered her tongue. As their lips gingerly became acquainted with each other, Kaito clumsily followed her lead. Immediately, Hina's tongue movements became much more confident. Lascivious sounds filled the air, and the moment seemed to last an eternity. Eventually, Kaito withdrew his lips from hers. After taking a breath, he whispered. \"I...I feel all dizzy, and giddy, and it's hard to breathe, and it feels like my head's gonna explode.\" \"Hee-hee, how adorable.\" \"If anything, you're the cute one. By the way, Hina. You don't have to worry about stuff like making sure you do it right, or about adapting to my tastes. I doubt I'm gonna be doing much of a great job, after all. As long as you do what feels natural, then I'm happy... Hey. What's that grin for?\" Hina was giving a slight chuckle. On reflex, Kaito replied with a petulant frown. Hina stuck out a finger and poked Kaito affectionately on the nose. \"I can't help it. It makes me so happy to see how kind you are, even in the bedroom.\" \"I...I see.\" \"There is one thing, though.\" \"What?\" To that, Hina replied by raising her face and nuzzled Kaito's nose with hers like a puppy. Then, like a small bird, she planted light kisses all over his face. Finally, she turned toward him once more. The smile she showed him was warm and blissful, and the voice she whispered to him in oozed like sweet honey. \"I'm so very happy that doing 'what feels natural' is bound to be rather immodest.\" Kaito's face flushed scarlet. He tried to say something, but Hina stole his lips away with hers. After sharing a long kiss, they drew their faces apart. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other. \"Master Kaito, I love you so much.\" \"I love you, too, Hina.\" Then, as if they couldn't help themselves, they pressed their lips together again and again. The bed quaked. And then came the sound of rustling clothes. 4 The Golden Torture Princess \"...............................................................Oy. Butcher.\" \"What do you require, Madam Elisabeth? Your voice sounds ever so threatening.\" \"I know not why, but I feel a pressing urge to give a toast, strike a wall, and kick a certain someone from a certain somewhere so hard that they fall on their behind. 'Tis a warm feeling that strikes me, yet a brutal one.\" \"Ah, what a coincidence. For some reason, I feel much the same way.\" The response the Butcher gave Elisabeth was slovenly. As always, the two of them were in the Torture Princess's bedroom. The forcibly built bonfire had long since burned out and turned to ash. In its place, the room was strewn with bones, plates, and empty bottles of wine. It was the remnants of a feast, to be sure. The room's condition was honestly quite dreadful. And in the middle of that disastrous scene, Elisabeth was lying atop the bed, and the Butcher was on the floor. Both of them were sprawled out and staring vacantly at the ceiling. Abruptly, though, Elisabeth came to a sudden realization and spoke with a serious expression. \"Hold it. Could this strange feeling perhaps have been brought about by the fact that we've been gorging ourselves on peculiar meats?\" \"Hmm, I get the distinct impression that false accusations are falling upon me out of the blue.\" \"And on that note, why were all the goods you came stocked with so ridiculous?\" \"How dare you! The rare slime-steak was surprisingly edible, wasn't it?!\" Unable to move due to his overeating, the Butcher flapped his arms back and forth in protest. Elisabeth sullenly refused to answer, and the room returned to silence. All of a sudden, though, she sprang into motion. With a \"Heave, ho!\" Elisabeth gathered strength in her abdominal muscles and sat upright. Once she had, she whipped her neck back and forth. \"Earlier, I realized this is no time to be relieved, and no time to be sleeping. That said, the fact remains that a human cannot just merrily waltz into beastfolk lands.\" Elisabeth crossed her arms, deep in thought. While she had resolve aplenty, the situation still hadn't changed. Unless they were invited by one of the beastfolk, it would violate the treaty for a human to enter the pureblood sector. And ever since news had spread about the Church's plans to burn her at the stake, the Torture Princess's misdeeds had become well known over an even greater area. It would be no laughing matter if"}, {"text": "she ended up being the catalyst for war. Knowing all that full well, Elisabeth frowned. As he rubbed his round belly, the Butcher offered his two cents. \"If that's the case, then might I suggest taking this time to deal with any matters you've been putting off? I daresay your demon hunt kept you rather busy, after all.\" \"Nonsense. I've no matters I've been\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Then Elisabeth's eyes gently widened, and she casually unwound her crossed arms. Clearly having thought of something, Elisabeth gnawed on her lips. Then, upon closing her eyes, she gave herself to her thoughts. Eventually, she opened her eyes back up. When she did, she leaped off the bed with great vigor. \"It seems you have a point. I do, in fact, have something I've been putting off. I'm leaving.\" \"Okaaaay, have fuuuuun!\" Completely carefree, the Butcher gently waved her good-bye. The Torture Princess's silken black hair fluttered as she strode past the lounging man. When she opened the door, she did so with great force. Moving only his neck, the Butcher saw her off. Having left the door open, she soon receded down the hallway. Eventually, the Butcher let out a soft murmur. \"Even in your short lives, people have a surprisingly great many things they must do, Madam Elisabeth, and many things they find themselves regretting if they fail to do so. One never knows how long this world will be around, after all.\" With the Butcher alone in the bedroom, silence quickly descended. But before long, he let out a loud belch. The following morning marked a blissful, tranquil, languid, sweet beginning. However, it was also hurried, and somewhat embarrassing. Kaito and Hina woke at the same time, as happy as could be. With nothing but the blankets covering their naked bodies, they turned to look at each other. Kaito was at a bit of a loss for what best to say. His heart was full to the brim, and he doubted his ability to hold a normal conversation. Hina seemed to be in the same predicament. It was unclear who was supposed to go first, but after wavering for a moment, the two of them decided to exchange their usual greetings. \"Morning, Hina.\" \"A lovely morning to you, Master Kaito.\" A perfectly charming smile spread across Hina's face. Not realizing he was doing so, Kaito replied in kind with his own. With that, the two of them gently pressed their foreheads together, causing their bangs to brush against the other's skin. It was ticklish, and the two of them laughed like children. Right when they were about to exchange kisses, though, they were brusquely interrupted. Without warning, the door burst open. \"Ah, what a splendid day it is! I bid you good morning, Sir Kaito!\" Lute had made his appearance. His face bore a wide smile. Kaito and Hina froze. Kaito timidly turned toward the door. Lute was standing in the doorway, his eyes snapping open and shut. With his gaze, Kaito silently begged Lute to read the room. As though to say he understood, Lute gave a meek nod. \u00e2\u20ac\u201dCreeeeak, click. The door closed once more. Kaito and Hina sprang into action. Beastfolk weren't much for baths, and when they did take them, noble beastfolk would generally use large, public baths filled with flowers and fragrant herbs. However, the guest room Kaito and Hina were staying in had a small, tiled bathroom adjoining it, likely out of consideration for visitors of other races. Normally, they'd have to ask a lady-in-waiting to bring them hot water, but as they were in a hurry, Kaito elected to magically generate and heat the water himself. After quickly washing off their bodies, the two of them returned to the room and hurriedly got dressed. Then, once they'd finished, Kaito loudly cleared his throat. \"We're, uh, we're decent.\" \"Ah, what a splendid day it is! I bid you good morning, Sir Kaito!\" \"Pretending it didn't happen isn't gonna make it any better!\" Kaito's voice was unintentionally strong, and Lute's ears drooped. \"My apologies. We beastfolk rise earlier than the sun, so I just... In any case, it was wholly inconsiderate of me. I'm rather thoughtless, as you can see, but that excuses nothing, no.\" \"No, no, it's fine. Honestly, it's our fault as much as anything. Sorry.\" Each of them spent a moment trying to insist he was to blame, and after a bit, Lute's ears perked back up. Starting over from the beginning, he handed a folded maid uniform to Hina. \"I believe this is yours, Madam Hina. The court lady asked me to bring it to you.\" \"Oh, why, thank you so much! Excuse me for a moment while I get changed!\" As she did, Kaito and Lute stepped out into the hallway. There, they began discussing their plans for the day. The first matter on the agenda was meeting up with Vyade's private forces after breakfast. \"At the meeting, we intend to go over our patrol routes going forward. We would have you attend, if you are amenable.\" \"Yeah, of course. I'll be there.\" \"And as far as breakfast goes, there was talk of having you sup alongside Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast. However, I'd thought you might be tired, so I arranged for you to eat separately. Would you rather I hadn't?\" \"Oh, geez, thank god! If we'd eaten together, I'd have been so nervous that all the food would've gotten stuck in my throat.\" \"Ha-ha, I can sympathize! I, too, find formality stifling!\" At that, Lute scratched at the copper fur on his head. His laughter was much friendlier than it had been in the past. Their breakfast was waiting for them in the council room, so that was where Kaito headed once Hina had finished changing. The three of them proceeded through the castle's grand interior. The halls of Vyade's castle were crafted from stone. But they, too, were decorated with all manner of live ivy, flowers, and embroidered tapestries. Apparently, each member of the imperial family had their own unique insignia. All of the beast hides used to cover the windows were rolled up, allowing golden sunlight to stream in at a slant. Man, that's pretty... Wait, huh? Just then, Kaito realized that the jewel with Vlad's soul in it was rattling around in his pocket. Kaito reflexively went pale. Now that he thought about it, he'd forgotten to toss his upper garments far off to the side the previous night. And ever since he'd first run mana through the jewel, Vlad had been able to perceive its surroundings. Man, he, uh, he's gonna be all up in my business, isn't he...? As Kaito squeezed his forehead, he and Hina continued following after Lute. The breakfast menu consisted of thin, flat bread, a soft cheese spread, and a chicken-vegetable stew. None of them had a particularly strong flavor, but salt and other spices had been prepared for them as well. Apparently, the palates of the beastfolk who lived near the demi-human border differed from those of the rest of their kind, and their cooking often featured a characteristic set of spices that reminded Kaito of the fried rice he'd once seen being doled out from a stand. Humans rarely cared for the exotic cuisine, though, so their meal had been prepared more in line with the mainland beastman customs. The dishes favored at the imperial court were rather involved, so those had been avoided as well. As far as Kaito was concerned, that was probably for the best. After taking his meal atop the council room table, Kaito finished eating. A lady-in-waiting made her appearance quickly, clearing away the dishes before promptly bringing out some tea. For a little while, Kaito and the others just waited. Before long, though, the doors opened again, and a number of unfamiliar soldiers strode in. Each of them was wearing a vermilion suit of armor made from leather, fangs, and scales. Many of them were carnivorous, but there were horned bucks and aged sheep among them as well. Although none of them said a word, all of them were giving off intimidating auras. They matter-of-factly assumed their seats, with their various subordinates standing around them. Lute's subordinates, whom Kaito and Hina recognized from the other day, were present as well. The spacious council room quickly grew packed with beastfolk. Once he'd made sure everyone was present, Lute stood up. He abruptly began discussing the incident that had taken place the other day. \"At long last, we were able to apprehend the perpetrator behind the massacres. However, as you should all be aware from the documents you received last night, whether or not it possesses a will of its own is debatable. We suspect it was manufactured by someone, which means we have no guarantee that only one exists. Consequently, we need to go back and decide on what routes our patrols\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Before that, isn't there something that needs to be said?\" The beastman, resembling a buck, spoke in a velvety voice, but his tone was cold. His eyes had a chilly, androgynous beauty to them, and he focused them directly on Kaito. His gaze was decidedly alien, and upon finding himself on the receiving end of it, Kaito unconsciously straightened out his posture. Beside the deerman, a large bearman gave a grave nod. \"Indeed. That human there is a contractor to a demon. The enemy of mankind, if I'm not mistaken.\" \"True, Sir Lute seems to have received orders behind closed doors to come to an agreement with him\u00e2\u20ac\u201dan act, I may add, none of us were consulted on.\" The mood in the chamber instantly grew restless. Lute's subordinates looked to be on the verge of saying something, but Lute raised a hand and calmly silenced them. Needle-sharp gazes turned toward Kaito, one after another. In the midst of all that, Kaito was utterly composed. He was the Kaiser's contractor. He'd long since stopped expecting warm welcomes. The tension in the room grew more and more severe. Then suddenly, a foxman soldier stood up. \"Yes, that's right! In other words, we all have something that need first be done!\" \"Aye!\" A number of voices rang out in agreement. One by one, the soldiers stood, each of them brimming with vigor. Hina immediately reached into her leather bag and grabbed the handle of her halberd. The entire situation rested on a needle's point. The soldiers were the first to break the tension as they grabbed their blades and drew them from their sheaths. Steel tips pointed toward the sky. Holding their swords reverently with both hands, the brawny soldiers knelt in unison. Their subordinates followed their lead. Lute gave a relaxed smile, as though to say he'd seen this coming. Kaito and Hina blinked rapidly. The deerman's sonorous voice rang out through the room. \"We are a people who prize obligations, strength, and above all else, results. And on top of that, Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast acknowledged you and welcomed you into our lands. Her words are the words of the Forest King. Sir Kaito, all of us would like to extend our thanks to you for your efforts.\" \"Wh...\" Kaito felt as though he'd been struck by lightning. The way the beastfolk had reacted had been completely outside his expectations. The moment he'd left Elisabeth's side, he'd braced himself for countless days of hardship. Even with his beloved bride, Hina, by his side, choosing to become the enemy of mankind required a great deal of resolve. Kaito had expected to spend the rest of his life reviled, scorned, and hunted. He had been prepared for that, and yet now, he was receiving heartfelt thanks. Then his thoughts turned to Izabella. Back at the plaza in the Capital, he'd been able to confirm she'd made it out okay. Although they weren't on great terms at the moment, she hadn't hesitated to take his hand, the hand of a contractor, back when he'd offered it to her."}, {"text": "Ever since I made my contract with the Kaiser, it's just been one surprise after another. As Kaito pondered his unexpected good fortune, another emotion welled up within him as well. And I never thought I'd be able to be of so much help to someone. Kaito Sena had once been cast aside like garbage atop a tatami floor. His life had been worth less than a worm's. In fact, his life had had no meaning to it whatsoever. But now, things were different. Even though he'd become the enemy of mankind, he'd been able to help someone, and he'd been able to forge a path for himself without going against any of his beliefs. It was the first thing he could feel truly proud of since he'd come to this world. Kaito returned the soldiers' gazes proudly. A grizzly-bearman spoke. \"From here on out, we ask that you continue lending us your aid.\" \"Yeah, of course. I'm not gonna let this killer off the hook. Please, let me do whatever I can to help.\" Kaito responded, and the beastfolk nodded. They then stood up in perfect unison and resheathed their swords. Kaito turned to Lute, who gave him a strong nod. It was unclear who went first, but the two of them extended their hands toward each other. The beast and human hands overlapped as the demon's contractor and beastman swore to fight as one. Then Lute collapsed. Blood spurted up into the air, and the Kaiser laughed. \"...Huh?\" Kaito's eyes went wide. He hadn't done anything. What was going on? Even with his abilities as a demon's contractor, he found himself wholly unable to comprehend the situation. To make matters worse, the tragedy didn't end there. Blood sprayed across the round table like flower petals dancing in the air. One after another, the strong soldiers toppled to the ground, unable to so much as react. \"M-Master Kaito!\" This time, Hina pulled her halberd out in earnest. Then she assumed a position in front of Kaito. As she did, Kaito caught a faint glance of steel flashing toward the edge of his vision. Their enemy wasn't in front of them. Shocked as he was, an instinctual hunch drove him to turn around. One thought passed through Kaito's mind. \u00e2\u20ac\u201dA flower had just arrived. Before Kaito stood a young girl, alone. Not hesitating in the slightest, she strode brazenly in through the open door. The room's calm, disciplined atmosphere had been shattered, and it had now descended into chaos. Seeing the girl's figure standing among it, Kaito found himself taken aback. After all, her appearance was hardly befitting the culprit who'd brought about this mayhem. She looked to be in her early teens, but her attire hardly fit her age, given how provocative it was. It was probably intended as a pure-white bondage dress, but its cloth barely covered any skin at all. The leather belts she wore strapped in a cross shape across her pale, naked chest only barely covered the risqu\u00c3\u00a9 bits, to the point where it called into question whether or not they could even be called clothes. But she made up for it in accoutrements. In particular, the metal bits adorning her waist and wrists caused her to give off a somewhat mechanical impression. At the same time, though, her honey-colored hair and rosy eyes provided her figure with brilliant, showy garnishes. She looked like a flower, or a queen, or some kind of adorable doll. And by her feet, she was accompanied by a number of metal monsters. One of them was a beast made of nothing but fangs. Another was an automaton, shaped like a human except for its fatally warped frame. One of the other monsters was a lizard with limbs made from pipes and wings of glass. And the final one was a bipedal suit of armor with no visible seams anywhere on its body. They were the ones responsible for slicing up and striking down the beastfolk. Each one looked different from the last, yet when taken together, they had a strange sense of uniformity to them. Instinctively, Kaito let out a pained murmur. \"...Deus Ex Machina.\" These things were of the same class as that machine. And there could be no doubt that the golden girl was their master. The way she carried herself made it seem almost like she was their queen. That, or perhaps their ringmaster or puppeteer. Speaking of puppets, though, the girl looked practically like a doll herself. She presented a showy and sweet exterior. Her expression, though, was as cold and frigid as ice. In a way, she seemed to lack humanity. Suddenly, her crystal-like, rose eyes flashed to the side. At long last, Kaito recalled the tragedy that had just occurred. Blood had sprayed all around the room, and the sound of moaning was echoed harshly. Hearing the moans, Kaito felt a vague sense of relief. They're still alive. He couldn't let any more attacks befall them. With that thought in mind, tension raced across Kaito's whole body. But the girl didn't spare so much as another glance at the suffering beastfolk. After looking at Hina for a brief moment, she turned her gaze on Kaito. When she finally opened her mouth to speak, her movements were so stiff that she herself seemed like an automaton. \"O Sinless Soul, who bears the name of Kaiser. From this day forth, act as my loyal servant.\" Kaito felt as though someone had struck him in the side of the head. The girl's words were practically the same as hers. At the same time, he finally realized something. The girl resembled the Torture Princess. The unique, unparalleled sinner. Then, after making it seem as though everything leading up to that moment had been a mere farce, after having made all their efforts for naught, after throwing everything into chaos in an instant, the girl gave her name. \"I am the Torture Princess Jeanne de Rais. I am the oppressor of slaves, the savior of this world, the saint, and the whore.\" 5 Doubting the World The entire region was surrounded by a towering wall. Not a single soul dwelled within. After a banquet of torture that had lasted three days and three nights, they'd all died. A decade or two before that fate had befallen the town, its lord's sole daughter had been born. Her name had been Elisabeth. She was a beautiful, lovely girl, born to the blessings of God and man alike. But tragically, her body had been frail, and the hope of a long life was denied to her at birth. Even so, not once did she ever begrudge or resent others for living their lives to the fullest. She merely endured her constant pain, all by herself. After living a life of suffering and scrabbling to stay alive, she should have died, and the many who held her dear were supposed to have wept for her. However, that simple, tragic destiny of hers was perverted. One day, Elisabeth underwent a change. She tortured her populace, descending on the castle town like a ravenous wolf. Maiming and slaughtering her people, Elisabeth swallowed up their pain like a hideous sow. Thus, the town\u00e2\u20ac\u201dserving as a plate for the gruesome feast\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas picked clean. The Church feared that the massive number of corpses would bring about a plague, with small animals as its carriers. Ultimately, they decided to seal the gates and set the town ablaze. Ever since, the town and the huge wall surrounding it had served as a graveyard. A town had died, and the Torture Princess had been born. It was like a cruel, twisted fairy tale. And yet at the same time, it was the bitter truth. As proof of that, Elisabeth was currently visiting that place. \"I brought this about, and I've long since grown accustomed to such sights. Still, though, 'tis dreadful.\" The scene spread out before her was a hellscape, the likes of which were generally seen only in religious artwork. The town was black and charred, with a number of torture devices strewn about it. Human skeletons decorated the town as well, most of them impaled, strung up, or bound. Ash and mud were piled up high along its roads. Setting her feet upon them, Elisabeth strode forward. At the end of her path lay a chalky-white castle towering above the town. It was almost eerie how its splendor had been preserved amid the ruins. The sky was gloomy and overcast, and the air should have been chilly. However, it carried an unpleasant warmth instead. The rancid wind brushed at Elisabeth's black hair as it carried screams to her ears. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth, cruel, hideous Elisabeth! A curse upon you, a curse upon you, a curse, a curse, an eternal curse upon you, Elisabeth! The silent screams echoed throughout the town, but Elisabeth's expression showed no signs of changing as she advanced forward. As she walked, she passed by the skeleton of a baby who'd had all its limbs shattered and a woman's skull that had comically tumbled to the side. Eventually, her heels clicked as she came to a stop. \"Here it is, I believe.\" In front of her was the main thoroughfare leading up to the castle. Compared with the rest of the ruins, it had more or less retained its original form. The road was designed to be wide enough for carriage traffic and had been crafted out of carefully laid bricks. Half-melted metal billboards decorated its sides, along with the still-intact frames of houses and shops. But due to the fight between Elisabeth and a certain necromancer, the entire area had been reduced to the remains of a battlefield. Bones were scattered all over the ground, and many of the buildings had been brutally knocked down. The brick road was stripped bare as well, and gruesome scars littered the earth. In the midst of all that, there was an area where the soil was piled unnaturally high. A wooden plank stood up from within the mound of dirt. It was a grave. On top of the plank sat a soiled hat. Elisabeth was surprised; she'd half expected it to have been blown away by the wind already. The white lilies that had once decorated its wide brim were, of course, no more. Faintly narrowing her eyes, Elisabeth murmured. \"...Marianne.\" That name was dear to Elisabeth, but disagreeable as well. Marianne had been Elisabeth's tutor when she was young. Due to her guilt over Elisabeth's murderous deeds, Marianne had gone mad, eventually falling into Vlad's hands and becoming a necromancer. The grave had not been Elisabeth's doing. That had been the handiwork of the man who'd finished Marianne off after she'd become a demon's pawn: Kaito Sena. After burying his father\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor rather, the doll that his father's soul had inhabited\u00e2\u20ac\u201din the rear garden, Kaito had mentioned he wanted to give Marianne a burial as well. At first, Elisabeth had flatly rejected the notion. But Kaito had been obstinate, and Elisabeth had finally acquiesced to giving him transportation, and nothing more. Bringing back Marianne's body would have been in defiance of both her wishes and Elisabeth's, so Kaito built the grave on-site. However, the entire town was fraught with death. Countless corpses littered its streets, not a single one of which had received anything resembling a funeral. Choosing to bury just one of them was a comical act of self-satisfaction. Elisabeth had shown no mercy in pointing that fact out to Kaito. However, he nodded, already well aware of that fact. \"I'm the one who killed her. This is my problem, not anyone else's,\" he'd said. In a sense, the grave served as a monument to Kaito's stubbornness as much as anything else. Up until then, Elisabeth had never once felt the urge to visit it. She didn't make it a habit to think back on the people she'd killed. Nor did she pay heed to"}, {"text": "the entrails she walked over, nor the blood staining the ground in her wake. But now that all fourteen demons had been vanquished, things were different. Now, she had something she felt she needed to say to the woman beneath the grave. \"Forgive me, Marianne, for I have lied.\" Her words, and the apology they carried, came from the heart. Clenching her fists, Elisabeth turned to look behind her. Her gaze was silent as she cast it over the ash-ridden town of death. \"Forgive me, you all. I said I intended to follow you all shortly. But it seems I cannot go yet. Please, wait for me.\" No voices rose up to reply. The wind simply carried the same resentment as always. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth, cruel, hideous Elisabeth! A curse upon you, a curse upon you, a curse, a curse, an eternal curse upon you, Elisabeth! Elisabeth responded with a gentle smile. Then she repeated the same words she'd once said, words that now amounted to little more than a soliloquy. \"I had no right to take the light of a single person in this world. Every person I killed led a vigorous life, a life they had every right to carry out as they pleased. They were innocent, and I murdered them. I killed you all cruelly, gruesomely, mercilessly, and unreasonably. And I've no intention of escaping on my own. I need put down but one more...or stop him, and that shall be the end.\" Her final words, and her final words alone, had a certain frailty to them. Turning her head up toward the ashen sky, Elisabeth closed her eyes. Beneath her eyelids, the scene leading up to Marianne's death played back. Clad in her mourning dress, her tutor hadn't directed a shred of hatred her way. Her eyes had been full of kindness, like those of an adult talking to a willful child. \"I loved you from the bottom of my heart, young miss. Even now, I adore you just as much as I did when you were a child.\" Then, with a deep, harsh sadness in her voice, she'd laid out the truth. \"Once you've killed me, I imagine there will be nobody left in this world who truly loves you.\" \"Yes, I had no one. I was...supposed to have no one...\" \"I like her a whole lot.\" \"For that person's sake, I could do or become anything.\" \"To say such a thing of a woman who partook of a demon's flesh and became the Torture Princess... What a complete and utter fool.\" As she shook her head in exasperation, Elisabeth went quiet. Then she turned back toward the grave. She was on the verge of saying something, but then suddenly, her face froze. She'd suddenly been assailed by a deep sense of discomfort. It felt like a needle, piercing its way into her brain. \"Wait. Just a moment. Just now, that...\" Feeling a shock run through her head, Elisabeth pressed down on her forehead. She looked back over the scene before her. There was nothing strange about it, nothing out of place. There was nothing in particular about Marianne's grave that could have set off such a reaction. Yet for some reason, the discomfort refused to fade. What, then? What could it have been that I found so unsettling? As she racked her brain, she found herself thinking back on a certain memory. She'd been very young, and she'd thrown her quill pen on the ground. She'd been sulking at a lesson that hadn't made sense to her, but Marianne scolded her, kindly yet firmly. \"If you think about it carefully, young miss, it will all make sense,\" she'd murmured. Then she'd smiled. \"Let's go over it one more time, now, shall we?\" \"Go over my last words...one more time.\" To say such a thing of a woman who partook of a demon's flesh and became the Torture Princess. Elisabeth opened her eyes wide in shock. Now that she thought about it, it was obvious beyond belief. But back when she'd been hunting the fourteen demons, she hadn't had a spare moment to think about such things. But now, she'd realized. Therein lay a fundamental contradiction. \"I partook of a demon's flesh.\" In and of itself, there was nothing strange about that fact. After all, Vlad and his compatriots had already summoned demons at that point. But just like her, Vlad Le Fanu was no mere human. He'd been the first of the fourteen to summon a demon, successfully forming a contract with the Kaiser, the strongest demon mankind could call forth. Kaito had received Vlad's help as an intermediary, but doing something like that alone was a feat no ordinary mage could pull off. Compared with the Torture Princess, who'd butchered the entire populace of her fiefdom, Vlad's power was surely inferior. But he himself must have eaten a demon's flesh before making Elisabeth do the same and trying to mold her into his successor. By eating a demon's flesh, Vlad Le Fanu gained the power to summon a demon. \"Wait.\" It was contradictory. It was wildly, overwhelmingly contradictory. \"Where did the first demon's flesh come from?\" \"As you haven't replied yet, I will ask you again. From now on, serve me.\" \"Hard pass.\" Jeanne, the new girl who'd introduced herself as a Torture Princess, gave Kaito a forceful invitation, and his response was swift. The situation had taken an abrupt turn. The calmness of the room had been shattered, along with all their plans. The beastfolk who'd promised to fight with Kaito as allies were all collapsed on the floor. And for some reason, the perpetrator, a girl he'd never seen before, was ordering him to become her servant. Confused as he was, his response was as sure as it had been the last time something similar had happened. An image of the brutally slaughtered, strung-up corpses flashed through his mind. And the people who'd been kind enough to believe in him were currently lying on the ground and bleeding out. Given those two facts, refusing was the only sensible option. He was concerned her mood would sour, but for some reason, Jeanne nodded instead. But unlike Elisabeth, who'd reacted with amusement, Jeanne merely spoke unconcernedly in her barely human voice. \"Your response was rather quick, mister. While your response itself fell within expected parameters, its speed was quite unexpected. What a strange sensation\u00e2\u20ac\u201ddisappointing, and yet, at the same time, not. All is well, though. I have my conjectures, but would you mind elaborating on your reasoning?\" \"First of all, I already serve the Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu. Second, given that you committed all those murders, and you did this, you're undoubtedly my enemy.\" \"I suspect there is a third.\" Jeanne prompted him to continue. After taking a deep breath, Kaito spat out his answer with all the antagonism he could muster. \"My third reason's that you make me straight-up sick.\" \"I see. How illogical.\" Jeanne gave a light nod. Then she blinked a few times, her rose-colored eyes flashing as she did. Finally, she contorted her lips into what was likely meant to be a smile. \"As for your first reason, mister, I believe you've already parted ways with the Torture Princess, have you not?\" \"Yeah, true. But even so, I can't serve anyone else. She's the one who called me, and she's the one I serve. I swore to stay by her side till the end, so even if we're separated, she's still my master.\" \"I see, a decision based exclusively on psychological principles. It's no wonder I find it impossible to comprehend. After all, I've long since been deemed 'heartless.' As for the rest of your reasons, it would take too long for me to explain in my own words, so forgive me for borrowing the parlance of you lost sheep, but\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey're fuckin' horseshit.\" Kaito unconsciously stared at her, befuddled. Her features and expression were like those of a delicately crafted doll, just like always. Kaito found it hard to believe he'd heard the words he just had come out of her rigid-looking lips. But she went on much in the same way. \"Man, quit lining up one pointless-ass reason after the other, ya little shit. Why don'cha take a look around you and think about how outclassed you are before you go running your damn mouth. You should either crawl back into your cradle and start over, or go dig yourself a grave and lie in it. As I said, pardon me.\" \"Wh...what's her deal, exactly?\" \"I'd guess the people she used as reference for her 'parlance of the commons' had rather foul mouths. While it's a nonsensical method of finding common ground, it's hardly unheard of among preeminent mages.\" A clear, deep voice resounded. Normally, only Kaito could hear it, but at the moment, it was emanating from beside him. Just like he did when he talked to Vlad or Elisabeth, the Kaiser was currently projecting his voice such that he could be heard by all present. Disconcerted, Kaito looked to his side. At some point, black strands had started knitting themselves together in empty space. Sleek and obsidian, they began as supple muscles in the air. Then fine black fur sprouted atop them. Choosing this time to assume a form twice the size of an ordinary dog, the supreme hound finished materializing. As he shook his whole body, he let out a humanlike laugh. \"Vlad and Elisabeth were fond of idle banter, you see. Those two should be taken as exceptions, not as any sort of standard.\" \"Kaiser? You came out on your own? What, are things really that serious?\" \"Ha. At this rate, you're liable to carelessly get yourself killed. Take care, unworthy master of mine. You'll find out quick enough if you inspect her mana and compare it to yours, but that girl is far, far superior.\" \"Oh, a doggy?\" Jeanne tilted her head to the side, her choice of words almost eerily childish. She was silent for a few seconds, like a machine that had been shut off. After a moment, though, she clapped her fist against her palm. \"I've parsed the applicable data. I see, you're the Kaiser! Y'know, this is all you guys' fault, you puke-smellin' pig humpers, or so I'd like to reprimand you, but for now, I bid you a fine hello. You look just like the books said you would.\" \"Heh, your courtesy is lacking, but at least you're polite enough to manage a half-decent greeting. The surprise is all mine\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI'd hardly expected to see a Deus Ex Machina user in this day and age.\" \"Oh my, mister. It's a bit of a buzzkill that even you didn't expect it.\" The girl and the hound engaged in a conversation, one that seemed frankly amiable. As they did, Kaito trembled. He'd done as the Kaiser suggested and checked Jeanne's mana supply. This...this is some sick joke, right? He hadn't noticed it due to the chaos and confusion, but the amount of mana the girl had in stock was leagues beyond your average person. She was practically a match for Elisabeth. And unlike the roselike, sinister sharpness to Elisabeth's mana, Jeanne's was sumptuous and cold. She gave off the twisted impression of an artificial flower, one that ate people alive. Kaito knew instantly that he was no match for her. But I gotta do something about her, or I can't save Lute and the others. He could still hear them groaning. As far as he could tell, none of their wounds were fatal, but that might change if they didn't get help soon. Beginning to lose his cool, Kaito asked the Kaiser a question while looking for an opening. \"Hey, Kaiser, what's Deus Ex Machina?\" \"Hmm? It's an entity, one that requires a particular summoning rite to call forth.\" \"A summoning rite?\" Upon hearing the unexpected phrase, Kaito narrowed his eyes. When he heard \"summoning rite,\" his mind immediately"}, {"text": "jumped to the birdlike creatures La Mules had summoned. But those things hadn't looked anything like Deus Ex Machina. Paying Kaito's confusion little heed, the Kaiser nodded in assent. \"Elisabeth can summon torture devices without limit, can she not? What she does is use her own mana as a catalyst to drag formless, nameless, worthless masses of mana down from higher dimensions and temporarily mold them into the forms that best suit her purposes. Summoning beasts is similar. But whether one can do that or not, whether one is able to take formless things and mold them into shapes suited for battle, depends heavily on one's nature. 'Deux Ex Machina' refers to the entity summoned when one uses a particular summoning rite that a mad sorcerer developed to subvert that restriction.\" The Kaiser swung his sleek black tail toward the horrible machines. It was true; when you looked at them all lined up, they were clearly designed with only combat in mind. \"Deus Ex Machina is a weapon, designed so one can use it regardless of their nature or disposition. In order to continually materialize it, though, requires colossal amounts of mana. Using it at all is liable to kill the user. That lout Vlad was thinking of summoning it, but upon looking at its particulars, he deemed it a 'hassle to maintain' and abandoned the notion. However, it seems that lass there has mastered it, and with a mere human body.\" \"It seems I'm being complimented, but we still haven't shown you our true power. It's true that the one you sealed in ice was part of Deus Ex Machina, mister, but it was nothing more than a foot soldier I made from the spare parts that these children gathered up for me. It certainly wasn't one of the main units.\" Upon hearing what she had to say, Kaito shuddered. If that was the case, then just how strong were the main units anyways? After all, those were the ones Jeanne was casually surrounded by. The Kaiser pointed his long tail at her. Then, as he murmured, he laughed at the girl who'd introduced herself as a new Torture Princess. \"Surely, I can think of no explanation besides her having eaten a demon's flesh.\" \"Wait, what?\" The Kaiser had suddenly dropped a new piece of information on him, one that was wholly unthinkable. Kaito was aghast. Did that mean the girl in front of him was just like Elisabeth, a person truly worthy of the title of Torture Princess? There was no way that could be possible. At the same time, he felt a degree of satisfaction at having resolved the contradiction between his conjectures and the Kaiser's proclamation. Just like the torture devices Elisabeth summoned, Deus Ex Machina itself was wholly unrelated to demons. That said, though, its master had obtained her power by consuming a demon's flesh. So in other words, the massacres had both nothing to do with demons and everything to...do...? It was at that moment that Kaito arrived at a new, horrifying question. Supposedly, Jeanne had eaten a demon's flesh. It was unclear when that had happened, but it didn't appear as though any of the fourteen contractors had known of her existence. Hypothetically speaking, if one of them had reached out to her and offered her the meat in order to form a collaborative relationship with her, they would surely have called upon her aid before being killed by Kaito and the others. But if that's the case, then which demon's flesh did she eat? Once more, Kaito trembled. \"On that note, shall we take our leave, mister?\" Jeanne's voice was as light as a small bird chirping. The hell do you mean, \"on that note\"?! But Kaito had no time to be baffled. The girl extended her hand to him, as though inviting him to dance. The chains dangling from her wrists made her look almost like a prisoner. Unclear as to what she meant, Kaito tilted his head to the side. Holding her halberd in one hand, Hina took a step forward. \"I believe Master Kaito already declined your nonsense.\" \"Oh my, oh my, oh my. Y'all still don't get it, do ya, dumb-asses.\" Jeanne spoke, her expression blank. Her chains rattled as she propped her index finger up on her lip. Then she went on, as though trying to explain something obvious to a child. \"Allow me to put it the way you would, mister. First of all, the lives of all the beastfolk here rest in my hands... Oh, how unfortunate. I suppose the 'first' point was all I had.\" It seemed like she truly found that fact unfortunate, as she cast her rosy eyes down. However, she soon got over it. She pointed one slender finger toward Lute. Kaito looked at him. As he kept pressure on his wounded flank, Lute met Kaito's gaze and shook his head. He was silently screaming at Kaito not to go with her. He hadn't even tried to ask Kaito for help. He seemed to be planning to oppose her on his own. Next, Kaito cast his gaze around the council room. Again and again, he received the same response. All the beastfolk had responded the same way. That was enough for him. \"Hina, put down your halberd... So where are you planning on taking us?\" Kaito placed a hand on Hina's shoulder. With a small nod, she lowered the tip of her weapon. As Kaito stepped forward to cover Hina, Jeanne responded matter-of-factly to his question. \"As things stand, not a single one of you stray sheep truly understands the situation we are in. But the world is in a state of crisis, and the situation grows more dire with every passing second. I intend to prove it to you with the most direct methods at my disposal. My reason for that is that fully explaining would take longer. You're the Kaiser's contractor, mister. And you're a valuable piece of bait for the Torture Princess, too. I will make you understand, whether you wish to or not. Now then, get your ass over here already.\" Silently, Kaito came to a realization. He and Jeanne were never going to be able to see eye to eye. I can't even begin to understand what she's going on about. The girl herself, however, seemed to think her duty to explain the situation wholly fulfilled. Still expressionless but with an oddly satisfied demeanor, Jeanne extended her hand to him a second time. Accompanied by Hina, he took a step forward. When he did, though, someone grabbed his leg. With a start, he looked down. The expression on Lute's face was desperate as he tried to stop Kaito. \"Sir...Kaito... You...mustn't go... That...girl...is mad...\" \"I'm sorry. I dunno what's going on at all, but it looks like I got you guys wrapped up in something terrible. If we leave with Jeanne, at least no civilians will get hurt. Once we're gone, shout for healers.\" \"But...what about...you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"I'm really sorry about this.\" Kaito found himself at a loss for what to say next. Lute's breathing was ragged. After glancing between his golden eyes and the brutal wound carved in his flank, Kaito decided to speak from the heart. \"I was really happy that you guys all believed in me. Thanks...and make sure you take good care of your wife.\" With those parting words, Kaito began walking again. Lute frantically scrabbled at Kaito's ankles, his sharp claws scraping at Kaito's black pant cuffs. But before long, Kaito advanced beyond his reach. As he strode forward, Lute scratched at the ground. But his body refused to move. No matter how hard Lute struggled, he couldn't follow. At the same time, he hadn't called for reinforcements. No shortage of powerful soldiers had already fallen. In order to avoid adding to the victim count, Lute chose to just see Kaito's departure through to the end. In spite of that, though, he couldn't keep himself from letting out a weak, rumbling moan from deep within him. \"Urooooough, urooooough, uraaaaaagh!\" Kaito took Jeanne's hand. When he did, she squeezed his hand tight. The gesture seemed almost innocent, and she gave a mechanical nod. At some point, the Kaiser had taken his place by Kaito's side. Then the Deus Ex Machinas moved to surround them. With bizarre movements, they began spinning around Kaito, Hina, the Kaiser, and Jeanne. Golden flower petals and white feathers began fluttering along beside them. The two dazzling hues seared the scene into the vision of all present. It was a magnificent, elegant spectacle, but at the same time, it had a certain coldness to it. Jeanne shouted from the eye of the vortex. \"Please, set your hearts at ease! Pleasant misters, rude misters, despicable misters, all of you! There is no need for any of you to mourn or lament!\" Then the Torture Princess Jeanne de Rais, the oppressor of slaves, the savior of the world, the saint, and the whore, made her sonorous declaration. \"All this is for the sake of salvation!\" The golden-white light vanished. And when it did, Kaito and Hina left the land of the beastfolk behind. Lute had been left behind, and his furious, frustrated howls echoed off the walls. In all honesty, Kaito was prepared for the possibility of death. The things Jeanne was doing and saying gave him no confidence in her sanity. And not only was he unable to tell what she was thinking, but he couldn't even figure out what her objective was. Based on the fact that she'd referred to him as \"a valuable piece of bait for the Torture Princess,\" he clearly held some value in her eyes, but past that, he was in the dark. Given all that, he wouldn't have been shocked to discover that their destination lay a mile up in the air or something. Hina and the Kaiser were quick on their feet, so he wasn't particularly worried about either of them. But he had little confidence that he himself would be able to make it out of such a situation in one piece. I've gotta be ready for whatever comes my way. With all that in mind, Kaito put up his guard. The golden petals and white light had melted together before his eyes and formed a firm cylinder, but before long, it shattered and collapsed like molten gold. It turned out that Kaito's fears had been partly unfounded, as their destination was on proper, solid ground. The spectacle before him, however, was bizarre enough to make up for that fact. \"...Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" Kaito had found himself standing in a small village wedged in the ravine between two precipitous mountain ranges. There were lines of tightly packed, slate-colored buildings flanking him on both sides, both of which seemed to practically cling to the narrow ground. Based on their appearance, the buildings looked to have been made exclusively from boulders quarried off the mountainsides. Each one probably weighed a considerable amount, but they'd been expanded so haphazardly that the pressure had caused them to warp. A few of the buildings had even caved in from the weight of their neighbors. All in all, they gave off a similar impression to cotton balls packed tightly into a snowdrift. In other words, the village was old, decrepit, and desolate. The gap between the mountains that the village sat in grew narrower the higher up one went. As a result, simply by standing in the middle of the town, Kaito felt as though something was oppressively looming over him. Furthermore, the whole place was starved of sunlight, and not even the wind could reach its streets. A single brush with illness could have spelled disaster for its entire populace. But while no standards would have deemed it fit for human habitation, the town's most peculiar aspect was unrelated to its layout. The honor belonged to the fact that human corpses sat crucified along the walls of each of the"}, {"text": "buildings. Their bones were countless and filling up the view for as far as the eye could see. Three descriptors immediately rushed to the forefront of his mind. Massacre. Sacrifice. And finally, torture. The crucified corpses had iron stakes running from their palms to their shoulders and from their feet to their thighs. They also looked rather old, as their flesh had long since rotted away. Because of that, the scars on their bones were visible, making it evident that the iron stakes weren't the only form of torture they'd suffered. The anguish they'd felt leading up to their deaths looked to have been fierce and protracted. Every single building in the town was decorated with corpses in that state. Kaito didn't feel the need to bother checking inside any structures to confirm his dreadful theory. Even if we went looking for survivors, I think the odds we'd find any are slim. In all likelihood, every single person in the village was dead. The mountain-cradled settlement was like a single giant coffin. On that note, a vague thought drifted through his mind. It reminds me of Elisabeth's...no, the Torture Princess's hometown. \"You know of a similar location, don't you, mister? She and I are both Torture Princesses, after all.\" Once more, Jeanne displayed her cheery expression as she spread her arms wide. The chains on her wrists rattled as she spun around, and her honey-blond hair glistened as it swayed. When she did so, the ornamented, exposed nature of her attire caused her to evoke the very image of a dancer. \"As you're well aware, birthing a Torture Princess requires the pain of a suitable number of sacrifices. Elisabeth killed her people and offered them up to herself. I was given offerings, and those were who I killed. Same difference, ya feel me?\" Kaito frowned. He had no idea what she meant. But even though he couldn't understand her, he could somehow make out what she was trying to say. This village was similar to Elisabeth's hometown in many ways. But there was one major difference between the two. There were no resentful voices here. Countless people had been tortured and killed here. Yet in spite of that, Kaito couldn't sense any malicious aura emanating from the gray settlement. The air filling the village was still and silent. \"Elisabeth killed her people and offered them up to herself\"... \"I was given offerings, and those were who I killed.\" Kaito turned Jeanne's words over in his head. \"Same difference.\" In other words, this village's inhabitants had willingly offered themselves up to the Torture Princess. But why? \"Call forth Vlad, boy. We're making no progress at this rate.\" The Kaiser growled, and Kaito turned to look at him. When their eyes met, the Kaiser scoffed. \"Twisted as you are, your form was originally that of a proper glass sphere. Don't be conceited enough to think you can converse with the likes of her. The best way to deal with a lunatic is to send a lunatic of our own.\" \"You have a point there. I can't even begin to tell what she's talking about.\" Nodding at the Kaiser's suggestion, Kaito fed mana to the stone in his pocket. Azure petals and black feathers swirled through the air. Their numbers were on the reserved side this time, but Vlad made his ever-extravagant appearance from within them regardless. He crossed his long legs in the air. His eyes were glittering with childlike curiosity. Without so much as a preface, he launched into his speech. \"How intriguing, to artificially construct a Torture Princess that way. I don't know who came up with the idea, but I certainly can't deny its creativity. I have to say, though, I find myself more interested in the creator than the creation... Just who was the beautiful madman who devised you?\" Vlad's head seemed to practically be in the clouds, the question he was posing having just about nothing to do with Kaito's. Still expressionless, Jeanne pointed toward one particularly misshapen building. The bones crucified against its warped walls were clad in gold adornments. \"Mm.\" \"Ah, martyring even himself, I see. How thorough. You've been entrusted with the rest, then, I take it. Which brings us to Elisabeth and Kaito Sena. You're trying to make them your servants.\" Upon hearing her infantile response, Vlad stroked his chin in understanding. Jeanne nodded back. Apparently, the two of them had been able to successfully establish communication. That said, Kaito still couldn't make heads or tails of it. He frantically called out to Vlad. \"Hey, Vlad, hold up a minute. What the hell were you able to get from that? As far as I'm concerned, it was all just more gibberish. What happened here? What's her goal? If you understand what's going on, man, you gotta lay it out for me.\" \"First, let me start with a fairy tale.\" \"Excuse me?\" It seemed even Vlad planned to talk in riddles. He'd always been odd, but Kaito was concerned that he'd finally broken. Across from him, Vlad took an elegant bow, like an actor giving a performance. \"Perhaps you've heard it, my dear successor? No, wait, you hail from another world. It would be odd if you had... Confound it. Now all my fun's been spoiled.\" \"I don't care what's spoiled. Just answer the question already.\" \"Long, long ago, a saint carrying God in her body remade the world, then vanished. Today's story takes place just afterward.\" Ignoring Kaito's complaints, Vlad carried on undeterred. His voice proud and velvety, he poetically spun his tale. \"Now, for some reason, a whole clan of pedigreed alchemists went missing. It's said this set back humanity's magical developments by over a century. Everyone and their mother went searching for them; even I myself spent some time trying to hunt them down. The likeliest location was held to be the stretch of land between the beastfolk's and the demi-humans' lands\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe two races share an amiable relationship, so surveillance at the border is lax. People suspected they'd taken up hiding in a blind spot between the two.\" \"So what?\" \"That is precisely where we're standing right now.\" Vlad's story had seemed unrelated, but everything suddenly fell into place. Flustered, Kaito cast a sweeping glance over the village among the mountains. It was true that the village was short on paths or other ways to get in and out. Describing it as hidden would be completely apropos. But if Vlad's story was true, then why had the alchemists chosen to shelter in this place? Waving his hands like a conductor, Vlad gestured at his surroundings as he continued his fairy tale. \"The alchemists hid themselves away here and spent many years searching for a method to work against a certain objective. In the end, they created a Torture Princess. The clan had bolstered their ranks through inbreeding, and they all gave themselves up as offerings to empower her.\" \"Why the hell would they\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"...In short, you're saying they needed martial power?\" Hina, who'd been standing beside Kaito on high alert, finally spoke. Vlad cast his gaze toward her, as though he'd only just registered her existence. He seemed altogether surprised. But then his mouth curled up into a gentle, refined smile. \"Good thinking. It would seem the rubbish I once tossed together has attained excellence. Your growth far exceeds my expectations; as a mage, I must say I find that rather delightful. Why, you seem downright human.\" \"Given that they were willing to go so far as to sacrifice themselves, I conjecture the opponent they were facing was not an enemy of theirs personally. After raising her as the Torture Princess, they entrusted her with fighting against 'something' that, while dreadful, they had no personal connection to. That is my hypothesis, as someone familiar with the power and fate of another Torture Princess, Lady Elisabeth. Would you agree, Master Kaito?\" Splendidly ignoring Vlad's rude remarks, Hina laid out her theory. Kaito glanced over toward Jeanne. He hadn't expected a response out of her, but she actually gave a small nod. In other words, Hina's hypothesis had been on the mark. As he considered that, he found himself plagued by a violent sense of dizziness. Every answer he got was raising new questions. In order to fight this \"thing,\" whatever it is, they made a Torture Princess? Man, sacrificing themselves must have taken a boatload of resolve and conviction. What in the world were they fighting against? Torturing themselves and feeding demon flesh to her would\u00e2\u20ac\u201dno, wait. Kaito quickly hit the brakes on his runaway train of thought. Then he gave voice to the question that had just bothered him. \"So which demon's flesh did she eat, exactly?\" \"Since you've already died once, mister, you should already have something of an idea even if you don't know the answer, right?\" Jeanne turned to Vlad and prompted him on. He nodded, having understood. Kaito instinctively fixed a stare on Vlad. Vlad then whispered to him, as though he were sharing some great secret. \"I suspect the flesh she consumed came from the same demon mine did, you see.\" If he had eaten the same flesh Jeanne had, then that meant... It's not the Kaiser's meat... No, wait, that's just totally wrong. \"That's...right...\" Finally, Kaito realized the contradiction therein. Vlad had been the Kaiser's contractor. In order to accomplish that, he'd somehow procured demon flesh. Kaito had never spared that much thought. But without getting help from someone, he would have needed to eat a demon's flesh in order to be able to summon the Kaiser. And anyway, there's no way the proud Kaiser would ever allow anyone to consume his flesh. After gathering up enough pain to preserve his own life, Vlad had chosen to take on a mentorship role and had stopped accumulating strength. As a consequence of that, he'd been beaten by the Torture Princess. But even so, Vlad was no mere human. He'd fed a demon's flesh to Elisabeth, his successor, and he'd no doubt partaken of demon flesh himself. If that were the case, though, then which demon's flesh had he consumed? Vlad gave a hearty laugh, and his expression contorted into one of pure evil, a sight Kaito hadn't seen in quite some time. The man whose very existence seemed demonic went on in a honeyed murmur. \"When I was searching for a way to summon a demon, I arrived at the most efficient way to attain the power I desired. And after negotiating with the individual who brought me that information, I received a demon's flesh from him as well.\" \"Who was that?\" Kaito's response was near-automatic. A glimmer of bloodlust flashed across his eyes. Just like Vlad, that guy's responsible for the fourteen demons terrorizing the world. And if not for him, the Torture Princess wouldn't have had to fight... Well, I guess in that case, her illness would have killed her, but still. Still! Vlad's real body got burned at the stake, but what about that guy? Is he still alive? If whoever it was was still in good health, Kaito had an idea of how to proceed. As Vlad watched Kaito's fierce reaction, his smile grew broader and broader. But in the next moment, he gave a theatrical shrug. Then he shook his head, as though disappointed. \"Oh goodness, to think it had still escaped your notice. Why, I doubt you so much as suspected a thing! Quite frankly, I'm astonished! I can't say I was much help on that front, but still. For you to be this dull...\" \"Quit playing around and spit it out already. What was it I didn't suspect?\" Kaito had recoiled upon hearing Vlad's wording. He'd been implying the mystery individual was someone Kaito knew. But even counting both his lives together, the number of people Kaito knew was hardly vast. He frantically racked his brain. Who could it be? Who do I know that...? *** \"...Hina?\" Hina reacted,"}, {"text": "having thought of the party in question quicker than Kaito. He looked at her, silently asking her what answer she'd arrived at. But he couldn't bring himself to ask. Her face had gone terribly pale. \"It can't be,\" she silently mouthed. \"Oh, but it can,\" said Vlad's smile. \"The Butcher told you himself, did he not? He deals in meats, no matter what kind of meats they may be.\" 6 Boulders Fall and Curtains Rise The crimson cylinder collapsed to the ground as drops of blood. Then they faded, leaving Elisabeth standing silently behind in the underground chambers beneath her castle. She'd used her teleportation circle and returned from her hometown. The passages beneath her castle smelled of mold, and an indistinct moaning sound echoed within their walls. Elisabeth strode through the halls, making her way toward her bedroom. She maintained her brisk pace as she passed the ominous designs that were cast in the light streaming through the castle's colored windows. As she walked, she found her brow furrowing. The air smelled of smoke, and it carried with it the fragrant aroma of meat cooking. As she expected, the smell grew stronger the closer she got to her destination. With a displeased look on her face, she yanked open the door to her bedroom. Inside, she discovered that the disaster within was as much as it had been when she'd left. In fact, it had even grown worse. A fire was blazing atop her floor. It was a mystery where he'd gotten the kindling from, but the Butcher had rebuilt his bonfire, and the tripods surrounding it were far sturdier than the ones he'd been using before. A skewered slab of meat hung atop the flame from an iron rod. As far as Elisabeth could tell, the meat seemed more or less respectable. As he rotated the rod, the Butcher was once more lavishly seasoning the meat. Then he noticed Elisabeth's presence. \"Aha, welcome back, Madam Elisabeth! Hark and be gladdened! For dinner, your Butcher has oh-so-thoughtfully prepared you a basilisk roast!\" \"...I see.\" Elisabeth's response was uncharacteristically blunt, and her tone was oddly cheerful. No sooner had she taken a step toward the bed than she flopped forward into it. She buried her face in her downy pillow. Then, shoving aside a stray wine bottle, she closed her eyes. While adjusting the flame's heat, the Butcher tilted his head to the side. \"Puberty is a trying time, I suppose,\" he murmured quietly to himself. The crackling of the flame filled the room. From time to time, beads of fat would drip off the meat and sizzle in the fire. For a time, the two of them were silent. Eventually, though, Elisabeth mumbled a few words. \"Oy, Butcher. About that time you first came to this castle.\" \"Ah, that takes me back! I found myself wondering, however did you manage your shopping before I came along? Goodness gracious, Madam Torture Princess, I imagine that must have been quite the ordeal.\" \"Aye, quite so. 'It's a good thing you found the one butcher willing to come all this way to such a remote locale,' you once said to me. I found myself in hearty agreement.\" \"Oh, very much so, very much so. Ha-ha, I imagine I really am the only one who'd come to a place such as this.\" The Butcher proudly puffed up his chest as he happily waxed nostalgic about the past. As he vigorously rotated the tripod-supported rod, dribbles of fat continued splashing against the flames. Elisabeth's tone lowered as she posed him her next question. \"A question, then. Why did you decide, out of the blue, to come peddling your wares here?\" \"Hmm? Well, I do pride myself on customer acquisition. I'm the model merchant, if I do say so myself.\" \"You showed no fear, not even when dealing with the Torture Princess. A sinner without peer. Much to the contrary, you treated me as though I'd been a patron of yours for years. And even today, you behave much the same. Demons are constantly involved in my affairs, yet you show not the slightest inkling of fear. Why, you seem all but accustomed to them.\" \"Well, you know, I've always been a rather plucky man...plucky demi-man?\" \"Tell me, Butcher. Have you, by any chance, ever had dealings with Vlad?\" The moment her words came out, the Butcher went silent. For a moment, an unnatural silence filled the room. The flames crackled, and the fat dripped. Then, in a terrifyingly dispassionate voice, Elisabeth resumed the conversation. \"That was the reason you came peddling to the Torture Princess's castle so unfalteringly. You'd known that Vlad had been captured, and you knew what was sure to follow.\" The Butcher gave no answer. Eventually, though, he let out a hollow laugh. \"Hmm, well, I racked my brains with all my might, but you see, I have oh-so-many customers. Remembering the names of each and every person I've done business with, well, now, that's just a little...\" \"What did you sell him?\" Elisabeth cut the Butcher's reply short and got right to the heart of the matter. The Butcher went silent again. The only sound was that of the bonfire's crackling. The Butcher deliberately turned the rod. When the meat had finally been fully cooked, he cracked pepper over it to deepen the flavor. Satisfied with the result, he turned back toward Elisabeth. Then, from within the abyssal darkness of his hood, he peered at her. \"...Whatever might you be talking about?\" As always, his expression was concealed. But Elisabeth instinctively knew. The Butcher was wearing a twisted smile. \"Spiked Hare!\" As Elisabeth yelled, crimson flower petals and black feathers swirled up into the air. A wooden roller filled with iron nails materialized, then began rolling toward the Butcher to crush him. His response came quickly. With the same graceful movements he'd displayed countless times before, he evaded the torture device. The bonfire was scattered. The fire went out, and the meat was crushed. All his efforts had gone to waste. Despite that, though, the Butcher still smiled. An unfathomable grin still lurked beneath the deep darkness of his hood. \"Wait, hold up a second. The Butcher? There's no way; he's just your plain old demi-human merchant!\" The shout practically ripped itself from Kaito's mouth. In his mind, he could visualize the Butcher's familiar hooded likeness hopping up and down in protest. But Vlad merely replied to Kaito's objections with a shrug. \"An honest assessment from an honest man, my dear successor. Come now; the mere fact that he went peddling his wares at the Torture Princess's castle should have been more than enough proof of his irregularity. The Kaiser made a fine point, you know. If you don't do something about that earnest nature of yours, you're liable to get yourself killed one of these days. Take this as a lesson.\" An unpleasant grin spread across Vlad's face once more. He stroked his cheeks with his white-gloved fingers. \"After all, in this world where demons dwell, those deserving of trust are few and far between.\" As he stood in the center of that unfamiliar town, Kaito felt a deep dizziness come over him. It felt like the faces of the corpses surrounding him were curled into mocking sneers. He pressed down lightly on his forehead, trying to calm down. Everything that had happened up until then flashed back through his mind. He has a point\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Butcher's way too strong to be any ordinary merchant. The Butcher's past was shrouded in mystery, and he seemed borderline fearless. And on top of that, he even kept a dragon as a mount. Kaito and Elisabeth had often found themselves pondering what his true nature was. But no matter how many of his peculiarities they uncovered, it had somehow felt like they were all in character for him. Furthermore, the Butcher had helped Kaito out on a number of occasions in the past, each time with the same distinctively upbeat manner. But still, he's right about what the Butcher told me. \"I can procure any meat you desire, so long as it is 'meat.' I await your instruction.\" Did that include demon meat, too? Kaito felt almost as though the ground beneath his feet was crumbling. What secrets were lurking behind the surface of all those desperate battles I fought? Ever since the new Torture Princess had shown up, everything had gone off the rails. It was like the very stage they were standing on had started crumbling beneath his feet. Kaito still couldn't make out what lurked in the abyss beneath it. He didn't even know if it was something that mortals were meant to see. \"Well then, let me repeat myself once more. Act as my loyal servant, Kaito Sena. All this is for the sake of salvation.\" What the hell do you mean, \"well then\"?! The situation was chaos, and Kaito gave an internal scream out of frustration. He turned his hollow gaze toward Jeanne. The golden Torture Princess had appeared out of nowhere, then proudly proclaimed herself a saint and a whore. Then she'd gone on and on about \"salvation\" this and \"salvation\" that. How noble. The young girl, a saint, was going to save the world. At that thought, Kaito found himself filled with a seething sense of irritation and doubt. What was \"salvation\" anyway? Why did the world even need to be saved? \"What does me serving you have to do with salvation? All fourteen demons are dead. Elisabeth Le Fanu sacrificed everything to defeat them! The threat to humanity is over. Why'd they send you out into the world so late? What the hell were you created to fight?!\" \"It ain't over for shit. Things are just getting started, you stupid little Hanged Man.\" His question had been heartfelt, but the reply he'd received was full of scorn. Kaito's eyes went wide. But his fierce irritation had the opposite effect as one would expect on his emotions and caused their heightened state to subside. He placed his rebuttal on hold, then patiently waited for Jeanne to finish explaining. The chains on her wrists rattled as she raised her index finger. Then she pressed it against her lips, as though she were sharing some great secret with him. \"The curtain has only just begun to rise. In fact, it was the two of you Lovers who set it off.\" Kaito and Elisabeth weren't in any romantic relationship to speak of. But as Jeanne spread her arms wide, that was what she'd likened them to. Her face still expressionless, she gave a single spin, as though trying to wrap the entire world in her embrace. Then, in the town assailed by death, Jeanne made a bold proclamation. \"The fourteen chess pieces were successfully destroyed, but the board has become severely cracked. What did a certain group think when they saw those tainted wounds? What did they wish for, and what did they begin plotting? The problem lies therein.\" As always, it was difficult to tell what Jeanne was talking about. But with the bearing of a great prophet, she went on. \"If things continue as they are, the world will perish 'just as planned.'\" Smiling as she made her declaration, Jeanne opened her mouth to continue speaking. For once, it looked like she was going to elaborate on her explanation. But suddenly, she stopped and snapped her fingers instead. Snap! \u00e2\u20ac\u201dGrrr? The beast made completely of fangs reared its head from within Deus Ex Machina. Jeanne spoke softly, as though she were sending her own child out into the world. \"Go on now, Bandersnatch. Duty calls.\" The moment she did, the beast took off at a dash. The stone ground cracked in its wake. As the beast sprinted, it damaged everything it came in contact with. The fangs comprising its skin, muscle, and bone undulated. Bandersnatch was both an individual and a collective, and it glistened with a"}, {"text": "sinister shade of silver. It looked almost like a school of small fish swimming together in the shape of a monster. Then it kicked off against a wall and pulverized the bones affixed to the surface as it leaped high into the air. A figure began to emerge from behind the building, and Bandersnatch sank its fangs into it. There was a hard, crunching sound. The initial blow had been stopped by a metal arm\u00e2\u20ac\u201dits foe was wearing silver armor. But the beast's face collapsed, and its fangs began whirling freely. One by one, it drove them into the armor's joints. A dull scream echoed through the air. Blood gushed forth and trickled onto the cobbled ground. As the armored figure reeled back, the lily crest on their chest came into view. Upon seeing their foe's attire, Kaito let out a puzzled cry. \"...A paladin?\" He'd never have expected his pursuers to make it this far. In fact, he was fairly shaken. But Jeanne shook her head and refuted what he was thinking. \"The paladins aren't here in pursuit of you, mister. I'm their target.\" \"You? Wait, the paladins know about you? They know about the second Torture Princess?\" \"Yes. Or rather, a small group of them do, a group operating directly under a faction within the Church's leadership. To be even more precise, it could be said I'm at fault for the Church nudging you toward this territory.\" \"...What?\" Kaito shouted in sheer astonishment. As far as he was aware, he'd come to the beastman lands of his own volition. Before their eyes, the paladin had fought through the pain to draw his sword and was trying to use its handle to extricate the metallic beast from his flesh. Bandersnatch separated from the paladin; either it had thought the resistance disagreeable or had merely determined the situation to be inefficient. As it landed, its whole body trembled. Then, letting out a howl, it began launching fangs from its front like bullets. The paladin clumsily swung his sword, but the act was wholly inadequate to repel the veritable buckshot coming his way. Fangs pierced into the gaps in his joints and helmet in rapid succession. Blood burst out, staining the ground a ghoulish shade of red. Unaffected by the spectacle, Jeanne spoke dispassionately. \"Belated though it may be, allow me to clear up one of your misunderstandings. I was not the one responsible for the beastfolk massacres. I accumulated all the pain I needed here. Also, like hell I'd have killed them in such a gross way.\" \"What?! Then what was up with that machine in the village?\" \"I sent that one out to test how strong you were, mister. It would have killed you if you'd failed, but it seems you narrowly passed. And damn, do I mean narrowly! You cut that crap hella close!\" Kaito was taken aback. Apparently, losing to that machine would have meant his death either way. Continuing on unabashedly, Jeanne laid out new information about the massacres' perpetrators. \"My pursuers must have figured out my intentions to get in contact with you after I set out from here. Because of that and the fact that they needed to gather pain, they invaded the beastfolk territories, committed the murders, provoked Vyade, and intentionally leaked the information about the battle against the Earl. In doing so, they lured you away from the human lands and, in turn, away from the prying eyes of the rest of the Church. Then they deduced I'd take you here to give you your explanation. If things had gone well for them, they would have been able to kill both of us without having to make any overt public moves. That was their scheme.\" \"Wait, hold up. If you're right about all that...then that means not only are the masterminds humans, but they're from the Church, too?\" Kaito's blood froze. Even if they were just members of a fringe cell within the Church, if Lute and Vyade found out who the perpetrators were, then war was inevitable. But Jeanne shook her head. \"Whether or not the killers were human is a difficult distinction to make. You noticed it too, right, mister, that the atrocities in the villages wouldn't have been possible for humans to commit? You were correct. After all...\" At that moment, Kaito realized something. The battle between the paladin and the beast was unfolding in an unexpected manner. The way the paladin was swinging his sword didn't match up with the severity of his wounds. Upon closer inspection, each and every one of the fangs wedged in the openings of the paladin's armor was being pushed out from within. Trails of blood followed them through the air as they clattered to the ground. \"...the slaughterers had undergone transformations.\" Bandersnatch let out a wary cry. Then it lifted its silver head and howled. To put it in terms from Kaito's old world, the way it proceeded to shoot out its fangs was like machine-gun fire. The paladin took them head-on. But even with his eyes crushed and swathes of his skin riddled with fangs, he still held his sword aloft and hurled it with deadly accuracy. The blow rippled across the beast's body as the sword impaled it through the midsection. After taking the attack, the beast lay in pieces. But the scattered fangs quickly resumed their original formation, and Bandersnatch reassumed its stance. The paladin stood before it, having somehow completely stanched his bleeding. Upon closer inspection, his flesh had begun swelling peculiarly. A grotesque pink shade had stopped up his wounds and was bulging out of the openings in his armor. Humans didn't metamorphose like that. Seeing the repulsive spectacle, Kaito found himself at a loss for words. Is he even human? Given the paladin's state, it was difficult to say for certain. Bandersnatch and the paladin squared off against each other. Then came an ominous rattling noise. A number of other silver-armored men had made their appearances. But something about them was off. All of them, the one Bandersnatch had just shot included, were emitting low groans from beneath their helmets. Then suddenly, one member of the group looked Kaito's way. \"Urr...grr...ahh...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!\" The moan turned to a howl, and the paladin charged at him. As he did, Hina stepped in front of Kaito. In concert with the sharp maneuver, she brought her halberd crashing down. \"Not one step closer to my beloved husband, you wretch!\" The paladin she was facing off against swung his sword up from below. Each of their weapons carved a wide arc before crashing into the other. Sparks flew. As they did, the impossible occurred once more. *** Hina had swung her halberd down, and the paladin had swung his sword up. The two of them were vastly different when it came to reach and stance. But despite having every possible disadvantage working against him, the paladin had managed to stop Hina's blow. No normal human would have had the strength to pull such a feat off. Perplexed as he was, Kaito snapped his fingers as calmly as he could. \"La (dance).\" A blade came hurtling out of thin air and flew at the paladin's flank. But the strike, which Kaito had carefully calculated to avoid being fatal, was knocked out of flight by another silver knight. The new paladin had stopped the blade with strength alone. Before Kaito could manipulate it again, the paladin hurled it. The blade cleft deep into the surface of the road. Hina and the paladin she faced continued trying to push each other away. With the distance between them having grown, Hina stiffened her guard. Kaito bit down on his lip. He'd been holding back during his last attack, but still, no human should have been able to stop it with brawn alone. Or to put it another way, no human was meant to be able to. \"What's up with these guys? They look like paladins, but are they abnormal or something?\" \"Allow me to ask you a question, mister. Are you positive you saw the Monarch die?\" A surprising question came from Jeanne. As soon as she spoke, Bandersnatch leaped in front of the paladin who'd blocked Kaito's blade, casually taking over Kaito's fight. Kaito was on the verge of giving Jeanne an answer, but he stayed silent instead. He'd tortured the Monarch, then killed him. Kaito was certain he'd decapitated the wailing, agonizing demon. But there was something tugging at him, preventing him from giving an authoritative answer. Then recollection of a certain fact jolted through his brain like lightning. After they die, demons collapse and turn into a cloud of black feathers. Kaito hadn't properly seen the Monarch's death through to the end. \"N-no. I cut off his head, but I didn't make sure he did the final transformation.\" \"I fuckin' knew it, ya stupid piece of shit. You are quite the Fool! Even if they're beheaded by a guillotine, human beings can survive for several seconds. And demons can take even longer than that to die. Someone must have reattached his head and kept him alive. I caught a glimpse of some Church documents detailing how you tortured him in order to amass power, mister, but did you by any chance leave behind a magical formula of healing?\" \"Yeah...I did.\" Everything Jeanne had pointed out had been right on the mark. Kaito had been done with the formula, but he'd left it beneath the cage regardless. The Church reviled dark magic. He'd assumed they'd erase it by the following day, but Jeanne refuted that notion. \"Reusing that formula would have been feasible. They could have erased the part that transferred pain but left the part that healed. In doing so, they could shave off as much meat from the Monarch as they wanted, completing their magical rite. Wouldja look at that? The Monarch became a handy piece of livestock! A fine, good-lookin' swine!\" \"Using a demon as livestock and harvesting their meat... You can't mean that they...!\" \"That's right, bud\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey chowed down.\" Jeanne's reply was blunt. As she pointed toward the paladin Hina was fighting, the chains on her wrists rattled. \"Those men were induced to consume the flesh.\" Kaito's gaze swung toward the paladins so fast that it was like he'd been slapped. Their faces were all covered by helmets. There was no way for him to tell if any one of them had been a member of Izabella's squad or someone else he knew. The only thing he could make out was that they clearly weren't sane. The eyes peering out from within their helmets were bloodshot and tinged with madness, and crimson foam was frothing around their mouths. Kaito recalled something Jeanne had just said. They needed to gather pain. \"If one must consume the flesh of demons, there is an optimal portion size, and it takes several years before its roots finish spreading through people's bodies to the point of being bearable. But they each ate more than double that amount. In their current states, they're little more than weapons, seeking out the pain of others to alleviate their own. They ain't nothin' more than pawns to be used up and chucked aside.\" As a result, the paladins hadn't hesitated in carrying out those massacres. The strung-up corpses flashed across Kaito's mind. Just like he'd suspected, that had all been assembly-line work dispassionately carried out with the intention of causing pain. And just as Vlad had suggested, whoever was designating the sites of the murders must have been selecting them with their own personal amusement in mind. In one sense, that was definitely a demon's doing, but in another, it was a human's. \"I had no idea this was how\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Feeling personal responsibility for this would be both illogical and pointless. You're a very kind person, mister. And even though you might be an incorrigible asshat, this turn of events was bound to occur regardless.\" Jeanne gave him a"}, {"text": "light shrug. Kaito clenched his fists tight. As they did, Hina had begun pushing the paladin back and was now swinging her halberd in earnest. The paladin fell back in order to avoid her torrential blows. Taking on a bestial stance, she spoke in a low voice. \"You would do well not to underestimate the depths of my love. Take a single step forward if you do not value your life.\" The paladin fighting Bandersnatch had retreated in much the same way. But the corrupted paladins hadn't given up yet. Five more members joined them from the group hanging back. Apparently, their plan was to win with sheer numbers. Kaito and Hina stood at the ready again. The Kaiser scoffed, motionless. Vlad crossed his arms. Then Jeanne listlessly gave an order. \"Bandersnatch, my first, Gargantua, my second, Jabberwocky, my third, and Pantagruel, my fourth\u00e2\u20ac\u201ddon't let them flee.\" One of them was a beast made of nothing but fangs. Another was an automaton, shaped like a human except for its fatally warped frame. One of the other monsters was a lizard with limbs made from pipes and wings of glass. And the final one was a bipedal suit of armor with no visible seams on its body. The four of them advanced, their movements perfectly controlled. Then silver streaks flashed across Kaito's vision. A metallic mass had appeared in front of the paladins. Even upon seeing the \"thing\" in full, Kaito still found himself unable to properly parse it. In all likelihood, it was beyond mankind's ability to comprehend altogether. What the hell...is that? It was firm, and it was supple. It was a sword, a shield, a bullet, and a wing. It was massive, twisted, and formless. Its whole body was both curved and straight, and it writhed as it bore down on its foes. Then, at long last, Kaito realized what it was. Deus Ex Machina breaks down its component parts, then combines them at will, transforming into something completely new each time. As befitted the name Deus, the lot of them were normally just parts of one, larger weapon. They ran their hard, metal, lance-like conical feelers gently along the ground. Their movements were wholly inconsistent with their forms, and the attacks they launched defied all human expectations. With each strike, they severed the paladins' arms and legs, silver armor and all. Countless limbs went flying through the air. The scene would have been funny if it wasn't so grisly. They didn't know if the paladins had eaten the demon flesh of their own volition. As Kaito was about to stop the tragedy by calling that fact out, though, he swallowed back his words. Before his eyes, the paladins' wounds had begun roiling. Their pink flesh began swelling up, burbling horribly as it did. It began taking on the shape of arms and legs. One paladin's helmet went flying off, exposing his face below. \"Grblargh, brglahhhhhhh, brglahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!\" His eyes had turned almost completely inside out, and his engorged lips were tearing even as he cried. His veins had risen to the surface, forming a grotesque, melon-like lattice over his face. Even if they left the paladins alive, they were beyond help. Jeanne's voice as she stared at the hellish spectacle was even and dispassionate. \"They ate the Monarch's flesh. What meat did Vlad and I eat, then? That was what you asked me as you buzzed about like a fruit fly, or maybe like a giant pain in my ass. It is necessary for you to know, so tell you I shall. Or rather, I shall show you. It is necessary, so that is what I shall do. It's become noisy as shit around here, after all.\" And with that, Jeanne shrugged. As Deus Ex Machina continued one-sidedly butchering the paladins, Jeanne turned her back on the fight. Her honey-blond hair swayed as she walked, her gait so light that she nearly seemed to be dancing. She approached one of the corpses on the walls, the one she'd pointed out to Vlad earlier, and the only one whose bones were adorned with gold. They'd probably been an important figure, even for an alchemist. Jeanne reached out toward the rose-colored gem resting on the corpse's necklace. \"Time to bring down the house. The end.\" A hard, crunching noise rang out. Jeanne had, for whatever reason, crushed the gem in her bare hands. Its rosy fragments scattered through the air. That was when it started. A violent quake ran through the town, as though some sort of lever had been pulled. Unable to keep his footing, Kaito lost his balance. That very instant, Hina took off at a dash and extended her arms outward. Half-hugging him, she propped him up gently, yet firmly. \"Master Kaito, please put your arms around me.\" \"Right, thanks.\" The two lovers wrapped each other in a tight embrace, and in doing so, endured the steadily worsening tremors. The sky, the earth, and everything in between was shaking. It felt as though the end of the world had arrived. Roused by the noise, Vlad let out a rare cry of admiration. \"Oh, how bold! And how calculated! A mechanism designed to flatten an entire town!\" Kaito followed Vlad's line of sight. Red lights were flashing in succession at the base of the two mountains. It would seem magic circles had been concealed among the rocks and trees. One after another, the dazzling light carved away at the mountains' surfaces. Each one empowering the next, the lights snaked their way up to the peaks. A loud, massive explosion rang out. Then the two mountains began crumbling as though they'd been struck by lightning. As a consequence, rocks began raining down on the village. \"Sorry, Hina! I'm gonna have to leave evasion to you!\" \"I don't mind in the slightest! I shall protect you to the last!\" Hina quickly scooped Kaito up. The footwork she then displayed in avoiding the boulders wouldn't have been out of place at a fashionable ball. Kaito used his beastly arm to bat away some of the smaller rocks. One of the paladins got crushed. Deus Ex Machina, on the other hand, casually pulverized the boulders coming its way with its metal arms. The Kaiser languidly bit one in half. Vlad, being phantasmal, merely shrugged, then vanished. As for Jeanne, she simply looked up at the sky. The way she gazed up at the heavens, one would think she was watching a gentle rainfall. The boulders fell atop everyone equally. That, more than anything, made it feel like punishment meted out by the heavens. The alchemist's hidden village was crushed, as though it had invoked divine wrath. But the one who'd brought it about was none other than the girl, the village's sole surviving inhabitant. \"Now should be a good time.\" Suddenly, Jeanne set off. The rattling from the chains on her wrists could be heard all throughout the crumbling town. Then she began elegantly twirling. As she did, Deus Ex Machina took its place by her side. Its fused form collapsed, and its four sub-components joined Jeanne in her dance. They waltzed, as though to extol her, and mana began gathering between them. Golden flower petals started whirling up. \"Master Kaito!\" \"Yeah, let's go!\" Kaito and Hina hurriedly made their way into the circle. The Kaiser followed after them. The remaining paladins also rushed forward but were repelled by the wall of gold petals and white feathers. Then the teleportation circle activated, mercilessly abandoning the paladins to their fates. Paying no heed to their howls, Jeanne spoke. \"Now then, to continue from where I left off before I was so rudely interrupted. The demon's flesh we ate. A visit to the Capital's abandoned underground tomb should make it quite apparent where we obtained it from. And that is where I intend to show to you...\" Gorgeous, cold light began filling their vision. Then they left the crumbling village behind. Jeanne continued, as though to build up anticipation. \"...a true nightmare, the likes of which you stray sheep have never seen before.\" 7 His and Her The Butcher leaped high into the air, clinging to the wall to avoid Elisabeth's opening blow. Spiked Hare carved a victimless path across the floor in vain and nearly smashed through the door. Right before it could, though, Elisabeth snapped her fingers, and the torture device vanished back into darkness and crimson petals. \"Tch, cease your dashing and your scurrying!\" She was well aware of the Butcher's evasive capabilities. Not letting her guard down for a moment, she summoned another vortex of darkness and petals. Then she drew a sword with crimson runes carved on its blade from within. \"Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal!\" At the top of her voice, Elisabeth called out the sword's name. As she did, the runes on the blade flashed. His tone implying an odd sneer, the Butcher read them aloud. \"'You are free to act as you will. But pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand,' was it?\" His voice had a certain scornful ring to it. In place of a reply, Elisabeth pointed the sword's tip at him. A number of chains burst out of empty space. Neither flustered nor panicked, the Butcher merely kicked off against the wall. The chains violently swerved like the heads of a hydra as they pursued him. Assailed by the surging attack, the Butcher bent his body like a cat as he fell. The action seemed almost thoughtless, and the chains grazed over his head and beside his flank. Ultimately, he managed to slip through all of them, and with a thump, he landed safely on the floor. He could well have a promising career in front of him as a circus acrobat. Without sparing a moment to congratulate him, Elisabeth snapped her fingers again. \"Ducking Stool!\" \"Good heavens!\" A chair sprouted from the ground, scooping the Butcher up in its seat. The next moment, leather belts sprung out from its back and its armrests, binding his body down. And at the same time, a rectangular chunk of floor beneath the chair vanished. The gaping hole was filled to the brim with water. Crimson flower petals floated on its surface. Splashhhhhhh! A loud noise echoed in the room as the Butcher sank underwater. A number of bubbles floated to the surface. But after a moment, the water's surface grew calm. The Butcher didn't appear to be putting up much of a fight. \"Hmm.\" Finding that fact suspicious, Elisabeth snapped her fingers. Chains clanged as they dragged the chair up from the water. It was empty. The Butcher was nowhere to be seen. \"I did tell you; if I wish to call myself the Butcher, then surely, I should be able to flip over my body within my cloak the moment before I get strung up. When one lives as long as I have, they develop a knack for escaping restraints.\" A playful tone rose from beside Elisabeth. She turned to look to the other side of the bed. At some point, the Butcher had sat down on it, and at present, he was casually swinging his legs. Elisabeth took a closer look at the Butcher's demeanor. Swinging her sword at him from this range would be child's play. But she suspected the only thing she'd end up destroying was the bed. Little point in throwing good money after bad, I suppose. For the time being, Elisabeth elected to stop using force. Adjusting her seat on the bed, she turned to face the Butcher. He continued his speech with the same unaffected cheerfulness as always, as though the two of them were merely having an inconsequential chat. \"I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but one really does experience so many things over the course of a long life. Founding the very first guilds, the grand expedition to"}, {"text": "find the rainbow-hued Mana Egg, leading an army five thousand strong, decorating my beloved dragons...\" \"More of your usual nonsense?\" \"What would you say if I told you it was all true, Madam Elisabeth?\" The Butcher tilted his head to the side. Elisabeth gave him a long, hard stare. From the other side of the deep darkness in his hood, he awaited her reaction. She offered no response. He let a few more words slip. \"What would you say if I told you that I hailed from a time before the Saint carried out her duty and fell into her deep slumber, Madam Elisabeth?\" \"If that was all, then I daresay I'd do naught. The only bit that catches my attention is the possibility of you being my enemy.\" \"Whatever are you talking about, Madam Elisabeth?! I'm not your enemy, not in the slightest!\" With that, the Butcher hopped up and down in his standard display of protest. \"I'm not the enemy of anyone personally. I'm the enemy of all things that exist in this world! That, and I am a merchant.\" Elisabeth crossed her legs and leaned forward, her cheeks resting on her palms. She glared the Butcher's way. His declaration had been extremely troubling, but the tone he continued in was, for some reason, incredibly endearing. \"And not just humans, everyone is my enemy. And they are my customers. That is why I was born, and that is why I yet live. Not a lie or falsehood escapes my tongue when I say that truly, everything I've done and everything I do has been for your sakes. All for you, my dear customers. And my, what pleasant days they've been. And that, precisely, is why I know that better than any.\" The Butcher gently swung his short, scaled legs from side to side. Then he let out a vaguely heartrending mutter. \"'For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand.' That, truly, sums up this world.\" \"I see. A rather grim tale, that.\" Elisabeth gave a faint murmur. Sighing, she bent her back and calmly uncrossed her slender legs. Then she nonchalantly snapped her fingers. \"I find God rather abhorrent, after all\u00e2\u20ac\u201dHellhole.\" As she spoke, Elisabeth leaped, leaving only the Butcher behind on the bed. \"Hweh?\" The bedroom shook, and its floor collapsed. The broken shutters, the chest of drawers, and the bed were all swallowed up by a conical hole. Within it, a grotesque mass of bugs clamored and buzzed. Elisabeth was hanging from her sword, which she'd successfully thrust into the ceiling. Raising her face, she looked out at the scene before her. As she'd expected, the Butcher was unharmed. Having adroitly stuck himself to the ceiling, he was currently quite angry. His anger was of a type wholly unbefitting the situation, though, and it almost seemed like it was possible for comical bursts of steam to burst out of his ears. \"How underhanded! I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you here, and I'd appreciate it greatly if you'd stop trying to kill me so heartlessly! We had a deal! You promised!\" \"I don't recall promising you anything. Vlad goes without saying, but I loathe any who tell me stories laden with subtext. Oh, and one other thing.\" \"One other thing?\" \"Gibbet.\" Elisabeth gave her fingers a light snap. Still hanging from her sword with one hand, she mercilessly summoned yet another torture device. \"Oh, deary me.\" A long, narrow swirl of darkness and crimson petals encircled the Butcher from top to bottom. A cramped cage, one that a human could just barely fit in if they stood up straight, materialized, then clamped shut around the Butcher. With another snap of her fingers, Elisabeth dispelled the Hellhole. She then dropped to the ground and made an elegant landing. The Butcher remained trapped within his cage. He stroked his jaw in contemplation. \"Simultaneous deployment? That's far too stylish, Madam Elisabeth. Hmm, hmm. To think that I, the Butcher, would become a bird in a cage... Oh? Wait. Might I, by any chance, be playing the role of the captured princess?\" \"'Tis far too late for jokes, Butcher. Tell me why you sold the demon flesh. Tell me where you obtained it. Tell me everything you know. Everything you're plotting. Spit out everything it is that you think I might like to know.\" \"Ah, well, that's Madam Elisabeth for you. Mr. Dim-Witted Servant could never have posed those questions so very economically.\" \"Do it, or the needles and spears shall make their appearance.\" Elisabeth snapped her fingers, causing darkness and petals to flare up once again. The cage was soon surrounded by needles. Their sharpness was immediately apparent. The Torture Princess spoke, her face frozen with an ice-cold glare. \"Taking pleasure in pain and in screams\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwere you not aware? That happens to be my field of expertise.\" \"I suppose it is... If that's the case, then I'd wager you'd be well served by visiting the tomb beneath the Capital. A number of things are going to become apparent there right around now, you see.\" The Butcher's response was vague. As carefree as his tone was, though, he appeared to be serious. There was no indication that he was joking. But the contents of his claim lacked anything even resembling details. Elisabeth frowned. Showing no fear toward the needles, the Butcher calmly went on. \"It's a nonsensical little fairy tale, and one that's gone on for a very, very long time. There are those who've worked to bring these events about, and those who've worked to prevent them. I am among the former, but the latter group shall begin to move in earnest quite soon. You'd best be going, Madam Elisabeth.\" The Butcher spoke in a tone one might use with a child. His jaw loosened a little, as though he were looking at someone radiant. And even though he was on the verge of being tortured, he spoke with the quiet calmness of an old retiree. \"If I'm being quite honest, your existence was rather outside my expectations. As I always say, I have little interest in the fights between men and demons. After all, they are of little consequence to the result. I'd never thought someone would rise to oppose the dreadful end of the story that the fourteen tragedies mark the beginning of. And Mr. Dim-Witted Servant is the same. Though your two tales may be small in the scope of things, the results they bear may be monumental indeed... Who knows, after all, how the world may turn from here on?\" \"...You speak in riddles. I demand details.\" Elisabeth raised her hand, fingers poised to snap. As she did, the door opened behind her. The voice that crossed the threshold was serious, yet given the situation, it seemed almost carefree. \"Pardon me. Elisabeth, are you... O-oh?\" \"Izabella?\" Surprised at the unexpected visitor, Elisabeth wheeled around. There, she found an attractive paladin sporting silver hair and a mismatched pair of blue and purple eyes. Several hideous scars were etched into her skin. It looked almost like her entire body had burst from within. In spite of her scars, her face was still beautiful. Izabella curled her lips into a frown. \"I have information and an order I need to convey to you. I apologize for the sudden intrusion, but what exactly is going on here? Are you...disciplining one of your servants or something? You may be the Torture Princess, but I should think this is taking it a bit far, no?\" \"Oh, hardly, but there are a number of circumstances at play here. Now then, your business?\" Given the situation, and the fact that Elisabeth had no idea how many people were involved, she could hardly carry out torture right in front of Izabella. Elisabeth dispelled the needles, leaving only the Gibbet remaining. The Butcher, still standing upright, showed no particular signs of relief. After casting a concerned glance his way, Izabella gave her report. \"An order's come down from above. But even I'm in the dark as to where they got their information from, so I have doubts regarding its credibility. For whatever reason, though, all the soldiers under my command have their marching orders. Please, try not to be too surprised when you hear what I have to say.\" \"Out with it already! I'd sensed the situation's irregularity the moment you stepped through my door rather than merely sending a message. Just say your piece.\" Elisabeth brusquely urged Izabella on. Izabella responded with a short nod. She herself seemed bewildered by the next words that came out of her mouth. \"Kaito Sena, the Kaiser's contractor, will make his appearance.\" \"'Will'? Not 'has made his appearance'?\" Elisabeth frowned. The words reeked strangely of prophecy. After all, although she hadn't told them, Kaito was currently in the land of the beastfolk. The Church shouldn't have had any way of tracking his movements. How, then, could they predict so confidently where he'd show his face? \"He's slated to make his appearance at the site where the mass of flesh consumed the royal castle\u00e2\u20ac\u201dat the underground tomb where all the kings of old lie. But I have no idea what basis they're making that decree under.\" Aye, the reason for their conjecture is unclear. 'Tis as though they saw him perform the teleportation firsthand... Elisabeth narrowed her crimson eyes. The sense of discomfort nagging at her was growing by the moment. Then she cast a glance toward the Butcher in his cage. He said nothing, but it was clear that from within his hood, he was smiling. \"I hope it's simply just another byproduct of the general disarray in our chain of command. After Godd Deos passed, a number of strange things have been happening. And the order has another part to it.\" Izabella's expression darkened. She, too, was clearly uncomfortable, and likely about the same thing. But after shaking her head, she revealed the grave finale. \"We've been ordered to make absolutely sure we kill him before he can enter the tomb.\" It was the moment Elisabeth had surely been waiting for, and the words she'd least wanted to hear. The dance of the golden light and white feathers came to an end. They transformed into droplets, then all melted away at once. After they'd completed their extravagant transformation, a new wasteland spread out before them, different from the destroyed village they'd just left behind. Their surroundings were gray and barren as far as the eye could see. Off in the distance, they could just barely make out a small clump of buildings that had avoided destruction. Upon looking at the distant townscape, Kaito realized that he'd seen it before. \"Wait, this is...\" At the same time, the plot they were standing on was new to him. In fact, even among the people who lived in the Capital, not many would have ever had a chance to set foot here. Kaito and the others now found themselves in the center of the Capital; before the mass of flesh had consumed the entire area, it had housed a castle hailed as resembling a white rose and also accommodated a grand garden as well as a number of vacation homes belonging to prominent aristocrats. However, the events that had taken place here had been no ordinary calamity, and not a single trace remained of the buildings that had once been there. As a matter of fact, the land was strangely smooth. It was like some massive monster had run its tongue over the ground and lapped up everything it found. And now that I think about it, that's not far off from what actually happened. Kaito was well aware of that. After all, this was where the Monarch, the Grand Monarch, and the King had intentionally been set forth to swallow up the land. The center of the Capital had been the heart of human civilization, and the demons had"}, {"text": "utterly and completely destroyed it. However, there was one thing still standing there, strangely unharmed. Amid the vast nothingness, a statue of the Saint shedding tears of blood stood tall. She was hanging upside down, and a rectangular pit sat directly beneath her head. There was a good chance it had originally been locked up tight and covered by a pedestal, but the statue's protection must not have extended that far, and the mass of flesh must have melted it all away. Kaito squinted, trying to make out what was within. Deep in the darkness, he could make out a set of stairs. They had likely avoided destruction by virtue of being underground. Jeanne strode forth, her steps light as she made her way toward its entrance. \"Come now, everyone, let's be on our way. In the quest for truth, you must simply put one foot in front of the other. The words Ask and ye shall receive are rarely true, but this case is one exception to that rule.\" \"The 'truth'... What exactly is down there?\" \"A place with no connection to the lives of the stray sheep\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe ancestral tomb of the royal family. One of the high priests, the Grave Keeper, bears full responsibility for protecting it. But what they're hiding away and guarding so closely aren't just the corpses of geezers who kicked the bucket.\" Jeanne gave her answer. Unfortunately, though, she stopped short of the most important part. She continued on at her leisurely pace. Kaito gazed in frustration at the swaying, honey-blond hair covering her back. As always, her communication skills were lacking in the extreme. Then he turned his gaze to the ashen earth around him. The current king and the surviving nobles were taking shelter somewhere else at the moment, and they hadn't gotten around to any sort of restoration effort yet. There was nobody there to interfere with them. Jeanne kept walking, her strides almost rhythmical. Now that they'd come this far, there was no turning back. In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess. Kaito followed after her. Hina and the Kaiser did the same. As Jeanne approached the pit the statue was guarding, though, Kaito noticed a white light flickering at the edge of his vision. He thought it might just be an optical illusion, but the lone dot suddenly multiplied. One by one, they ignited, like candles arranged in a ring. Cylindrical lights formed in a circle around Kaito and the others. \"Ah, I see. Sure enough, they'd really rather we not enter the tomb. But given that we're in the Capital, they can't exactly use their transfigured paladins. All right, all right, let's have us a look-see. How do y'all wanna dance?\" As Jeanne murmured, the lights all transformed into droplets and fell in a cascade, leaving behind people in silver armor. Jeanne cast a glance at the paladins forming a perimeter around herself and the others as though to appraise them. \"Enough fucking around... Where is your leader?\" Right as she spoke, a particularly bright light flashed directly in front of Kaito and the rest. When the white light bled away, the figure standing in its wake was one that Kaito knew well. \"It's been some time, Kaito Sena.\" \"...Izabella.\" It was the beautiful, silver-haired commander of the Holy Knights: Izabella Vicker. Kaito was about to say something, but he immediately lost his train of thought. When he'd fled from the Capital, he hadn't had a chance to get a good look at her face. But now that he had a chance to see for himself, he noticed her skin was covered in cruel scars. They marked the time she'd used summoning magic in the battle for the Capital. Unable to withstand the force of the mana, her body had burst from within. Kaito unthinkingly let out a shocked cry. \"Those wounds... Did you get those when you performed the summoning?! Dammit, I told you that you were being rash!\" \"How strange of you to say that, Kaito Sena. You turned against mankind. That makes me your enemy, so why lend me any sympathy?\" Izabella spoke, her voice filled with puzzlement. Kaito immediately shut up. As the Kaiser shot a mocking glance at him from his side, Kaito bit down on his lip. Oh, right... I'm not really in any position to be worrying about Izabella. Kaito glanced around the gray Capital. He, Izabella, the Torture Princess, and the paladins had all waged a desperate battle to protect the townscape off in the distance. Then he shifted his gaze back to Izabella. For a moment, he felt a weighty sense of fatigue press down on his body. Those days we spent fighting together feel like they were an eternity ago. The situation and the way Kaito now saw the world were so different compared with that episode of his past. He spent a moment immersed in sentimentality. Izabella, unaware of the things going through his head, continued in a detached tone. \"I'd thought you a decent, honest man. But for some reason, you betrayed humanity. At this late hour, I shan't ask you your reasons. No matter what they may have been, a paladin's duty is to slay demons and their contractors. You prepared yourself for that reality when you made your pledge back at the square, I hope.\" \"Yeah, that I did. I knew turning my back on humanity would mean becoming your enemy. And even knowing that, I made my choice.\" \"Then it seems neither of us bears a grudge against the other.\" Izabella clutched the hilt of her sword, then drew it in a single smooth motion. The paladins followed her lead. Steel glinted brightly in the gray, muted land. Then, one by one, they pointed their consecrated blades at the Kaiser's contractor. \"Yet we must kill you. For the sake of our orders, for the sake of mankind, and for the sake of the world.\" \"Oh, how very illogical!\" Suddenly, a loud voice rang out. Its tone was bright and cheery, yet its echo had a strange coldness to it. Confused at hearing the young girl's voice, Izabella blinked. \"Who-who's there? Who do you have there with you, Kaito Sena?\" \"I beg your pardon. It is I.\" Jeanne popped out from behind Kaito. She must have hidden there at some point. As she did, Izabella's face twitched. Jeanne's words had been sorely lacking as an introduction, true, but the reason Izabella had stiffened up lay elsewhere. Oh, right. Now that I think about it, her getup's even more degenerate than Elisabeth's. Jeanne's outfit, opulent and far more lascivious than was appropriate for her age, seemed to have overloaded Izabella's straitlaced brain. She looked to be at a loss for words. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jeanne dived right in. \"I beg your pardon again, but did you, by any chance, leave your brain behind somewhere, miss?\" \"What? What are you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Who did you receive that order from? Who among the Church's leadership suggested it?\" \"Wait. What are you implying by that, young lady?\" \"Who exactly managed to locate Kaito Sena? It can't have been mere coincidence. Whoever found him must have been tracking his movements. Why, then, did they not report it to the units pursuing him? What was the order you received, miss? It couldn't have been just to kill the Kaiser's contractor. They must have added the rider 'before he enters the underground tomb,' didn't they? And they surely gave that part of the order the utmost priority, if I had to guess. Why is that, do you think?\" Jeanne mechanically pressed Izabella for answers. Izabella regarded her with suspicion at first, but her expression grew gradually more and more serious. She'd clearly realized that Jeanne wasn't simply spouting nonsense. Izabella's subordinates exchanged nervous glances as well. They, too, must have found the whole situation fishy. Still expressionless, Jeanne began talking at insane speeds. \"Have you ever felt as though there were a secret unit among the paladins' ranks? Have you never found it suspicious, the fact that so many of the most promising recruits got snatched away? And after Godd Deos's death, did you not get the sense that suspicious matters began cropping up not just within the paladins but the Church itself?\" As a clincher, Jeanne opened her rosy eyes wide, then posed Izabella a solemn question. \"What proof do you have that all that is for the sake of mankind or the world?\" \"Who are you?\" The way Izabella was addressing Jeanne had clearly changed. Despite Jeanne's age, Izabella was now dealing with her as an equal. The tension in the air took on a different note. Lowering her sword for a moment, Izabella ventured a question to Jeanne. \"Just what do you think you're doing, Izabella?\" A hard, unfriendly voice rang out. Izabella looked up in surprise, and Kaito cast his gaze overhead as well. One of the Church's communication devices was flying up in the gray sky. While it had the same shape as a normal device of its type, its appearance also seemed to be different in a way. Its abnormal size seemed to almost be a testament to how it had received God's favor. Its pure-white wings were conspicuously oversized as well, creating an overall impression of pomp and splendor. To put it bluntly, it seemed excessive, and in poor taste. The person on the other end, likely one of the high priests, droned on in an overbearing voice. \"A contractor's ears are unfit for a paladin's words. You'll merely sully yourself. Kill him, now.\" \"Please, Yah Llodl, wait. She could have information of some\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Nonsense! What kind of fool sits around and listens to what a demon contractor's ally has to say?! Everything coming out of their mouths is a lie, intended to lead the faithful astray! Is that what you want?! This kind of nonsense is why we lost so many men at the Plain of Skewers, and your brother among them!\" The man's heavy-handed rebuke left no room for arguments or rebuttals. Izabella reflexively bit down on her lip. Kaito looked up at the orb with scornful eyes. Then, after a few seconds of silence, he calmly spoke. \"...Yah Llodl, was it? You know, you're not like Godd Deos.\" \"Ah, so even a contractor like you can tell. You're right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI'm different from that man. I'm not the same as that fool who was obliterated by a demon without ever coming to understand genuine faith or the Saint's true will.\" The voice let out a twisted laugh. Godd Deos had been in charge of managing the paladins, and the level of trust they'd placed in him had been high. A number of the paladins standing in waiting trembled with anger. Kaito heaved a long sigh. With a look of gentle remorse on his face, he shook his head. \"I once accused Godd Deos of being a spectator. But I take that all back.\" \"How odd. Who knew contractors were even capable of introspection? The man may have been incompetent, but I imagine he'd be gratified by that.\" \"You won't set foot on the battlefield. You won't even show your face. You're the biggest damn coward I've ever met. I can tell just by your voice\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou're an overgrown pig of a man.\" \"You\u00e2\u20ac\u201d!\" As Kaito gave his assessment, his tone was dispassionate and uninterested. The voice cut off, appalled by the sudden affront. Hearing his master's diatribe, the Kaiser gave an amused laugh in a rare display of approval. \"Ha, he speaks truth! Those who refuse to display their own strength are weaklings! Those who fight without knowledge are fools! Those who titter incessantly are incompetent! Their lives have no value, and they are, to a man, swine!\" Suddenly, the orb began spinning and emitting light, then gave its wings a hard flap to demonstrate its irritation. White feathers rained down violently from above, and the person on the other side"}, {"text": "of the orb screeched loudly. \"A demon dares insult ME?! I live my life properly and piously, in service to the Saint, in service of God, and it insults ME?! Izabella, don't hesitate, don't think, just kill them, kill them, kill them, and do NOT let them advance!\" As the man flew into a crazed rant, Kaito glanced toward the entrance to the underground tomb. What could be down there? As he pondered that, Yah Llodl gave a declaration. \"This is for the sake of salvation!\" Salvation again, huh? Jeanne spoke of salvation, and so did the Church. In all likelihood, the difference between the two was monumental. What are they each trying to save, and what are they trying to save it from? \"Kill them! Why are you hesitating?! Carry out your orders! Follow your righteous command from God, from the Sai-Sai-Sai-Sai-Sai-Sai\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Suddenly, the voice started skipping. With no prior warning, an explosion had gone off right below the communication device. \"...Huh?\" \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?!\" Blasted by the explosion's shock wave, the orb went into a tailspin. Its ridiculously large wings proved a detriment as it was quickly blown off into the distance. The people present had no time to dwell on what had just happened, as their visions were blotted out with crimson and black. Rose petals danced extravagantly through the air. Everything in sight was violently painted over in black. Desperately trying to hold their ground, the paladins called out. \"Commander Izabella!\" \"Settle down; I know whose doing this is! What I don't know, though, is why she's being so vicious!\" The whole area descended into chaos. Even Izabella, who supposedly knew who the culprit was, was visibly trembling. Kaito and Hina, on the other hand, were calm as could be. The two of them let out low murmurs. \".........Welp, she's pissed.\" \".........She does seem quite upset.\" Then, with the same absurdity it had started with, the explosion suddenly subsided. In an instant, the area grew silent. And in the center of that silence stood a dark young woman. Her posture was graceful, and her beauty seemed nearly inhuman. \"So you've finally come. The proud wolf. The lowly sow.\" Jeanne gave a soft whisper, the first one present to give voice to their wonder. Then, as if to raise the curtain, she continued. \"Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu!\" It was the black Torture Princess. The huntress of demons, the peerless sinner, had finally made her appearance. The black Torture Princess and the golden Torture Princess faced off for the first time. However, the black princess didn't spare the golden princess so much as a glance. Her crimson gaze was focused on one man, and one man alone. Her servant, Kaito Sena. \"...Kaito.\" \"Elisabeth.\" Elisabeth called out his name concisely. Kaito replied in kind. As luck would have it, they were standing in the Capital, surrounded by land consumed and released by the mass of flesh. In many ways, it resembled the moment they'd parted. Back then, when the battle had ended, Elisabeth had been left there alone. That, too, felt like it had been a century ago. Elisabeth closed her eyes. Then, just like before, she turned her head up toward the faint rays of sun peeking through the clouds. Every conceivable form of anguish crossed her face: anger, sorrow, grief, and loneliness. Then her expression changed to that of a child, pleading for something unknown. But abruptly, all of that vanished. She opened her eyes back up once more, then looked at Kaito, her gaze calm and absolute. A moment later, even that faded. Her crimson eyes went wide, and she balled her fist up tight. Then, thrusting that same hand forward, she pointed at Kaito with a single black nail. As she did, she made her bold declaration. \"Brace yourself, Kaito. Your death is nigh.\" \"Is this really how it has to be?\" Kaito found himself questioning if that was how events were meant to play out. Surely, there were other things that needed to be said, if nothing else. But before he could lend a voice to his exasperation, a shrill noise rang out. Apparently, the Church's communication device had recovered from the blast. As it violently flapped its white wings, its puppeteer, Yah Llodl, shouted at the top of his lungs. \"Ha-ha-ha, splendid, splendid! Well said, Torture Princess, what a fine hound you are! Go on, then\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfulfill your role! Remember your sins, and remember the shackles you bear! Until the day of your death, try to do some\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" With a thump, a stake wedged itself in the talkative orb's center. The voice coming from within cut off. As it did, Elisabeth spoke, her tone as cold as ice. \"You lot brandish your whips at your chained hounds, driving them as you please. But I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow.\" White lights began running all across the communication device. Then, with a loud boom, it exploded in midair. \"I am no mutt.\" A cascade of white feathers fluttered down toward the earth, providing a dramatic backdrop for Elisabeth's unwavering declaration. \"Go squeal elsewhere, pig. This is a matter for me and my rage alone.\" A few stray feathers landed on her head, and she shook it gently. Her silken black hair flared out, then returned to its resting position. As the feathers fluttered down to her feet, her expression shifted. \"Now then, Kaito. For a servant, you've been fooling around long enough. I do hope you're ready for your punishment.\" Her smile was nostalgic in a sense, but it was also fiendish through and through. Seeing it, Kaito Sena realized something. Ah, I see... I guess we gotta get that out of the way, don't we? Elisabeth had made up her mind to punch him with all her strength. Everything else could come after that. In fact, at the moment, nothing else seemed to matter. She was standing there, and so was he. They'd reunited. That was all there was to it. And for precisely that reason, Kaito replied with a wicked smile of his own. \"Damn straight I am! I'm more than ready. And I'm ready to fight back, too.\" The former master-servant pair glared at each other. Ignoring the bewildered paladins completely, the two of them both began summoning their strength. The air was flush with tension. The force they were emitting was so fearsome that no one dared tell them to stop. Then, in the next moment, they both cried out at the top of their lungs. \"Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal!\" \"La (dance)!\" Elisabeth drew her sword, and Kaito snapped his fingers. A blade danced across the ashen ground, and a lavish blast of crimson flower petals and darkness exploded to life. That was the signal that the curtain had risen on the battle. Confused as they were, the paladins charged as one. The battle between the Torture Princess and the Kaiser's contractor had begun. Although they'd been thrown into disarray, the paladins leaped into action as well. Watching them charge, Hina and the Kaiser sighed. Displeased, the two of them spoke in turn. \"My beloved Master Kaito and my dear Lady Elisabeth are in the middle of their battle, I'll have you know! They don't have time to be dealing with you small folk! If you all would go lie down and wait like good little children, that would be splendid!\" \"You think of challenging me, with such frail human bodies? How delightful. If the boy weren't such a nag, I'd have gladly gobbled you all up. Not that you lot look to have much meat on your bones, I suppose.\" Hina deftly repelled the paladins' attacks from all directions with her halberd. With a displeased expression on his face, the Kaiser swept away his attackers with his tail alone. Slowly but surely, the battle had gotten underway. It was a chaotic affair, with little rhyme or reason to it. Izabella brought her palm to her face in spite of herself. Wh-what's going on? This is a mess, and the situation makes no sense. There are too many unsolved mysteries... But even so, trying to bring my men together at this point would be a fool's errand. If I want information, I'll simply have to emerge victorious. With that, Izabella made her decision. She readied her sword, prepared to carry out her orders. It was then that she noticed someone's gaze on her. Jeanne was staring at Izabella, as though in expectation. Then the golden girl gave her fingers an elegant snap. \"Bandersnatch, Gargantua, Jabberwocky, Pantagruel\u00e2\u20ac\u201dgo forth.\" One by one, the machines took off. In the space of an instant, Izabella understood\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe golden girl meant to oppose her. But even if she squared off against the machines head-on, she was no match for them. My blade is unsuited to deal with their kind. Fully understanding that, Izabella still dashed toward Bandersnatch. The fanged beast stopped in its tracks, then began shooting fangs at Izabella like bullets. Refusing to break stride, Izabella drew her spare sword from her back. Then she thrust it into the ground. Kicking off against its hilt, she leaped high into the air. Bandersnatch's fangs met nothing but empty air. Upon landing, Izabella resumed running. Gargantua moved to block her path. It was shaped like a twisted human figure, but its appearance gave her little to work with as far as figuring out an effective way to take it down. Instead, she dodged it and leaped to the side. The figure followed her in hot pursuit. Without a moment's hesitation, Izabella reached down and scooped something off the ground\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe destroyed communication device. She threw it at the humanoid. Pierced by the figure's arm, the orb let out a final explosion. The orb itself shattered, but it caused the humanoid figure to violently lurch. Jeanne spoke, the admiration in her voice diminished by her affected tone. \"Oh my, how unexpected.\" \"Probably blasphemous, what I just did. But it was past the point of being repairable. No harm done.\" Izabella smiled as she spoke. Having slipped past Bandersnatch and Gargantua, she was now standing directly before Jeanne. Her body brimmed with tension as she squared off against the mysterious girl. Jeanne's expression was still disturbingly mechanical as a compliment made its way across her lips. \"I see, miss. Foolish as you are, you aren't half-bad for an ignorant pawn of the Church.\" Although Izabella had no way of knowing it, the compliment she'd just earned was rare in the extreme. Jeanne nodded deeply, her honey-blond hair bobbing as she did. \"I've taken a liking to you. I think I'll keep you for myself, li'l lady.\" \"I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI can't help but find your phrasing disturbing, but I have a great many things I want to ask of you, as well! If it's a fight you desire, then I'll gladly oblige!\" Izabella dashed toward Jeanne. A little closer, and her sword would reach her. Before it did, though, Jeanne snapped her fingers. Bandersnatch reared up behind Izabella. As it did, she made a humiliating realization. ...She's underestimating me! Based on its appearance, Bandersnatch's method of attack was the easiest to gauge of the four. In other words, Jeanne was saying that if Izabella couldn't even deal with it, then she had no value as an opponent. As Izabella was pursing her lips over that fact, the beast leaped. Before it could catch her in its maw, Izabella kicked it in the side. But the beast relentlessly tried to slip its fangs into the joints of her armor. That very moment, Izabella detached her mantle. Then she scooped up the beast's entire floating, fanged body in it. The sturdy fabric endured for just a moment, which was long enough for Izabella to smash the whole thing\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmantle, beast, and all\u00e2\u20ac\u201dinto the ground. Then she closed in on Jeanne. \"You're mine!\" As she tried to strike Jeanne's exposed chest with the flat of her blade, though, Jabberwocky leaped forth. The unpleasant-looking machine took the"}, {"text": "blow in its master's place. Sparks flew, and Jeanne nodded once more. \"Impressive.\" \"I am a commander, after all.\" Izabella showed no signs of stopping. As she drew back her blade, she leveled a palm strike at Jeanne's jaw. Jeanne blinked in shock, but the surprises would not end there. \"Oh?\" \"Huh?\" At that moment, the two of them were both blown to the side. And it wasn't just them, either\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe paladins met the same fate. Only Hina, who'd clung to the Kaiser, managed to endure. The Kaiser himself said nothing, but his annoyance was written all over his face. Deus Ex Machina frantically reassembled itself, transforming into a warped yet supple metal net. Jeanne swooped down atop it, like a princess being caught by her valet. Izabella, for her part, managed to twist herself around in the air before sticking the landing on her own. She then looked up, trying to figure out what was going on. When she did, she immediately grasped the situation. She let out a quiet murmur, forgetting for a moment the fact that she was in the middle of a fight. \"...This is chaos.\" A massive Wicker Man had just ruptured from within, its chest shredded to pieces. Kaito, having made his escape, wiped the sweat from his brow. Based on his expression, he was clearly in over his head. After all, normal circumstances would leave him woefully unequipped to go up against the Torture Princess. By some miracle, though, he was managing to endure her relentless attacks. Elisabeth, on the other hand, showed no signs of letting up. \"Gibbet! Ducking Stool! Hellhole!\" \"Takes me back, y'know, watching you go all-out like that!\" Kaito let out a half-desperate shout as he dashed. And just as he'd implied, the space around was growing more dangerous by the moment. One of the paladins fell into the pit of man-eating bugs, and another one hurriedly pulled him out. As he ran, Kaito avoided it altogether. But one of the five simultaneously deployed Ducking Stools found its mark. Right before he was bound in place and plunged underwater, Kaito called out. \"Kaiser!\" \"What, you can't even deal with this yourself?! I'll have your head if you die on me, O unworthy master of mine!\" Although he had yelled out in frustration, the Kaiser moved in a flash. Grabbing the back of the chair in his teeth, he hurled it into the air. A tank of water appeared in the ground, but instead of falling, Kaito went flying over it. Letting loose his blade, he cut himself free from his restraints. He then managed to land safely somehow. Once more, he and Elisabeth faced each other. He, for one, was exhausted. But Elisabeth's face didn't have so much as a bead of sweat on it. Crossing her arms, she cast an angry glare his way. \"Why do you run, Kaito?\" \"Is that a serious question?! If I took that shit head-on, it woulda killed me! C'mon, Elisabeth, hold your fire for a minute and hear me out!\" As Kaito launched his ardent plea, Hina snapped her neck up. It was hard to make heads or tails of her situation\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe was hoisting up one paladin who'd fallen in the water, yet at the same time, kicking away another who'd come to cut her down. Even though her surroundings had descended into chaos, though, she still spared the time to call out. \"That's right, Lady Elisabeth! Even though I'm Master Kaito's companion, I've been getting the sense that I'd best not intrude in you two's battle! But if you insist on harming my beloved Master Kaito any further, my dear Lady Elisabeth, I will have to stop you, even if it means I must kill you!\" \"You too, Hina, enough from you! Not stopping Kaito when he decided to leave... Fools, the lot of you!\" Elisabeth's rebuke was swift and brutal. It was so threatening, in fact, that Hina found herself at a momentary loss for words. Elisabeth's black hair fluttered as she turned back toward Kaito, before ruthlessly snapping her fingers once more. \"Iron Maiden. La Guillotine.\" \"Man, a guy can't catch a break.\" Another vortex of darkness and petals. A pair of maidens, red and white, lined up from within. They each had a decidedly different ambience. One was bewitching, and the other was pure. But while the impressions that the two statues gave off differed, they had their beauty and monstrous, overwhelming presence in common. As he glared at the two women, Kaito's thoughts raced. I wanna get as far back as possible. If Iron Maiden hugs me, it's all over. And from here, I won't be able to deal with the speed of La Guillotine's blades. Kaito set off an explosion of mana at his feet. With speed surpassing that of any human, he fled. La Guillotine brought its arms together as though in prayer, then opened them again. A blade shot out from its elbow at unbelievable speeds. No matter how high Kaito raised his physical capabilities, following them visually would be impossible. He snapped his fingers, virtually on instinct alone, and launched five blades into the air. \"La (stop)!\" One of them crashed against La Guillotine's blade. The strength of the impact sent the two slabs of metal spiraling off in opposite directions. As the paladins scurried about to avoid them, each cleft into the earth and vanished, leaving huge gashes in the ground. Kaito breathed a sigh of relief. As he did, though, he felt a chilly breeze at his back. Panicking, he whirled around. Fu\u00e2\u20ac\u201d The red maiden was standing there behind him. With a smile full of affection, Iron Maiden extended its arms. Then its neck was rent to the side. The kindness of its expression didn't waver, even as its head toppled to the ground. It crumbled to pieces, then transformed back into rose petals and scattered. As it vanished into nothing, Hina stood holding her halberd in Iron Maiden's wake. Her emerald eyes were wide and crazed. \"Only I, his companion, am allowed to embrace Master Kaito, you hunk of junk that knows nothing of love.\" \"Thanks, Hin\u00e2\u20ac\u201d No, get back!\" As Kaito shouted, Hina leaped backward. Torture devices and chains had mercilessly borne down on him once more. The back-and-forth between Kaito and Elisabeth continued on in much the same way. At some point, they'd become the only two still fighting. The paladins simply gazed at the two of them, dumbfounded. And Izabella had been captured by Jeanne, who'd finally gotten serious. Deus Ex Machina had merged together and was presently pinning her to the ground. \"Stop that at once! Let me go! Are you listening to me?!\" \"Quiet now, miss. I don't have any more time to play with you. This is turning out to be quite the show.\" Jeanne crossed her arms as she calmly observed the battle. Desperate as they were, Kaito's efforts were impressive. He continually summoned blades, with no time to even gather his breath. Each time the beheading axes and innumerable iron stakes bore down on him, he drove them back. Occasionally calling on aid from Hina and the Kaiser, he successfully continued prolonging his life. The difference in strength between him and Elisabeth was overwhelming. But in spite of that, he continued putting up a valiant fight. Armed with tenacity and zeal, Kaito fought back with all his might. His actions clearly weren't driven by a fear of death, either. It was as though he was crying out in violent protest. \"Like hell I'm gonna let Elisabeth kill me,\" he was screaming. \"Like hell I'm gonna let her kill anyone else she cares about,\" he was screaming. \"To go to such lengths... Such folly, and such conviction.\" Jeanne murmured. Azure and crimson rose petals were whirling like tempests before her eyes. The two masses coalesced, then crashed straight into each other. Each wave of vividly colored darkness was trying viciously to engulf the other. Her dress and hair whirling about in the wind, Elisabeth let out a cry. \"You chose to become the enemy of humanity, Kaito! You chose that path yourself, bearing sins you had no business bearing! That being the case, hurry up and present me your neck already!\" \"Screw that nonsense! And screw dying! Just listen to me, Elisabeth!\" \"No, you listen! What's nonsense is becoming mankind's enemy without the resolve to die doing so! You're but a little sheep, bleating with neither determination nor resolve! Cease your foolery!\" \"It's not like you wanted to die either, right?! It's fine, just listen\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Time and time and time again... You're the one who refused to listen!\" \"What\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"I told you countless times! There was no need for you to bear those sins!\" Chains shot forth, veritable agents of Elisabeth's frustration. They carved at the ground beside Kaito. Having gone too fast, they also cruelly scraped away at the Saint statue's cheeks. Massive fragments toppled to the ground, and dust billowed up where they fell. Agitated cries rose up from among the paladins. Elisabeth ignored them as she called out again. \"'Tis a heavy thing, to harm others, to be loathed by the world, and to constantly shoulder sins, I told you!\" \"Elisabeth...\" \"'Tis too heavy a burden for you to bear, I told you!\" It was like a desperate wail. Or perhaps the screams of a child. Hearing her heartbroken voice, Kaito ground his teeth into his lip. He'd never wanted to make her cry. I swore to myself that I'd protect you. He'd sworn to himself that he'd keep his hero alive, no matter the cost. But had that really been right? Kaito tossed that question around in his mind. Seeing Elisabeth's face, could he state that with any amount of confidence? Did I really make the right choice? Kaito Sena closed his eyes, just for a moment. His younger self sat before him in the darkness, just like he had once before. The young man innocently yearning for his hero gazed questioningly at Kaito. But when he sheepishly reached out and grasped Kaito's fingers, the real Kaito clenched his fists tight as though to squeeze back. And with that, Kaito let out an internal bellow. *** \"I'd rather bear it a million times over than let you die!\" Then, at long last, Kaito Sena snapped. The Earl's Grand Guignol. The Governor's banquet. The Grand King's circus. There was no shortage of things that had sparked Kaito's fury in the past. However, because of his experiences from when he was alive, his emotions had a sort of built-in brake. Whenever he was about to succumb to his negative emotions, he quickly regained his calm. And the decisions he'd been able to make as a result of this trait had come in handy time and time again. But as a result, Kaito Sena had never truly snapped. Yet now, he'd gone well, truly, and completely off the rails. All the common sense, reason, and composure in his brain had evaporated away into nothing. Taken over completely by rage, Kaito snapped his fingers. Six blades, the most he'd ever been able to summon, began whirling above his head. At times, strong emotions, even negative ones, could grant people abnormal bursts of power. His anger had surpassed its limits, and a new image welled up within Kaito. Then Kaito shouted, his eyes open as wide as they would go. \"La (transform).\" The blades lay atop one another, then merged into one. They melted like sugar, writhing as they took on a new form. A jet-black long sword hung in the air. Then it plunged straight down, directly into the earth. Kaito snatched it up by the handle as though selfishly claiming it for himself. Perhaps he'd been unconsciously mimicking Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal, as azure runes glittered across its blade. All things are pardoned unto me. But I am ruled by none. After flashing once atop the jet-black blade, the runes faded"}, {"text": "away. Still holding its handle, Kaito called out the sword's name, as though the weapon itself were speaking through him. \"Nameless.\" Then he swung his black blade down, cleaving through the air and leveling its tip toward Elisabeth. She responded by snapping her fingers. All the torture devices vanished. Only Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal remained. The two of them faced each other, silently. Then they dashed in unison. Unlike when she'd fought against the King's replica, Elisabeth didn't resort to underhanded tactics. Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal and Nameless collided. The blow they'd exchanged was head-on. For a brief moment, a torrent of sparks shot out. Without even pausing to step back, they swung their swords again. Due to the point-blank range, swordsmanship played essentially no role in their fight. It had devolved into a simple slugfest. But if either failed to block so much as a single blow, it would no doubt prove fatal. Such was the savagery of the blows they were trading. Under normal circumstances, neither would have been able to let up for even a moment. Despite that fact, though, they exchanged shouts as well as slashes. \"Screw your promise to the people! Screw your oath! Sure, I know about that! Hell, I've seen the mountains of corpses you've made with my own damn eyes! There's no way you can atone for the sins you've committed! Well, tough shit! The Torture Princess deserves to be put to the stake! But what about me?! What's gonna happen to the guy you saved, huh?!\" \"'Tis hardly my concern! Go live out your second life as you please! Live strong and stand on your own! Why, you even have a wife! Is there no limit to your greed?!\" \"Now who's spouting bullshit?! I'm not the only one! You're just gonna ignore all those people you helped, Elisabeth, all those people you saved, and go off and burn at the stake?! That isn't right! You didn't save us just so we could watch you go get killed! Screw that! There's no way I'm gonna let things end like this!\" Kaito swung his sword like a madman. His cries and his attacks were in sync, and he succeeded in pushing Elisabeth back just a hair. She and her sword were forced back as one. Yet still, she responded to his cries and his blows in kind. \"'Tis naught but your own selfishness speaking!\" \"The hell's wrong with me selfishly choosing to put you above the world?!\" Kaito's words were firm and resolute. Elisabeth bit her lips. Then they swung their swords once more, each imbuing their strike with the full weight of their fury. A loud clanging noise rang out as sword collided with sword. The two blades grated against each other. As he gazed at their relentless battle, one of the paladins let out a vague murmur. \"I don't get it. They're clearly fighting to the death, but...\" ...but if anything, it looked more like a simple quarrel. His words were lost on the two fighters, though, their cries reaching fever pitches as metal grated on metal. \"I died, you know! I lived a worthless, joyless life, and then I died! But because you saved me from that, you're more important to me than the whole world put together! So I don't give a shit! I don't give a shit about the stuff you've done! Here, Elisabeth, here's what I should've said from the very beginning: For my sake, let me save you!\" \"Your arguments made little sense from the start, and now your words are no different! Surely, you know such a trifling reason hardly merits rejecting another's pride, let alone rejecting their lifelong oath!\" \"Sure I know that, but that doesn't change what I have to do!\" \"This is absurd! The whole situation is an absolute mess! The Butcher, 'salvation,' the imminent end of the world, nonsensical matters keep piling up left and right! \"Yeah! And the whole deal about the first demon's flesh!\" \"Hmm?\" \"Huh?\" And then, as though a pin had dropped, the two of them came to an abrupt stop. They each stared at the other, then exchanged quizzical looks. Then, gathering strength in their swords, they each leaped back, before finally surveying their surroundings. Hina was standing by, waiting, and she looked to be on the verge of tears. The paladins had simply been watching the fight in a daze. And in the back, Jeanne still stood beside Izabella, who had been struggling against the machine's arm the entire time. As expressionless as always, albeit with the corners of her lips turned up just a smidge, Jeanne spoke. \"Well? Are you two finished with your little lovers' spat?\" \"\"It's not a lovers' spat!\"\" Kaito and Elisabeth shouted their protests in unison. And that was how, at long last, the two of them finally settled down enough to talk. \"Now that you mention it, there does seem to be some inscrutable little golden lass here, and the Church's orders were decidedly enigmatic. Kaito...to what end did you come here?\" \"The gold girl's name is Jeanne, but it'd take forever to explain her whole story. I asked her where the first bit of demon flesh came from, and she said she'd show me.\" \"The Butcher said much the same\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat by coming here, many things would become clear. Explaining that would prove lengthy as well, though.\" They looked at each other anew, then fell silent. After a while, Elisabeth heaved a heavy sigh. Violently mussing up her bangs, she clicked her tongue in irritation. \"I haven't forgiven you, mind. Nor do I have any intention of doing so hereafter. But it seems a short ceasefire is in order. There are matters we ought to clear up before resolving our conflict.\" \"Yeah, you can say that again.\" Kaito and Elisabeth both nodded. As they did, they sensed someone quickly trot up to them. They both quickly whirled to the side. When they did, they found Hina standing there. She was silent, instead merely gazing at the two of them with her big, round, emerald eyes. Upon seeing her meaningful, teary gaze, both Kaito and Elisabeth found themselves slightly taken aback. Eventually, Kaito smiled to try to set her mind at ease, then extended his hand to her. \"C'mere, Hina.\" Hina took it and squeezed it tight. Then she turned toward Elisabeth. Elisabeth met her gaze with a curt, puzzled frown. Before long, though, Hina's puppy-dog eyes beat her down, and she held out her hand as well. \"All right, all right. Go on, then. But you mustn't forget. This is but a temporary...truce...\" Not waiting for Elisabeth to finish her sentence, Hina took Elisabeth's hand firmly in hers. Based on her expression, Elisabeth was at something of a loss. Hina was still silent. She simply squeezed their two hands with all her might. As she did, a troubled voice rang out from the background. \"Stop this! Unhand me at once! What is the meaning of this?! Am I being taken prisoner?! Even if that's the case, surely there must be a better way to transport me!\" \"Please settle down, miss. You had things you wanted to know, didn't you? And with me kidnapping you like this, you even have a pretext.\" \"But that's...\" Kaito turned to look behind him. Deus Ex Machina had taken on a humanoid form and was carrying Izabella bridal-style. It looked almost affectionate at first glance, but its metal fingers were holding her firmly in place. When she'd heard Jeanne's quiet cajolery, Izabella's expression had wavered. However, she was still nobly pursing her lips, no doubt trying to force out words of protest. Before she could, though, Jeanne went on. \"And one other thing. It ain't often my buddy here takes a liking to someone, ya feel? You're gonna wanna settle down there, li'l lady. You wouldn't want one of those hard bits to shlick into someplace weird, wouldja?\" Upon hearing Jeanne's extreme tone shift, Izabella froze up again. Apparently, her brain had decided to just give up. Not having heard their exchange, several of the paladins rushed over, planning on mounting a valiant rescue for their captured commander. As she turned to face them, Jeanne cast a chilly glare their way. \"I'd stay there if I were you, misters, if you value your commander's life. Who's a good boy? That's right, it's you, you filthy dogs!\" The paladins obediently lowered their swords, and Jeanne gave them a nod. Then her honey-blond hair fluttered as she turned back toward Kaito. She began matter-of-factly giving out instructions. \"Summon Vlad, if you would. His presence will be helpful to explain things going forward.\" \"...I find it nearly impossible to tell if that girl is mad or not, you know.\" \"Yeah, tell me about it.\" As he agreed with Elisabeth's impression, Kaito ran mana through the stone in his pocket. Azure rose petals and darkness swirled to life. As he elegantly crossed his legs in the empty air, Vlad made a displeased remark. \"Good heavens. You forget those you've dragged along with you, then throw yourself into absurd situations time and time again. What a cruel, heartless state of affairs. And it's not even as if I greatly mind the treatment, but I had my doubts as to whether or not you'd survive.\" \"Oh, right. I guess you were in my pocket that whole time.\" \"I'd ask that you try to do a better job of remembering me, my dear successor. Why, I was even kind enough to avoid saying anything about that disappointing display you put on last night; one that anyone but that doll of yours would have been sorely disillusioned by... No, wait, stop that. Do be so kind as to stop trying to smash me against the ground. You shan't hear another peep out of me, I swear.\" Vlad quickly shut up. As the Kaiser gave a deep, amused snort, Elisabeth tilted her head to the side in confusion. Hina, still clutching Kaito's and Elisabeth's hands, kept gently crying, and Izabella resumed her attempts to struggle free. Jeanne looked at the whole ensemble. With the violent battle having finally come to an end, she made a loud declaration. \"Now then, the time is upon us\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlet us proceed and lay bare the secrets of this world.\" Jeanne's gait as she walked was leisurely, as though nothing at all had happened. Behind the whore claiming herself to be a saint of salvation, the enemy of the world, his bride, a peerless sinner, the commander of the Holy Knights, a demon, and the demon's old contractor followed after. The seven of them strode onward, to the site the Church had worked so hard to keep hidden. They strode into the underground tomb, where the kings of old were interred. 8 Ends and Beginnings The interior of the underground tomb was made from materials Kaito was wholly unfamiliar with. Also, there were a number of seals placed on it. If they weren't properly undone by a devout follower of God, they would likely prove fatal. But Jeanne, who was practically the poster girl for atheism, successfully unraveled them one after another. \"Pray for the sacrifices. Think of the sacrifices. Believe in the sacrifices. Come forth, O tears of my people, O lives of my people.\" Snapping her fingers, Jeanne caused a number of gemstones to appear out of thin air. Each time she encountered a seal, she placed one atop it at a carefully selected location, then shattered the seal with ease. Kaito wasn't sure what the trick to it was, but the feat's eccentricity was abundantly clear. As he gazed at Jeanne in wonderment, she turned to him and nodded. \"I can see you're feeling embarrassed about your own incompetence upon seeing how marvelous I am, mister. And I can sympathize with that. But you needn't feel shame over the fact that you're generally worth less than shit. This is what the alchemists who created me, who"}, {"text": "served me, and who died for me stored and refined their mana for, after all.\" \"I mean, I'm not gonna deny that I thought it was impressive, but...\" \"No, my dear successor, it goes far past the level of 'impressive.' Burn this sight into your eyes\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit will undoubtably make for a valuable reference.\" Vlad floated up to a spot beside Kaito, casting his gaze toward the upcoming barrier. The way he then nodded in heartfelt admiration was both unusual and more than a little uncanny. \"I bought demon flesh from the Butcher, but even I knew nothing of this place. I must admit, I'm quite impressed. They've laid out one first-rate barrier after another. Without an entire clan spending generations burning up their lives and knowledge, breaking in would prove nigh impossible. No mere graves require such protection. What on earth might they be hiding within?\" The Kaiser, who was standing beside him, scoffed. For the last little while, he'd been duly playing the part of the canine and sniffing all over their surroundings. Then, with a displeased look on his face, he let out a sneeze and shook his body all over. \"Hmph, what on earth indeed. This place was not built for man. An arrogant odor permeates its walls. It's the odor of mice, scurrying about as they try to receive blessings from a likeness of God... But the odor has a somewhat nostalgic bearing to it as well. Whatever could it mean?\" The Kaiser resumed his sniffing. But it seemed answers still evaded him. He continued following the smell, and Kaito and the others quickly went after him. As they went down the corridor, they passed by a number of rooms, each one boasting a self-contained mausoleum. Each doorway was adorned with stone flowers, and within every one lay an imposing coffin. Luxurious decorations and statues stood guard around the coffins, each set based on anecdotes and tales from the lives of their corresponding kings. As she glanced at each mausoleum out of the corner of her eye, Izabella let out a strained voice. \"Oh, to defile the graves of the kings of old... I am unfit to serve as a commander.\" Still bound by Deus Ex Machina's steel arms, she went as pale as a sheet. If they left her like that, she was liable to end up mentally scarred. W-we should probably do something to help alleviate her guilt... And they needed to explain things to Elisabeth as well. With those two thoughts in mind, Kaito decided to lay out everything he knew while he walked. \"There's some stuff you guys should probably hear. Here's what's been going on up to now...\" Jeanne, who was the original source of most of his information, offered no interjections. She merely hummed in a strangely mechanical fashion. As she heard Kaito's story, Izabella's face stiffened for a whole new reason. \"Paladins made to eat demon flesh, you say? That can't be... But I certainly can't deny the existence of a squad I'd never heard of... And there were inconsistencies in the number of people listed as having died defending the Capital...\" Izabella began muttering to herself. She'd clearly had prior inklings that something was amiss. As Izabella lost herself in her thoughts, a dangerous crimson glare flashed across Elisabeth's face. \"A second, artificially made Torture Princess, you say? The Butcher did mention something about people working to prevent some event from occurring... You mean to tell me that this girl is the result of that?\" The black, naturally made Torture Princess cast a glance at her golden counterpart's back. Jeanne offered no answer, of course. Elisabeth, not offering much in the way of words to Jeanne, either, continued speaking. \"So the Church bolstered their strength by forcing paladins to consume demon flesh, then made an attempt on Jeanne's life. Jeanne's efforts were obstructing the Church's work, then. But what was their goal, and what was hers? The Butcher spoke of this as well...\" After hearing Elisabeth's story, Kaito narrowed his eyes as he thought back over what she'd just said. \"I'd never thought someone would rise to oppose the dreadful end of the story that the fourteen tragedies mark the beginning of. Though your two tales may be small in the scope of things, the results they bear may be monumental indeed,\" huh. Kaito pictured a large chessboard in his mind. The board was the world. The Butcher's schemes and Vlad's avarice had placed fourteen demonic pawns atop it. But although the pawns had been successfully destroyed, large cracks and fissures had spread across the board. Now, the Church's new, twisted pawns were facing off against a white queen. The crimson king and queen, who'd been fighting up until then, were currently floating off to the side. The Butcher had described the two of them as irregularities. He and Elisabeth had carried out their role, which was to defeat the fourteen demons, but supposedly, their efforts had had little effect on the battle at large. Now, though, they had an opportunity to play an even greater part. Something's been thrown into motion, but what? Or, no, maybe it was set into motion a long time ago. Kaito's head ached, and he pressed his fingers against his forehead. Then he gazed at the honey locks before him. There was no doubt in his mind that of all the people present, Jeanne was standing closest to the truth. But she still wasn't saying anything. Continuing to hum, she shattered the next seal with a pearl-gray stone. The group descended a set of stairs. With each floor they went down, the seals blocking their path grew in strength. Then Izabella let out a dumbfounded cry. \"What is the meaning of this? The tomb is only supposed to have five floors!\" The sixth floor wasn't supposed to exist, but it stood before them regardless, the barrier guarding it more colorful and bombastic than the others. No king was interred there, that much was clear. The room should have been empty, yet its barrier was strong enough to take out a hundred underlings in an instant. Kaito was concerned\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwould Jeanne really be able to break through it? But Jeanne's voice when she spoke was light, a stark contrast to her steely face. \"That's some baby crap. Your shit's softer than silk, you crazy fucks. If you wanted to protect it, you shoulda put your lives on the line. We used up an entire goddamn clan; how's that for crazy?\" And then, as though she were trashing a child's secret hideout, Jeanne destroyed it. The stairwell they descended seemed to go on forever. At the end of it, though, they arrived at a massive door. An image of the Saint had been expertly carved on its surface. However, she didn't look the same as the myriad times Kaito had seen her before. There was one key difference between it and the statues of her hung upside down that he was familiar with. Dumbfounded, Kaito let out a murmur. \"...She's standing.\" Her feet were planted firmly on the ground. And she didn't appear to be in any pain, either. A demi-human apostle was kneeling before her. Jeanne held a red jewel over the Saint's eye, and the stone melted away, as though extreme heat had been applied to it. As it did, red light flashed across the entire door like lightning. Bloody tears began pouring from the Saint's eyes. Then the door opened on its own, creaking, as it slowly revealed the interior of the room. And when it did, a bizarre voice rang out from inside. It was like a monster, screaming. It was like a human, moaning. \"...What is that thing?\" \"A guardian the Grave Keeper created.\" Jeanne replied coolly to Izabella's shocked question. But no matter how one looked at it, the thing sitting in the middle of the room hardly looked like a \"guardian\" of any sort. It was a snowy owl fused with strangely swollen blobs of flesh. The owl's head was glowing white and giving off a holy aura. It resembled the beasts La Mules had summoned. But its bottom half was made up of repulsively intertwined feelers. The aura they gave off was sinister. If that thing was really a human's creation, then they'd clearly done something horribly taboo. Izabella let out a horrified murmur. \"That...that can't... The Grave Keeper couldn't have... Not something like that...\" Its wet feelers were spread and buried throughout the room, like roots on a tree. And they were pulsating. The Kaiser let out a deep growl, then spoke in a furious roar. \"This is no laughing matter... This, too, is blasphemy; blasphemy against the very nature of demons! Vlad, do you see this? Why does that thing have the vile head of one of God's messengers?\" \"How brilliant. They borrowed God's power, summoned one of His beasts, then forced it to eat demon flesh. A triumph of the imagination.\" Vlad was barely paying attention to the Kaiser. His voice with thick with ecstasy. Izabella opened her eyes wide, utterly aghast. Her cheeks quivered. She was barely keeping herself from screaming, her heart clearly racked by despair and an overwhelming feeling of emptiness. Kaito could understand a little of what she was feeling. That thing's existence violates the very foundation of her beliefs. A monster, formed from a divine creation being forced to eat demon flesh, was sitting within the underground tomb that the Church had been protecting. It represented a complete and utter betrayal of everything the people believed in. \"A\u00e2\u20ac\u201da question, if I may. Are you, in fact, a messenger of God?\" In an impressive display of rationality, Izabella called out to the snowy owl. Then, still trembling, she continued. \"U-under what beliefs d-do you guard this\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" The owl whirled its head around in the unique manner owls do and stared directly at them. When it did, Izabella choked on her words. Kaito gulped as well. The owl's eyes were gold, as big as dinner plates, and utterly filled with madness. Like a missionary dispensing doctrine, Jeanne explained the monster's condition. \"Those who eat demon flesh obtain great power but must in exchange offer the pain of others to their body as compensation. Just like myself and the black Torture Princess, the monster before us has likely obtained sufficient pain to maintain its body. But God's power and Diablo's power repel each other. Its mind and body were unable to maintain the mental and physical strain, bringing about this warped transformation. All that remains of it is the desire to destroy everything its eyes chance upon. A handy watchdog, ain't it! One of them real 'abandon hope, all ye who enter' types!\" For the last bit, Jeanne's voice was ringing with ridicule. Taking that as their cue, the feelers throughout the room began writhing with animosity. The unpleasant sound of mucus slapping against mucus echoed out. Izabella covered her scarred face with one hand, then shook her head from side to side again and again. \"This is mad... This is utter, utter madness! Why does something like that exist? Why is it here, in the underground royal tomb? Just what is it we believed in? What exactly have we been protecting?!\" \"Lift up your head, miss. There are many good and proper things you've protected, you know. But you noticed, didn't you? Even just a little? Something was gradually going askew. But you foolishly averted your eyes. This is the price you pay for your blindness.\" Jeanne's voice once more took on the ring of a priest giving a lecture. She mercilessly continued her dignified remonstration. \"Look closely and behold. Why do you think I led a stray sheep like you here, O representative of humanity? You are a leader, though perhaps only in name.\" \"Yes...you're right. So I am. So...I was.\" Biting her lip so hard that she drew blood, Izabella looked back up. Tears were spilling down from her"}, {"text": "eyes. With those same eyes, she focused her vision on the monster whose very existence she would just as soon have denied. The snowy owl began moving in earnest. Its massive head spun as it glided forward. Dragged along by its upper half, its mass of feelers moved as well. For a moment, Kaito felt as though the entire room had charged forward. That was just how extensive its writhing, mucus-covered flesh was. \"Master Kaito.\" \"On it.\" Kaito, accompanied by Hina, tried to take a step forward. However, he could have spared himself the effort. The loud, high-pitched noise of heels clicked and echoed throughout the room. The black Torture Princess and the golden Torture Princess had stepped forward first. The two of them stood side by side. Then, as though they were mirrored reflections of each other, they raised opposite hands. Darkness and light swirled atop their palms as they fearlessly faced down their sacred, profane, hideous foe. Crimson and gold flower petals danced. White light and black darkness spun. One spoke with naked fury, and the other emotionlessly murmured. \"Just die already!\" \"Good night, slave.\" The next moment, the crimson, gold, black, and white exploded. The Torture Princesses weren't relying on their torture devices and machines. Not fearing the onrushing feelers in the slightest, the two of them were firing off swords directly. Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk! Thousands of swords designed for decapitation impaled the snowy owl through its body. It looked like a living pincushion. Opening its beak, it let out a miserable, throaty voice. \"Ahhhhhhh, ahhhhhhh, AHHHHHHH, aHhHhHhH.\" Its voice was neither avian nor monstrous. It was the voice of a human. As he heard that, a terrible possibility welled up within Kaito's mind. The birds La Mules summoned vanished right away. Why, then, had the owl before them not? Perhaps, in order to secure the summoned beast to this world, they'd mixed a human in as well. That was the horrible suspicion Kaito had. But between his sentimentality and his revulsion, he had no space left to thoroughly examine that possibility. \"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!\" The scream went up in pitch, rising nearly to the level of a shriek. After forcing her way out of Deus Ex Machina's arms, Izabella hit the ground running. Then, upon crashing into the sword-ridden owl, she grabbed the handle of one sword buried particularly deep in the bird's chest and twisted it. The snowy owl screamed even more violently. As it did, Izabella wrenched the sword free. A horrible squelching noise resounded throughout the chamber. Dark blood gushed from the wound and ran across the floor. The sword had been puncturing the owl's pulsating heart. Its massive eyes still as wide as dinner plates, the owl convulsed. Its head and torso began transforming into white light, and the feelers comprising the rest of its body turned into black feathers. Halfway through, though, both transformations stopped. Its tragic corpse then toppled to the ground, the right to even vanish as a demon or a holy creature taken from it. Izabella was drenched in blood. The sword clanged against the ground as she dropped it, and when she looked up, her face was trembling. For a second, it looked like she was going to collapse. But she managed to right her footing with willpower alone. She then placed her arm horizontally over her chest and gave a bow. \"No longer must you be bound by the chains of your tortured existence. Your efforts guarding the tomb did not go unnoticed.\" That was the dedication she gave to the monster. Nobody else said a thing. As though it were accepting her words, the man-made monster drifted into its eternal slumber. Its feelers stopped twitching. After confirming that fact, Izabella toppled to the ground. Then she broke into a silent sob. She cried and she cried, as though trying to parse the absurdity of it all and change it all into rage. A massive pool of blood spread through the room. Izabella sat motionless in it. \"Hey, Izabella...\" Kaito called out to her in hopes of comforting her. But before he could finish, the light sound of footsteps splashing echoed through the room. Jeanne had approached Izabella with an easy, almost dance-like gait. To everyone's surprise, she spun forward and wrapped Izabella up in a tight hug. Izabella's eyes went wide. Jeanne's expression was as cold as always, but her embrace was warm and kind. \"I knew I liked ya for a reason, li'l lady. Fools demonstrating their pride is not so unpleasant a thing. You got a backbone on ya.\" Using her own pale hand, Jeanne wiped the blood off Izabella's face. After wiping away the filth, she stroked Izabella's scarred skin as she went on speaking. \"Their weakness is precisely what drives the foolish to be strong. That was the ideal you were striving toward, miss. You're a good kid.\" Upon hearing the gentle words, Izabella blinked several times. But she didn't have a chance to reply. Deus Ex Machina scooped her up in its arms once again. \"No, I... This again?\" Izabella tried to resist. But a moment later, she wearily let her body go limp. She seemed to have given up and was now obediently allowing herself to be carried. Standing up herself, Jeanne raised her bloody hands. \"Come now, just a little farther\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhow exciting.\" Kaito cast another glance around the room. He hadn't noticed at first due to the feelers covering it, but the room was constructed like a large hall. To his alarm, the walls didn't seem to have any joints or seams on them, and a number of delicate crystalline lamps hung from the room's hemispherical ceiling. Was this room really made by people? Kaito found that fact dubious. At the same time, he realized that the room offered no way for them to advance. He couldn't see any hallways or stairs branching off it. It was a dead end. The one thing he did see, though, was a deep carving in one of the stone wall's sections that had been covered up by feelers. The carving's craftsmanship was so impressive that the person depicted seemed to be alive. Kaito walked up to it. The Saint was embracing something swaddled in cloth, but it was impossible to see what lay within. What was clear, though, was the Saint's benevolent smile. A demi-human attendant was standing beside her. His face was cast in shadow, concealed by his hood. Kaito let out a dazed whisper. \"...The Butcher?\" Putting the dots together, Kaito thought back to the statue he'd seen in the Capital's plaza. A statue of the Saint shedding tears of blood had been installed next to Godd Deos's headquarters. And in front of her had been another statue, a kneeling apostle wrapped from the head down in tattered rags. Surprisingly, the apostle had been a demi-human. Legs with scales engraved in them and sharp claws had peeked out from the bottom edge of the rags. He'd looked as though he was both rejoicing in and lamenting the Saint's suffering. Absentmindedly, Kaito reached out to touch the engraving. Before his hand reached it, though, someone grabbed him by the wrist. Elisabeth had been the one to stop him. She spoke, her voice cold. \"Do you have a death wish? Go on, then\u00e2\u20ac\u201dtouch it. Not even ash will remain.\" \"Oh. Uh, my bad.\" Kaito narrowed his eyes and appraised the amount of mana stored in the wall. Elisabeth had been completely right. It was hard to tell at just a glance, but the entire wall was covered in a fiendish barrier. Anyone who touched it would probably have their very existence annihilated. But then he tilted his head to the side in puzzlement. There was something odd about the mana the barrier was giving off. It's the same here...good and evil mixed together. Sacred mana blended together with malicious mana, sealing the wall up firmly. It was at that moment that Kaito realized something. \"Wait, this thing isn't designed to protect something, is it?\" Something was hidden there. Or perhaps it was sealed away there. That was the impression Kaito had gotten. But...what? His ominous premonitions worsened as he carefully looked back over the mana and the general vibe the wall was giving off. Then he realized that there was something lurking on the other side of the sturdy wall. What...what is that? Is that a noise I hear? Kaito strained his ears, taking great care not to touch the wall. After a moment, he realized what the nature of the noise was. Something was breathing, inhaling and exhaling at a steady, fixed rhythm. Something was sleeping back there. Like a child, taking a calm, tranquil nap. \"Now then, today shall be a day worth commemorating. Let us unveil the secret within.\" There wasn't a tinge of fear in Jeanne's voice. She opened her palms wide. A black jewel sat atop one, a white jewel atop the other. When she pressed them together, they merged into one, then transformed into the shape of a key. Once they had, Jeanne thrust it into the face of whatever it was the Saint was holding. \u00e2\u20ac\u201dGrgrahhh. As the strange noise rang out, Jeanne gave a sweet, gentle whisper. \"Beyond that wall lies the true source of the flesh we ate.\" Apparently, the groaning noise from a moment ago had indicated it was now unlocked. The hefty wall began shifting, creaking and kicking up dust as it went. Like a chastity belt dropping, the Church's revolting, long-kept secret was laid bare. Beyond the hefty wall sat a child's bedroom. It was quiet inside. The deep, deep silence within felt as though it had lasted centuries, if not millennia. At first glance, it didn't look like anything besides a room for a normal child, its walls decorated with wallpaper and ribbons. It was a harmless, charming little room. But a second glance would reveal the room's dark, twisted nature. There were human faces sprouting from the wallpaper in place of a floral design. All of them were wordlessly writhing. Although they had no vocal cords, their mouths were contorted into silent, anguished screams. As for the ribbons hanging overhead, they were made from various types of human entrails, dangling from the stomachs of people suspended in the air. And given their vivid hues, the owners were still alive. And in the center of that grotesque, pain-adorned room sat a massive cradle. It seemed almost cruel how pure a shade of white it was, the only unsullied object in the room. Within it, something was sleeping. Whatever it was, human vocabulary was ill equipped to describe it. It was alive. It was in deep slumber. It had flesh. If someone wished to describe it in words, that would have to be enough. \"That there is the first demon\u00e2\u20ac\u201da far higher entity than the fourteen who descended after it, and a being with the power to shatter the world's very foundations.\" Though she faced a horror that surpassed human comprehension, Jeanne's speech was dispassionate. Kaito found himself at a loss for words. That thing isn't supposed to exist in this world. He thought back to the exposition Elisabeth had given him right after he'd reincarnated. \"We call the entity who created the world 'God' and that which destroys it 'Diablo.' Hence, Diablo can only interfere with the world of man once God has abandoned it. But there is an exception. If Diablo has a contractor, then all bets are off. \"But summoning Diablo, who possesses enough power to destroy the entire world, is no small feat, and there is no one vessel who can contain it, so it has yet to manifest.\" That was how things were supposed to be, yet there could be no mistaking the fact that Diablo, who held enough power to destroy the entire world, was sleeping before them. The Kaiser said nothing, his thoughts inscrutable. A sublime smile was plastered across"}, {"text": "Vlad's face. Hina was making no efforts to hide her revulsion, and Izabella was wearing the expression of a child who'd just been struck by a parent. Something that shouldn't exist, exists. Faced with that irreconcilable contradiction, Kaito felt a wave of vertigo. Elisabeth shook her head from side to side as she cast a sidelong glance his way. Then, with a displeased look on her face, she posed a question to Jeanne. \"Without a contractor, Diablo should be unable to manifest in this world. Who, then, is this thing's contractor? My power is all but supreme, and not even my body could withstand such a feat. Nor is it possible for Vlad, nor the Grand King, nor you. The vessel would shatter. No man should be qualified.\" \"That isn't the case, though. A person with such power does exist, a person that even the stray sheep are familiar with.\" Jeanne's answer bordered on singsong. Kaito and Elisabeth furrowed their brows. If such a person really existed, they'd have to be a pretty big deal. Ignoring their doubts, though, Jeanne launched into a seemingly unrelated story. \"The Saint manifested God through her body, saved the world, then fell into an eternal slumber. Because of that, it can be said the world of man was built atop her suffering, her devotion, and her sacrifice. That forms the basis of the Church's doctrine. But therein lies a contradiction. The Saint manifested God through her body and rebuilt the world. In that case, though, who was the one who destroyed it?\" \"...That would be Diablo, naturally. No. Wait.\" Elisabeth covered her mouth. Kaito, too, noticed the contradiction. \"Diablo can only interfere with the world of man once God has abandoned it.\" If that was the case, then the Saint shouldn't have been able to manifest God. After all, once God abandoned the world, then as one of his creations, she, too, would have been a target for destruction. The mystery had been dangling right in front of everyone's noses, yet none of them had even noticed it. The world had been saved once. But what had happened right before that? \"Exactly, miss. Normally, there's no way that God could have responded to a human's summons and dwelled within their body. All humans would have been destroyed the moment he abandoned the world, after all. In other words, the order is backward.\" \"...Backward?\" \"Even though God had yet to renounce the world, Diablo destroyed it anyway. That was why God appeared in response to a human's summons, and that was why He rebuilt it. The girl who carried God within her body, the girl who wasn't destroyed, was the only person left in the world. But if she could summon God, she would also have been able to form a contract with a demon of equal power. In other words...\" The chains on Jeanne's wrists rattled and jingled as she raised one index finger in front of her lips. Then, as though she were telling them a secret, she divulged the truth that had been hidden for so long. \"First, the girl formed a contract with the mighty Diablo. While it's unclear what her objective was, she was unable to maintain control and ended up destroying the world. In her regret, she summoned God, formed a contract with Him, and rebuilt the world. But she was unable to endure her two contracts, nor was she able to die, so instead, she fell into a deep slumber. That is what it all means.\" And in that moment, one of the fundamental doctrines underpinning human society crumbled at its very foundation. A crack formed in Izabella's expression. But Jeanne didn't stop, instead making one last declaration. \"The Suffering Saint, the one venerated by the Church, is none other than the first demon's contractor.\" And because of that, the Church had hidden away the first demon, the one she'd called forth. The alchemists must have obtained its flesh before its existence had been covered up. Then, knowing it would one day awaken, they went into hiding and began preparing countermeasures. And for some reason, the Saint's apostle, the Butcher, had bided his time before giving the demon's flesh to those wishing to form contracts. Kaito and Elisabeth thought back on what the Butcher had told her. \"It's a nonsensical little fairy tale, and one that's gone on for a very, very long time. There are those who've worked to bring these events about, and those who've worked to prevent them.\" \"In the course of the slaying of the fourteen demons, the chessboard sustained heavy damage. The upper echelons of the Church, a number of their fanatics, and some of those who wish to escape the burden of having to restore the Capital seek to awaken the first demon, expand the destruction, and in doing so, urge God to rebuild the world. They believe that when the destroyed world is restored, the righteous devotees will remain.\" \"There's no way. That line of thinking is way too optimistic.\" Kaito replied, his voice cold. Of all the people present, his knowledge pool was the shallowest. But despite that, he was confident in his assertion. Ever since he'd seen La Mules firsthand, he'd known. God created the world, and Diablo destroyed it. That was all there was to their respective existences. The fact remained that neither was an entity man was meant to interact with. \"Yes, very much so. Rebuilding is the act of blotting out the current painting, then drawing a new one atop it.\" Jeanne reaffirmed Kaito's sentiments. Kaito envisioned the scene in his mind. People were frolicking atop a massive canvas and painting a picture. But now, warped fissures ran across the painting. Then someone sitting in front of the canvas abruptly picked up a brush. And the first thing they did was paint over the picture with black. \"If a new world is born, then all humanity with the exception of the Saint, the painter, will perish. I was created to prevent that. But my knowledge of the common world is lacking. The alchemists lacked the power to accompany me, instead choosing to die and become my nourishment, but their final request to me was that I made sure I found suitable servants.\" After having heard what Jeanne had to say, Kaito was now keenly aware of the difference between Jeanne's \"salvation\" and the Church's. One side wanted to preserve the world as it was, and the other wanted to build the world anew. I still don't know what motive the Butcher had for selling demon flesh, though. No matter what reason he may have had, though, the seeds of evil he'd planted had successfully borne fourteen demonic fruits. And he'd described Kaito and Elisabeth's resistance as \"unexpected.\" Not knowing that the stage they'd been fighting atop had been prepared long before, the two of them had taken up the sword and fought. Countless people had died in the course of their desperate resistance. But apparently, their efforts had changed nothing. Right now, the final flower was trying to bloom. And Jeanne was trying to nip it in the bud. Then the maiden of salvation who proclaimed herself the saint and the whore gave her haughty continuation. \"Now, dear Lovers, you understand the truth, and the gravity of the situation. Kaito Sena. Elisabeth Le Fanu. I know that the two of you are destined to fight each other to the death. But now you must throw that all away and serve me as faithful slaves.\" She turned her rosy gaze directly on the two of them. And when she did, Jeanne de Rais, the artificial Torture Princess, went on as though it were only natural. \"At this rate, our world will be destroyed, and not so much as a trace will remain.\" Her words rang out through the chamber like a final verdict. Afterword Hello, Keishi Ayasato here. We've finally arrived at Volume 4. Thank you all so much for buying the fourth volume of Torture Princess. The new Torture Princess has finally arrived, and we've entered a new chapter of the story. A number of the world's secrets were all revealed at once this time\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat did you all think? The upcoming twists and developments will build right off the big events that just happened, so I suspect things will continue on at a nonstop pace from here on out, too. To tell you the truth, I'm actually working on Volume 5 as I write this afterword, and I'm planning on pounding out page after page after page, so please look forward to the story's continuation. Also, I had the rare chance to write an extremely lovey-dovey scene in this book, which was a lot of fun. I hope we meet again in the next volume, where you can find out, among other things, if the two of them are able to continue enjoying their filthy normie lives. Oh, and while we're on the subject of Torture Princess, it was fortunate enough to receive a manga adaptation! The wonderful Hina Yamato is in charge of the adaptation, and it's being serialized by ComicWalker and Nico Nico Seiga. Elisabeth is more beautiful than ever, and the Knight's underling and Iron Maiden are drawn in such detail and with such impact. I'm filled to the brim with gratitude. Hina Yamato is such a skillful craftswoman, and the manga was so wonderful that I found myself engrossed to the point where I read through the whole thing in one sitting. It would make me oh-so-very happy if you all checked it out. The official Twitter account, @goumonhime, is also up, so please take a look at that as well. In addition to the manga adaptation, I was given the privilege of writing a series of short stories. At the time of this writing, Chapter 1: Kaito's Daily Routine (Frontside) just came out. And if there's a Frontside, there must, of course, be a Backside as well. In it, I decided to take a look at the daily lives of Kaito, Hina, Elisabeth, and the other characters. It's coming out alongside Hina Yamato's manga adaptation, so I hope you all look forward to it. It's going to be a heartwarming story, but perhaps a little disquieting as well. And as always, Ms. Ukai drew a beautiful illustration for it! Truly, it's a feast for the eyes! Back when I was in Torture Princess's planning stages, I never dreamed it would become a mixed-media franchise. I'm so deeply grateful for these unexpected opportunities I've been receiving. All this is thanks to Ms. Ukai, Ms. Hina Yamato, my editor O, my designer, everyone involved on the publishing and the mixed-media sides of things, and above all else, all of you readers. Not a day goes by where I don't feel thankful. The only way I can think of to repay you is to write the most interesting stories I possibly can, so I plan to keep working as hard as I can. I'm going to give it my all! And as always, thanks to my family for all your support. And I'll sneak in an extra big thanks for my sister, who always gives me advice when I need it most. And one last giant thanks to my readers! It brings me such happiness to have my story read by so many people and in so many ways, both through novels and through manga. I'm going to go full speed ahead on the future volumes, so I hope you all look forward to it. And on that note, I pray we will reunite someday. As the world's skin peels back, the story will continue until it reaches its end. Thus, He Spoke He dreamed. A dream of long, long ago. He was being held up in a pair of warm, white arms. From the moment he was created, he had been complete. He was unseemly, and completely different from all other living creatures."}, {"text": "Because of that, he'd never had a chance to rely on the assistance of another. He'd never had the body of an infant. So that was the first and final time in his long, long life that someone had ever held him. Back when the world was yet white, he was the first thing they'd created. No matter how long he lived, he would never forget what he'd seen as he first attained awareness in those slender arms. It was but the faintest of memories, but it came to define the entire rest of his life. It was the reason he'd accepted the demon flesh. She'd appeared one day carrying a lump of something swaddled in red cloth. This was before she had ever shed tears of blood, or was hung upside down, or was spoken of far and wide. She'd cast an affectionate smile toward the thing in the cloth, the kind one might offer to a baby. Within it was a dark-crimson mound of flesh. She was carrying demon flesh. The moment he saw it, he grasped just how deep her madness and malice ran. But when she passed it to him with the reverence one would have for their own child, he took it and held it tight. And even knowing how horrible it was, how profane it was, he protected it so as to pass it on to future generations. Even knowing how wrong everything was becoming, that was the choice he made. This is a story from long, long ago. It is a tale too horrible to be called Genesis, too tragic. That was why he chose to call it a fairy tale. Despite the grand role he'd been assigned, he had no name. She had never thought to give him one. In his heart, he knew. He knew exactly how little he meant to her. She felt no need to name him, nor even give him a nickname. She had no reason to call for him. As long as he acted as her apostle, that was all she needed from him. After all, he was nothing more than another one of the seeds of evil she'd planted. He was one of the seeds she'd buried away in the nooks and crannies of the paint-covered canvas. He wasn't even allowed to die of his own volition. That was how meager of an existence he was. But even though he'd known that, he still took his order to heart and lived his life accordingly. It was almost too long a time to be considered \"life,\" however. Even meaningless battles can lead to valuable encounters. In following with his other order, he fought to solidify human society and build a foundation for the circulation of goods. The foundation of the Five Great Guilds brought a degree of peace to the land, but the battle against the Legend Dragon and the war over the rights to the Mana Egg were nevertheless fierce in the extreme. There was also no shortage of people who named themselves in the same fashion as he, such as the Egg Seller and the Fishmonger, and they fought among themselves a great deal. But thanks to various turns of events, they helped give stability to the trade routes he'd pioneered. He'd met countless people, and it was impossible to count all those he'd parted ways with. They'd all been his friends, but in a much greater sense, they'd all just been his enemies. He'd run into people from all walks of life and shared drinks, songs, and journeys with them. Even though he was the world's enemy, he worked hard as a merchant to help it flourish. Now, those bygone days seemed like they'd been mere fleeting phantoms of the past. Ah, the memories... Good heavens, though, I'm rather impressed I was able to sleep in a position such as this. Perhaps singing my own praises is gauche, but I suppose there's nobody left to listen anyways, is there? Having just opened his eyes inside the Gibbet, the Butcher found himself lost in idle thought. Say, for instance, the five thousand men he'd had under his command. Say, for instance, the ten thousand friends he'd made. Say, for instance, the three people he'd held great affection for. If someone were to ask him, \"Did you ever find it painful, when you looked at them and saw how radiant they were?\" He would assuredly answer \"No.\" Just that one word. No. He'd truly had fun along the way. And the joy it had brought him had been real as well. Especially as of late\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe days he'd spent in the castle he'd visited and surveyed had been exceptional. He'd grown fond of the little trio, and he'd really loved idly dropping by to make merry. He enjoyed it when customers appreciated his goods, and it brought him joy to hear them espouse how delicious they were. He was sad when they got hurt, and thrilled when they thanked him. But there was nothing more to it than that. That was something the Butcher could say decisively. \"If Mr. Dim-Witted Servant were here, I'm sure he'd describe that as sad. What a good-hearted young man he is.\" The Butcher muttered quietly to himself from within the Gibbet. He'd liked him so much that he'd given them a hand looking after the lovely automaton, even going so far as to lend her his strength. The Butcher then skillfully shifted his weight, causing the cramped cage to rock. Its sturdy chain rattled and creaked. After giving up on that strategy, the Butcher looked out over the room. Not even scraps remained from his earlier feast. According to Elisabeth, the troll arm had been dreadful. However, the rare slime-steak had been surprisingly palatable. The dragon tail, on the other hand, had been far too tough. It had gotten the worst reception of them all. He'd had little reason to come out of his way and cook meat for the Torture Princess. Yet he had. And this was what had become of him. Even so, though, he had no regrets. He didn't think of it as sad at all. The time had always been coming, and now it had come. That was all there was to it. \"...For that is the type of creature I am, after all.\" All for you, my dear customers. And all for one. He'd lived his life up until then by those two contradictory principles. And in all likelihood, he'd keep doing so to the very end. Say, for instance, the five thousand men he'd had under his command all died. Say, for instance, the ten thousand friends he'd made all perished. Say, for instance, the three people he'd held great affection for all went to their slumber furious. If none of them ever smiled at him again, that would surely be painful. But there had only ever been one moment in which his life had been given meaning. \"...Now then, as the enemy of the world, I suppose I'd best start acting the part.\" Suddenly, the Butcher let out a murmur. Then he spat out an intricately tangled wire from within the darkness of his hood. Then, still standing, he dislocated his wrist. With movements no human could have executed, he wriggled his limp arm and began using the wire to fiddle with the Gibbet's door. Eventually, the lock clicked open. For just a moment, the Butcher narrowed his eyes. The moment he left would truly mark the beginning of the end. He would have to start acting in a manner befitting the enemy of all that lived. And for that reason, he let out a faint murmur. \"I thoroughly enjoyed myself, Madam Elisabeth, Ms. Lovely Maid, Mr. Dim-Witted Servant. That's as true as true can be. The living need fun in order to keep on living, after all. And when I watched you all fight back against it, you were truly, truly radiant. Even so...\" The Butcher threw the door open wide. His voice went low when he finally picked up where he'd left off. \"...Even so, the fairy tale must come to an end.\" And then, with a tap, the enemy of the world hopped down onto the stone floor. A Tale from Long, Long Ago There was nothing there. And yet, at the same time, there was everything. If one was to describe that place, the most apropos comparison would be to a blank white canvas. Nothing meaningful was painted atop it. In other words, one could paint over it to their heart's content. It was empty, and it was free. There was nothing there, yet there was everything. To one with the privilege of wielding a brush, it was akin to an ideal, perfect paradise. After all, they could create Heaven there, one that aligned exactly with their desires. If they wanted to, they could even create Hell. But such freedoms weren't afforded to the one who bore the brush this time. The reason for that lay in the fact that she was a peerless sinner. She bore grave crimes upon her back. She had no choice but to bear responsibility for the scars she'd carved in the canvas's predecessor. Because of that, she had to build the skies, build the earth, and birth the seas. She had to make vegetation flourish across the land. She had to craft the moon and stars. She had to release fish and birds and beasts and livestock out into the world. Then, after making humans, beastfolk, and demi-humans, she rested. That was the fate she imposed upon herself. Fleeing her atonement would have been unforgivable. She knew. She knew that in the world to come, all would revere her. Unlike the resentful voices of those on the verge of annihilation she'd once heard, she would doubtless be hailed as a \"Saint\" and be offered up countless commendations. She would be the mother of all who existed, after all. She would probably even be prayed to, hailed as the \"Suffering Saint\" who sacrificed herself for her children. But for the rest of eternity, nobody would ever consider what she had truly felt. Without trying to learn what she'd been like before she'd become the Saint and her tale became embellished, they would have no way of even doing so. But she had no intention of condemning them for that fact. That was simply the way the masses were. The same had been true in the world prior. They would hear only what they wanted to hear, see only what they wanted to see. Flocks of sheep were, fundamentally, stupid. And that was the way things ought to be. But at the end of the day, was that truly not a sin? The ignorant had no right to cast blame, did they? She remained unforgiven, yet forgiveness was precisely what they would receive. Therein lay an inescapable contradiction. If that was the case, then, didn't that make their entire way of life fundamentally wrong? All alone, she eventually became obsessed with that notion. After troubling over that fact for quite some time, she created a certain something. It was wholly unlike the land and the sea and the plants and the moon and the stars, wholly unlike the fish and the birds and the beasts and the livestock, and wholly unlike the humans and the beastfolk and the demi-humans. She chose a demi-human as its base, but in order to grant it a long life, she mixed in so many other things that they became wholly unrecognizable. And that was how she created her hideous, adorable attendant, one who would serve only her. At present, she was standing before him, cradling a lump swaddled in red cloth in her arms. She had yet to shed tears of blood, nor had she been hung upside down. She merely looked at the lump in her arms with an affectionate smile on her lips. The rebuilding was still in"}, {"text": "its initial stages then, and the world was a clean slate. Even the wind had yet to blow. But by some miracle, the lump peeked out from behind the cloth. It lasted only a moment, but its reddish-black alien form was laid bare. The thing she was cradling was a lump of demon flesh. Stooping down, she presented the bundle to her attendant. Then she gently passed the seed of evil to him, as though she were entrusting him with her own child. And the attendant obediently took it. He hugged the repulsive lump of meat tightly, like he was trying to protect it. \"What a good boy you are,\" she whispered. \"What a good, good boy you are,\" she praised him in her sweet, sweet, madness-tinged voice. It was a story from long, long ago. A tale too horrible to be called Genesis, too tragic. But it was also far too twisted to pass off as a fairy tale. 1 Innocent Victims Thanks to the efforts of the Torture Princess and her servant, the fourteen demons were successfully defeated and slain. Humanity's desperate fight had finally reached its conclusion. But the battle left the world acutely wounded, like a chessboard with cracks running down its surface. The Capital, in particular, had been scarred and defiled. And that had brought forth a new problem. The upper echelons of the Church, a number of their fanatics, and some of those who wished to escape the burden of having to restore the Capital sought to awaken the first demon, expand the destruction, and in doing so urge God to rebuild the world. They believed that when the world was mended, the pious faithful would remain. But that line of thinking was naive in the extreme and shallower than the dreams of a child. God created the world, and Diablo destroyed it. That was the extent of their existences. Rebuilding was nothing more than the act of blotting out the current portrait, then painting a new one on top of it. Other than the one holding the paintbrush, everyone would die. That was the answer awaiting them. Also, in the underbelly of the world, there existed those who had worked to bring those events about, and there existed those who had worked to prevent it. The Butcher was the former, and he had sold Vlad demon flesh in order to bring calamity down on the world. The fourteen demons were destroyed, but the damage they left was more than sufficient to push people into desiring the world's restructuring. The flower of malice was blooming proud and vibrant. The latter, those who worked to prevent it, were a group of alchemists, and they sacrificed their entire clan to bring forth a new Torture Princess. She was a maiden of salvation, a self-proclaimed oppressor of slaves, savior of the world, saint, and whore. Jeanne de Rais. On her guidance, Kaito and the others were currently deep in the sealed-away bowels of the Capital's underground tomb. The room they were in was modeled after a nursery. At first glance, it looked to be cutely adorned. But the decorations' true nature was that of grotesque agony. Living human heads were embedded in the walls in place of a floral wallpaper, and intestines dangled from torn stomachs on the ceiling in place of ribbons. And in the room's center sat a cradle. It seemed almost cruel how pure a shade of white it was. The cradle was rocking, as though to soothe the first demon slumbering within. As she stood before that overwhelmingly powerful, wicked entity, Jeanne made her haughty proclamation. \"Now, dear Lovers, you understand the truth, and the gravity of the situation. Kaito Sena. Elisabeth Le Fanu. I know that the two of you are destined to fight each other to the death. But now you must throw that all away and serve me as faithful slaves.\" She turned her rosy gaze directly on the two of them. And when she did, Jeanne de Rais, the artificial Torture Princess, went on as though it were only natural. \"At this rate, our world will be destroyed, and not so much as a trace will remain.\" Her words rang out through the chamber like a final verdict. \"...Hmph.\" \"...Hmm.\" Upon hearing what Jeanne had to say, both Kaito and Elisabeth abruptly crossed their arms. Then they closed their eyes, as if to scrutinize her order-like request. Elisabeth's beautiful face hardened, her expression serious, and Kaito's youthful face did the same. A few seconds passed. Then the two of them opened their eyes in unison. Neither of them had consulted the other. Without exchanging so much as a glance, they gave their replies. Not even a breath separated their overlapping refusals. Jeanne blinked repeatedly. Her head slumped as it tilted to the side. \"You made your decisions rather promptly, didn't you, Lovers? Moreover, your answers themselves were outside my expectations. And 'surprising' hardly begins to describe the speed with which you responded. Please state your reasons.\" \"First, 'tis wholly unclear what actions you intend to take hereon in search of this salvation of yours or what have you.\" Elisabeth raised her forefinger. The black varnish on her nail glittered as she spun it aimlessly around in the air. \"Even if you tell me to become your servant, I have no intention of agreeing while unable to verify the validity of your plans and directions. And even prior to that, another problem arises. Do I look to you to be a laudable enough woman to labor like a slave under the direction of another?\" \"Yeah, nope, not seeing it.\" Elisabeth pointed at herself, her face fiendish and cruel. Behind her, Kaito nodded earnestly. The two of them then traded an inane exchange. \"I have no desire to hear that from you. I shall kill you for that later.\" \"Wait, why?!\" Seeing them on their normal behavior despite the time and place, Jeanne tilted her head to the other side. \"I see. That seems logical enough. Even the last section felt oddly persuasive. And your other reasons?\" \"Second, you clearly have intentions of dragging us into some battle for the sake of salvation, do you not? And with no regard for our thoughts on the matter, at that. Why, then, should we content ourselves with being your servants? I see little benefit. We have little proof that your true motives are worthy of such faith.\" \"I see, I see. And what else?\" \"Third, Kaito, you tell her.\" Elisabeth turned to Kaito and gave a sharp gesture with her chin. The two of them still hadn't consulted with each other. But in spite of that, he took over her speech with utmost ease. \"Thing is, we just don't like you that much. That's all.\" \"I see. Illogical in the extreme.\" Jeanne bobbed her head up and down. But that was the extent of her reaction. She didn't seem satisfied, but she didn't seem dejected, either. She simply began spinning around on the spot, her left foot acting as her axle. The chains dangling from her thin wrists like a prisoner's jingled. \"Then I can assume that you have no intention of becoming my servants, but you plan on maintaining our collaborative relationship? After tellin' you chucklefucks so many of the world's secrets, having to be enemies with you meatheads sounds like a bad time! As you can see, I'm just a sweet little girl, after all!\" \"The way you manage to offend is nothing short of superb, and your manner of speech is as disjointed as always. But I have no complaints with your conclusion. My servant's foolishness and goody-goody nature know no limits, so I'm all but certain he'd have gotten himself involved regardless, of course. But I am not he. Normally, I'd have lost interest altogether the moment you mentioned salvation.\" \"Oh, do you intend on seceding, then? I'd like to see you try, bitch!\" \"Nay, I shall lend you my strength. And rejoice, for I intend to give it my utmost.\" A cruel smile accompanied Elisabeth's declaration. Kaito nodded, his expression devoid of surprise. Even though she'd been the one to ask for help, though, Jeanne plopped her head to the other side again in puzzlement. \"For what reason?\" \"I slew the fourteen demons. I put them down, each and every one. I destroyed them.\" Suddenly, Elisabeth's tone grew cold and levelheaded. Her crimson eyes narrowed. Sharp bloodlust danced atop her tongue as the words slipped from her mouth. \"But for that to be the mere opening act to the world being rebuilt? What an insipid farce. The ones who would laugh at the corpses I've left in my wake and accuse them of having died in vain shall perish by my hand. I shall kill them all. And in a manner befitting the name of Torture Princess, no less.\" Elisabeth gave a grand laugh. Her smile was beautiful, twisted, and evil. Seeming half-likely to lick her lips, she gave voice to her blasphemous proclamation. \"Even if they are the Saint, even if they are Diablo, and even if they are God.\" \"Bravo. I would expect no less from you. I would expect no less from the first Torture Princess, the woman who willingly gave herself to sin.\" Jeanne loudly clapped, the chains on her wrists jingling like a tambourine. Then, placing an open palm over her chest, she gave an elegant bow. With a great display of pride, Jeanne endorsed Elisabeth's statement. \"Indeed, precisely. It would not do for us to be anything but haughty and proud. For without our human deeds surpassing those of God and Diablo, how could we possibly hope to bring about salvation?\" \"Hmm,\" pondered Kaito. On a basic level, Jeanne displayed the same arrogant disposition no matter who she was dealing with. But with Elisabeth, her reactions seemed to be of a slightly more positive bent. The plan to create a Torture Princess must have started way long ago. But back then, they probably hadn't arrived at the name \"Torture Princess\" yet. And it's probably not just her speech\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe likely used Elisabeth as a point of reference for her actions, too. Perhaps Jeanne held a degree of respect toward the woman she'd used as a template. Elisabeth, though, seemed like she couldn't care less about Jeanne's admiration. She gave a small shrug. As she did, Izabella interrupted their conversation. \"I apologize for the intrusion, but isn't it rather dangerous to be making such an uproar down here? If you'll forgive me, you've all been rather loud the last few minutes... What do you intend to do if that thing wakes up?\" At the moment, Izabella was being carried by Deus Ex Machina, the living, four-in-one weapon Jeanne had summoned as a servant. Sitting in its metal arms, she was looking at the cradle with a pallid expression on her face. Her eyes were filled with primal terror. Kaito and Elisabeth turned their gazes toward the first demon as well. It was still deep in slumber. But if it's asleep, that means it's eventually gonna wake up. As a matter of fact, the group scheming to have the world rebuilt was actively hoping for that thing to awaken. But just as unease began welling up within Kaito, a voice suddenly called out from beside him to refute it. \"Put your mind at ease. You needn't worry about that, I daresay.\" Kaito turned to look at the voice's owner. A man wearing an aristocratic coat with a cravat was floating beside him, his legs crossed elegantly in the air. The man was Vlad Le Fanu, the Kaiser's previous contractor and Elisabeth's foster father\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor, to be more precise, a replica of his soul. The smile that spread across his face bordered on beautiful. \"After all, its contract with its master yet stands.\" Vlad was a mere phantasm, and as such, the forces of gravity held no sway over him. He floated gently through the air on"}, {"text": "his way to his destination, which was, of all places, directly above Diablo's cradle. Izabella quietly called out, trying to get him to stop. \"Wait, stop, stop, that's dangerous. You shouldn't get any closer than that.\" \"Good heavens, to think that the Holy Knights' commander would be such a coward. Timidity and virginity go hand in hand, I suppose, which lends your reaction a certain charm to it.\" \"I'm gonna need you to dial it way back, man. That was a pretty blatant HR violation there.\" \"What exactly might an 'ay-char' be, my dear successor? I'm afraid that we of this world aren't familiar with that word.\" Vlad calmly threw Kaito's cold rebuke aside. Then he turned back to the entity before himself and peered at it, an act that would have been enough to drive any normal human mad. As he placed his hand on the side of the cradle, he let out a seductive whisper. \"Upon manifestation, higher-ranked demons use their summoners as references and obtain from them language and ego. And upon gaining ego, many, like our friendly Kaiser here, go against the wishes of their inexperienced masters. This thing's summoner, though, was first-rate. The Church built it this devious little room, but even with the pacification from the room's pain, it wouldn't awaken. The order it received was so effective, it borders on a curse, you see.\" Kaito responded to Vlad's words with shock. Then, still dumbfounded, he turned to survey the room. The people embedded in the walls were screaming in agony. But their vocal cords had been taken from them, and their howls were silent. The only things coming from their faces were tears and saliva. And the people hanging from the ceiling with rent stomachs were the same. The entire room was perpetually filled with the pain of the living, designed to pacify the demon within. But according to Vlad, all of it was meaningless. \"Wait, the Church went out of their way to build this torture chamber...and it turns out they didn't even need to?\" \"That they didn't, my dear. Since time immemorial, it has been an occasional habit of the weak to fearfully give offerings to the strong despite neither party wishing it. It's a tragic tale, truly, and I'm sure the unfortunate victims around us find it more appalling than any.\" Vlad chuckled, and Kaito clenched his fists. As they did, Diablo continued peacefully breathing. It looked like a satisfied child, one who had never so much as experienced sorrow. Vlad drew his face close to the child's, which was repulsive in a difficult-to-quantify way. This time, his laugh was tinged with irony. \"Heh, no matter how proficient its master's order, seeing an entity with power enough to destroy the world merely sleeping like this after manifesting is wholly unprecedented. And I say that as someone who lives in that very world.\" \"Nay, you were burned through and through till you were well and truly dead. I made quite certain of that.\" \"Ah, right you are. Burned to death by my own beloved daughter, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Wait, no, I suppose that isn't anything to laugh about. But, well, I exist in some capacity, in any case. And because of that, it would be rather bothersome if the world went and got itself destroyed. But at the same time, as a mage, leaving Diablo to its rest seems altogether a waste. At any rate, though, it won't wake unless it receives a new order from its contractor.\" As she heard Vlad's declaration, Hina narrowed her emerald eyes just a hair. As she stood beside Kaito, she laid her hands over the breast of her maid uniform and clasped them together tightly. \"Its contractor...\" Seeing her unease, Kaito drew himself closer to her. After exchanging a glance, the two of them nodded. Jeanne had already told them who the contractor was. The Suffering Saint revered by the Church. She's the one contracted to the first demon. The long-sung legend of the world's restructuring at the hand of the Saint had another, hidden side to it. Before becoming known as the Saint, she'd formed a contract with the most powerful demon. While it's unclear what her objective was, she was unable to maintain control and ended up destroying the world. In her regret, she summoned God, formed a contract with Him, and rebuilt the world. But she was unable to endure her two contracts, nor was she able to die, so instead, she fell into a deep slumber\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand ever since, the truth had been perverted, leaving the focus solely on the fact that she'd carried God within her body as the savior who rebuilt the world. And because of that, she'd become worshipped as the \"Suffering Saint.\" Part of the reason that the order she gave to the First Demon was so effective was probably because she used God's power for it as well. As that thought crossed his mind, a small question arose with it. The Saint was supposed to be the only one capable of waking up the first demon. That meant that the people plotting to set the world's rebuilding in motion couldn't wake it up, either. But if that was the case, then where was the woman who possessed that power resting? An eternal slumber, huh? Death and sleep were very different. And unlike Diablo, it was conceivable that any human would be able to wake up the Saint. If the Church got their hands on her, they'd be able to implore her to bring about the miracle of restructuring. That was something he and the others definitely needed to prevent. But where in the world could she be? \"Hey, do we have any idea where the Saint might be? She isn't dead, right? Because if she isn't, then we gotta find her before the Church does.\" \"You've asked an uncharacteristically pertinent question, mister. Allow me to answer it. We the Church, and for that matter all of humanity, have no idea where the Saint currently rests. And the Church has spared no effort in trying to locate her. But after all their investigations and expeditions, the only things they were able to locate were relics. And they were hunks of trash, the lot of 'em! And the other mages and believers looking for her found no more success than they.\" \"Well...I guess that's good news. That means that there's no way to bring about the world's restructuring. I mean, without the Saint, Diablo won't wake up. And they can't pray to God to start the rebuilding, either, right?\" Kaito felt a deep sense of relief. When he did, though, Jeanne's eyes flashed as though she was looking at an incorrigible dunce. It was impressive, given that the rest of her face was as expressionless as always. Elisabeth heaved a heavy sigh. Kaito tilted his head to the side, unsure of what had been so stupid about what he'd said. Even after running it all back through his mind, he couldn't find any contradictions. Jeanne shrugged her bare shoulders derisively. \"You really are The Fool, aren't you, mister? The Church desires the world's restructuring due to their blind faith in the Saint. Despite knowing of the first demon's existence, the reconstruction sect still believes the Saint to possess boundless mercy. Because of that, they believe that no matter how they go about destroying the world, the Saint will naturally appear amid the rubble and carry out the rebuilding. Diablo is but one method at their disposal. Of course, they would doubtless prefer to find her themselves and witness the miracle firsthand.\" \"Wait, b-but are people even capable of such wide-scale destruction on their own?\" \"With ease. And especially now that the Church can produce as much of the Monarch's meat as they desire.\" Elisabeth responded matter-of-factly to Kaito's doubts. Without a shred of hesitation, she put forth a cruel supposition. \"Let us say, as an example... All they'd have to do is cart a small army of transformed sinners to the border leading to the beastfolk and demi-human lands. War would break out, the forests would burn, and the earth would be shattered. And there's no shortage of other methods one could conceive of. Just think back to your past life. You should be well acquainted with mankind's capacity for tyranny, and the means of destruction at their disposal are legion.\" \"The Church...the Church would never resort to such inhumane methods!\" Suddenly, Izabella cried out. Kaito and the others all looked at her. Kaito's gaze was unconsciously tinged with pity. Her silver armor, what had once been proof of her status as a paladin, still shone. But she'd just defeated a monster created by a high priest called the Grave Keeper, and her armor now sported dark stains from its blood. Ironically, her own body served as a rebuttal to her outcry. Even so, she continued her emotional appeal. \"I'll concede that ever since the demon subjugation, a group within the Church has been acting suspiciously. Within the paladins, as well. And I'm well aware of how unusual this place is, along with the fact that they worked to conceal it. But the vast majority of the high priests are good, respectable people. Why are you all so unable to trust in their dignity and virtue? My paladins wouldn't stand for the sorts of atrocities you speak of!\" The more she spoke, the more she affirmed the perversion lurking within the Church. Her voice was full of desperation, as though she was clinging to something. But Jeanne merely looked at her the way one would at a willful child. \"Would you mind being quiet, miss? It takes a thief to catch a thief, they say! Even if you and your friends get pissed off, it ain't gonna change shit! Organizations are like centipedes. The body follows the head, even if it doesn't quite know what it's doing. And people would sooner discard their dignity and virtue than be left behind. To put it kindly, it's proof of their loyalty. To put it less kindly, well, sometimes abandoning one's judgment ends up working toward the greater good. This time, however, the head is beyond salvation. Shit's rotten to the core.\" \"B-but...\" \"Godd Deos's death was the turning point, no doubt. With nobody near the head to stop it from running wild, the situation can quickly turn for the worse, with little regard for the opinions of those involved.\" Izabella choked back her rebuttal. She was probably well aware of examples where organizations had undergone transformations without their members noticing. Still silent, she bit down on her lip. Jeanne, on the other hand, went on. Her tone was that of an instructor. \"There exist shepherds who would gladly cast themselves into the fire just to catch a glimpse of a miracle. And most of their sheep will blindly follow after them. Only when the situation becomes irreparable will the people first cry out. How did things get to this point? they will say, one and all.\" Izabella offered no reply, instead choosing to remain completely silent. But she hadn't given up\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe was clearly thinking in earnest about something. Concerned about how deeply she seemed to be brooding, Kaito called out to her. \"Hey, Izabella\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Therefore, before the situation reaches the point of no return, we must locate and obtain the Saint.\" Jeanne, though, continued talking, paying no heed to Izabella's mental anguish. Kaito went quiet for the time being. At the moment, figuring out their next course of action was of utmost importance. \"If the situation degraded into a race war, reverting it would be nigh impossible, after all. It'd be like charging straight into Hell! Ain't shit a group of our size could do about that!\" \"But you have no information on the Saint's whereabouts, either, aye? What do you intend to do about that?\" \"True. But that's not to say the information doesn't exist.\" Jeanne offered an unexpected answer to"}, {"text": "Elisabeth's question. Kaito frowned. Who could possibly have information regarding the location of a woman who'd been missing since the very creation of the world? \"Her location may well be known to a single...or rather, perhaps it's best not to try to count, but they do exist. I've spent some time investigating him. But upon learning the secrets of this underground tomb, I find my suspicions have finally turned to confidence.\" The chain on Jeanne's wrist rattled as she raised an arm. Then she pointed at the wall they had broken the barrier on and passed through. It was currently functioning as a door and was resting ajar, and on its surface was an intricate carving of an apostle wearing tattered rags and standing alongside the Saint. As he gazed at the apostle's familiar figure, Kaito muttered meaningfully. \"...The Butcher, huh.\" \"This, too, is a reason I sought the assistance of you two Lovers. He is the merchant of legend, one of the founders of the original Five Great Guilds, and known by all with even a passing involvement in trade. And he is also the Saint's apostle, the Butcher. After working to build the foundations for the circulation of goods within society, he went into hiding for countless ages. But there have been sightings of him in recent years, all of which have been located around the two of you.\" Kaito instinctively cast his eyes downward. He still hadn't gotten his emotions in order over this whole ordeal. Hina, standing beside him, was much the same. The Butcher had saved them a number of times, so it was difficult to think of him as an enemy. But according to Elisabeth, he'd declared himself the enemy of no one individually but of every person living in the world. And he'd supposedly said something else as well. \"They are of little consequence to the result. I'd never thought someone would rise to oppose the dreadful end of the story that the fourteen tragedies mark the beginning of. And Mr. Dim-Witted Servant is the same. Though your two tales may be small in the scope of things, the results they bear may be monumental indeed... Who knows, after all, how the world may turn from here on?\" That doesn't sound like something the \"enemy of the world\" would say, does it? That thought stole through Kaito's mind unbidden. The Butcher's words didn't sound like they'd come from someone who wanted the world to end. But he swallowed down the doubts welling up inside and asked a different question instead. \"Where is the Butcher right now?\" Elisabeth responded to his inquiry by crossing her arms. When she spoke, her voice had a mysteriously quiet ring to it. \"He's inside a Gibbet within my castle.\" \"You, uh, you did mention on the way down here that you'd captured him. But you didn't just leave him like that, did you?\" \"I did. What of it? I can hardly release a man who proclaims himself my enemy. 'Twould be folly.\" \"I mean, I guess...\" Surely there are options other than just leaving him chained up, thought Kaito to himself. But the Butcher was notably elusive. Any lesser restraints would probably have ended with him just slipping out. Finally satisfied, Kaito turned his gaze away from Elisabeth. It landed on the first demon. It doesn't matter if it wakes up or keeps sleeping, huh. But we can't let them destroy the world, no matter what method they try to use... Wait, hold on a second. If that was the case, then just finding the Saint wouldn't be enough to stop the Church from running rampant, would it? Was Jeanne perhaps hoping to get the Saint to persuade the fanatics to stop? That plan seemed altogether dubious, so Kaito posed Jeanne a question. \"Hey, what's your plan for after we find the Saint?\" \"Duh, we're gonna kill her ass.\" Kaito found himself at a loss for words, and his eyes went wide with shock. He hadn't thought that their plan involved killing the Saint. Jeanne's lips curled upward a smidgen. Then, in order to completely crush his na\u00c3\u00afvet\u00c3\u00a9, she elaborated. \"Why do you seem so surprised? If we kill its contractor, Diablo will be unable to stay manifested and vanish. And God, who yet dwells within her body, is no different. When that happens, the two of them will return to a state where mankind's desires cannot possibly reach them. Furthermore, if we deliver her head to our foes, they, too, will understand. 'The miracle is lost to us.' 'Even if we destroy the world, it won't be rebuilt.'\" \"But we don't have to kill anyone... If we just get her to make the fanatics see reason\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Oh my, you would have us rely on the woman who once destroyed the world? Please don't tell me you only just now realized, Hanged Man. The praiseless road we walk down is paved with thorns, and at its end, we shall become true enemies of this world.\" Jeanne shook her head in exasperation, her thick honey-blond hair gently scattering across her shoulders. She still bore no expression, but her rose-colored eyes opened alarmingly wide as she made her declaration. \"Our salvation lies in murdering Diablo, murdering God, and, yes, murdering a human.\" A heavy silence spread throughout the dimness of the underground tomb. Kaito still offered no reply. Hina gently placed her hand atop his arm. The Kaiser let out a deep, humanlike laugh. As she scratched gently at her own black hair, Elisabeth spoke in an annoyed tone. \"Hmm... The Saint bears God within her body, so I have concerns about our ability to actually kill her. I suppose we'll know once we try. Steady your resolve, if naught else.\" \"Yeah, no, I'm okay. I'd be fine even without you telling me that.\" \"Very well, then.\" \"I do appreciate it, though.\" \"Ha. Appreciate what exactly?\" Elisabeth scoffed at Kaito's words of thanks. Even so, he nodded back at her. Jeanne's declaration had come as a blow to him, but he was already over it. He'd seen grisly mountains of corpses before, and starting with Marianne, he'd killed his fair share of people. There was no reason for him to be fixated on the Saint's survival. And besides, once we meet her in the flesh, everything might change on the spot. Right now, we should just worry about getting the Butcher to talk. \"It seems there are no objections to our current course of action, then, so I think we'd best be off. Going back the way we came ain't too glamorous or anything, but them's the breaks. All the barriers are destroyed, but the building itself is designed to block teleportation. To go to the Torture Princess's castle, we need to first make our way outside.\" And with that, Jeanne practically danced her way out of the nursery. The Kaiser scoffed in displeasure, but he, Vlad, Elisabeth, and Izabella, who was still being carried by Deus Ex Machina, followed after her. Accompanied by Hina, Kaito started walking out of the nursery as well. But as he approached the doorway, he stopped in his tracks. His leather soles screeched against the ground. Then he turned back, the hem of his military-style long coat rustling as he did so. As he stared fixatedly at the horrific nursery, he called out to one of the people behind him. \"Hey, Vlad. You said that even without this room's messed-up setup...even without the pacification from the pain, the First Demon won't wake up, right?\" \"Verily, my dear successor. This room was crafted out of an overabundance of fear. It's meaningless, and dare I say even comical...so I have my suspicions as to your intentions.\" \"You're not going to stop me, even though you're onto me?\" \"Perish the thought! True, your actions are hypocritical, grounded in a trivial sense of mercy! Yet, at the same time, they will lead you one step closer toward becoming a worthy vessel to inherit my will\u00e2\u20ac\u201dafter all, what you're thinking of doing is a privilege extended only to the strong! Hypocrisy leads to arrogance, and from them flower the origins of all sadism and tyranny! Please defile them all you wish!\" \"Huh... Well, if that's the way you see it, at least you won't get in my way.\" Kaito nodded as he gave his blunt reply. Then he cast a fleeting glance outside the room. Vlad was spreading his arms exaggeratedly wide. At some point, Jeanne and the others had stopped as well. Elisabeth was shrugging at the very edge of his vision, as though calling him a fool. But Kaito knew. If I hadn't stopped, you'd have come up with some excuse to do this yourself, wouldn't you? The only bewildered member of the group was Hina. She looked back and forth between Kaito and the nursery. Before long, though, her expression stiffened with resolve. Gripping her halberd tightly, she stepped in front of Kaito. \"My dear Master Kaito, I, too, have grasped your intentions. You are far gentler than any other and far more merciful...and that is precisely why it will hurt you so. Please let me do\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"No. This isn't something I should be foisting off on my wife. I'm gonna do it. I have to.\" Her offer was kind, but Kaito turned it down. With Hina looking to be on the verge of tears, he patted her head, then gestured for her to leave. After waiting until Hina was a safe distance away, Kaito took a deep breath and raised an arm above his head. Then he snapped his fingers. Six blades appeared out of the empty air, deploying in a circle with the cradle at their center like the middle of a flower. They glittered sharply as they turned toward the walls and ceiling. After coming to eerily precise stops, they waited for their master's cue. Kaito murmured quietly, as though trying to persuade himself. \"It's a job befitting the enemy of mankind.\" Then he snapped his fingers again. \"La (kill them all).\" The blades shot out with the speed of a guillotine dropping, the six of them carving up the walls and ceiling in unison. That is to say, they sliced up the victims installed therein. They'd all been cursed so as to avoid letting them die. But the curse wasn't nearly effective enough to protect against Kaito's magically empowered attack. Their lives, which had been held perpetually just shy of death's grasp, instantly came to an end. One after another, the soundless screams faded. But the slaughter went on. Blood sprayed in all directions, drenching the room in a ghastly shade of red. It looked almost as though six beasts had leaped from Diablo's cradle and savagely sliced their way through the room. And the noise of the walls and ceiling sounded like an orchestra. Kaito, in his black uniform, played the role of the conductor, waving his arm both violently and delicately. The blades were his instrumentalists, and they wove their shearing melody in accordance with his directions. The time it took felt like it lasted an eternity. But every performance must eventually come to an end. Ten or twenty seconds later, Kaito swung his arm wide, then brought it to a sudden stop. All at once, the blade disappeared. Silence descended upon the room. The only sound left was the faint trickling of blood. The nursery-like chamber had been completely ruined. Chunks of flesh and viscera littered the floor, and everything in sight was red. A thick, rusty smell began filling the air. Amid the tragic spectacle, the first demon slumbered gently, as though nothing had changed. Kaito averted his gaze from it, instead looking at the blood gathering at his feet. As he faced the vast pool of red, he let out a gentle whisper. \"Good night, everyone. Sweet dreams.\" In a sense, his words were tinged with madness. But they came from the heart. After all, he'd heard"}, {"text": "a continuous scream from the moment he'd first set foot in the room. It was a striking, sorrowful plea, one that only someone who'd experienced extreme pain could perceive. Please kill us, they'd been saying. Please make it all end. The people being used to pacify Diablo had long since gone mad from the pain. But in spite of that, they'd never stopped their desperate supplication. And now Kaito could hear their pitiful cries no more. He cast his gaze around the room, his expression full of affection and sadness. He looked to make sure they were all dead, that there were no sacrifices left in the room. After determining that to be the case, he let his face turn serious again. Having coldly wiped away his expression, the Kaiser's contractor turned on his heel. Then, alone, he began walking. Hurriedly, Hina rushed back into the nursery. Clutching the hem of her skirt, she faced the grisly spectacle and offered a deep bow. After closing her eyes for a moment as though in prayer, she ran back over to her companion's side. Nestling close to Kaito, Hina squeezed his hand in hers. He stayed facing forward, as though nothing had happened. But he returned his wife's grasp and intertwined his fingers with hers. Ever so faintly, his hand was trembling. 2 The Little Lady's Choice Officially, the underground tomb's sixth floor didn't exist. Everything past it was blockaded off by a colorful barrier, and the architecture took a turn for the bizarre. But once Kaito and the others ascended the seemingly endless staircase and returned to the fifth floor, the rest of the tomb was as calm and sanctified as ever. They walked down the long passageway. Individually crafted mausoleums of the kings of old lined them on either side. Even with the tomb's innermost secrets laid bare, the resting kings on the upper floors were unperturbed. As he cast a sidelong glance at the extravagantly decorated mausoleums, Kaito posed a question to Jeanne. \"Did any of the kings know about the First Demon?\" \"Who can say? I imagine it depends on how close to the Church and how devout they each were. For example, I think the odds that the third king, hailed as the 'Faithful King,' was informed are quite high. He gave his generation's Grave Keeper special rights, after all, and their relationship was rather cordial. They're all crazy!\" \"Makes sense. Still, though, for some of the kings to find out about it and still give it their endorsement... Fanaticism's a hell of a drug, I guess.\" Kaito turned his gaze toward what appeared to be the third king's mausoleum. Compared to the other kings' mausoleums, its design was rather plain. It didn't even sport flowers, although the uncouth suits of armor surrounding the sarcophagus within hinted that the third king had specialized in battle. The only piece of ornamentation that could be described as beautiful was the statue of the Saint hanging upside down from the ceiling. Perhaps the cause of his faith had been a desire for divine protection in his countless wars. Now the Saint was always watching over him. Red gemstones were embedded in the sarcophagus's lid, even replicating the Saint's tearstains. That's one messed-up charade they're pulling. Kaito leveled a blunt rejection of the king's beliefs that he was clearly adhering to even in death. But he chose not to voice that impression of his. Instead, he asked a different question. \"What about the current king, then?\" \"His predecessor died early, so he is still a whelp. I'd wager they haven't told him a thing. Ha, he'd likely faint on the spot.\" This time, it was Elisabeth who answered. Jeanne then offered a follow-up. \"He also entrusted the battle against the demons wholly to the Church and has done little in the way of mobilizing troops on his own. As a result, the Royal Knights generally just obey the Holy Knights' orders. The Church no doubt saw that as an opportunity to seize greater power, but Godd Deos refused to use their strength as a pretext to meddle in domestic affairs. That geezer was a pain in the ass, but I gotta give him credit for being a decent guy. At some point, though, the king's advisers began tithing more and more, and their ranks grew flush with the pious. That being the case, it's anyone's guess as to what would happen if the king found out about the first demon.\" The two Torture Princesses exchanged a glance, then shrugged. Their billowing blond and straight black heads of hair shook. Kaito sighed. He knew almost nothing about the current king. But unlike the third imperial beastfolk princess, Vyade Ula Forstlast, he didn't seem like he'd be particularly reliable if things got down to the wire. It's gonna be rough, not having any influential humans who are sympathetic to our cause. Kaito sank into thought. Once he stopped talking, his surroundings grew quiet as well. Eventually, the group approached the stairwell to the entrance. As they did, Kaito looked up, thinking he'd heard something. Noise from the surface was finally starting to reach them, running down the stairs and echoing off the thick walls. Someone's shouting orders. And that's a lot of armor, swords, and footsteps I hear. Kaito cautiously strained his ears to make out the intermingling sounds. As a consequence, he found himself inadvertently frowning. \"Sounds like they've got quite the crowd up there, huh.\" \"I should certainly think so. Izabella and I originally came on orders from the Church to kill you, after all. And I did happen to destroy Yah Llodl's communication device before we entered the tomb, not to mention the fact that we left the paladins behind. 'Twould have been stranger if they hadn't called in reinforcements.\" \"...Oh, right. That makes sense.\" As he bore the brunt of Elisabeth's exasperation, Kaito thought back to their battle from a few hours ago. He and Elisabeth had traded blows directly in front of the underground tomb. However, he'd been so engrossed in the fight that he hadn't spared much thought as to what would come afterward. And afterward, their entire worldview had been turned on its head. Everything just changed so quickly. Kaito's gaze grew distant. As she stood in front of him, Elisabeth went on. \"The only reason we weren't attacked while we investigated this place was the strict orders the paladins received not to enter it. The fewer people who know the truth, the better for them, so the reconstruction sect no doubt plans to destroy us the moment we pop our heads out. However, therein lies a problem.\" \"A problem?\" \"Indeed. Our foe is the Church.\" \"What does that have to do with anything?\" \"You forget so quickly, fool. The Church has me bound with shackles.\" Kaito's mouth hung agape in realization. Now that she mentioned it, he remembered. Elisabeth had been ordered to slay the fourteen demons as a chance to atone for her sins. But because she was a sinner without peer, the Church had placed shackles on her body so that she couldn't betray them. If one of their priests recited scripture, the shackles would activate. That meant that Elisabeth's ability to oppose the Church was diminished. But Jeanne merely shook her head. \"I don't think we'll find that to be much of a problem. This is the Capital. The reconstruction sect won't be able to deploy their transformed paladins. And even if they wanted to use a saint, it would take them too long to get a permit issued. In other words, the force at their disposal is currently quite low. No matter how much cannon fodder they call out, cannon fodder is still cannon fodder. After Deus Ex Machina tosses them aside in one fell swoop, I can activate my teleportation circle. Hunting mice is a specialty of mine, y'see. I don't mind taking the lead this time.\" \"I see, how reliable of you. I've no objections.\" Elisabeth readily nodded to Jeanne's suggestion. Kaito, too, was relieved. Jeanne's Deus Ex Machina was even more robust and powerful than him, the Kaiser's contractor, and Hina, an automaton. Buying enough time to activate a teleportation circle would be a piece of cake for it. But although he gave the plan his approval, he made sure to add a warning, as well. \"Just make sure you don't kill any of the paladins. They're only following their beliefs, after all.\" \"Given the current situation, that alone is foolhardy in the extreme. Abandoning critical thought is a crime. Ignorance is sin. Sheep end up as mutton, as they say. But if we consider what's to come, it's true that unnecessary bloodshed will likely prove disadvantageous. And my little lady would object, as well. Agreed. We should avoid letting things get too complicated here.\" Surprisingly, Jeanne obediently nodded. Behind her, Izabella went slack as she breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that she'd been on the verge of shouting out. If things had gone poorly, it might have even ended in a fight. Kaito was glad it had gotten resolved peacefully. All in agreement, they headed toward the entrance. Light from outside streamed down onto the stone stairs. Kaito then stopped, calling out to Jeanne as he did. \"Hold up a minute. Before you send out Deus Ex Machina, we should have one of us get a visual on the situation up there. I'll go\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif they fire off some kind of long-range attack, I can block it with my blades.\" \"...Well, I suppose that's true. Your doll has a rather anxious expression on her face, mister, but you are in fact qualified. Guess you finally get to be useful for once, huh? After you, then.\" Despite the verbal abuse he was receiving, Kaito climbed up the stairs. Because they'd been made from a different material, the steps near the top had been melted when the demon attacked the Capital. Making sure not to fall, Kaito carefully jumped over the pit. Then he popped his head out through the entrance. \"Let's see, here... Man, that's quite the crowd.\" The silver troops were lined up atop the gray earth at regular intervals like chess pieces. There was also a group Kaito wasn't familiar with beside them, covered from head to toe in scarlet cloth. Due to the way their faces were covered, they looked almost like executioners. Man, I'm not getting a good vibe from those guys... Hmm? At that moment, a sense of incongruity washed over Kaito. While it was true that the underground tomb was completely surrounded, their enemies were all standing strangely far away. Kaito frowned as he tried to find the reason. Then he noticed the bizarre-looking man standing in front of the assembled troops. Say...what? The man had a sturdy frame, enough that Kaito could make out his gender despite the distance between them. He had broad shoulders, and his height was on the taller side. In spite of that, though, the hem of his white robes reached all the way to the ground, as did his thick, bristly black hair. That alone would have been enough to qualify his appearance as strange, but his most conspicuous feature was the thick chains binding his arms around himself in an embrace. Kaito couldn't help compare him to the other bound saint he was familiar with. H-huh? He...looks kinda like La Mules, doesn't he? As that thought crossed through Kaito's mind, the chains binding the man's top half came loose without warning. He slowly spread his arms wide. When Kaito saw what was between them, a shiver of terror ran through his body. *** The man's chest had been excavated, clothes and all. The red flesh within had been shaved down, and his white rib cage lay bare. For some reason, though, there was no blood pouring out. The heart, lungs, and other organs a rib cage was normally designed to protect were missing as"}, {"text": "well. In their place were a large number of white feathered creatures. A second later, realization hit Kaito. The man was using his rib cage as a birdcage. \"La (fly)!\" Spurred on by instinctual fear, Kaito snapped his fingers. A blade went soaring toward the man. At the same time, white light flared up in the man's chest, then burst out. The two collided head-on. While the blade was successfully blocking the light, it melted like candy in the process before evaporating. Kaito shot out his second attack. But to his disbelief, the man was faster. He shot out more light, this time even brighter than the first. The white entity swallowed up the blade, but this time, it didn't stop. Kaito's eyes widened in shock. The light bore down on him. An unpleasant blasting noise rang out. As it did, the light burned away the tomb's entrance. \"Master Kaito, no!\" \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" It all happened in a single moment. Right before the light made impact, something grabbed Kaito by the scruff and yanked him backward. His back toppled into Hina's chest. After embracing him, she leaped back over the melted pit in the stairwell, then crouched down. White light burst over their heads, accompanied by the sound of an explosion. Kaito looked up. When he did, he saw that the metal decorations at the tomb's entrance that had miraculously survived were glowing red and dripping. If Hina had been even a hair slower, he would have died on the spot. \"Th-thanks, Hina... Geez, I seriously misjudged that guy's power.\" \"Oh, Master Kaito... Thank goodness, thank goodness you're safe... I was so worried for you.\" Still sitting firmly on the ground, Hina squeezed Kaito tightly. As one might expect from the fact it had survived the demon invasion, everything from halfway up the stairs down was unmarred. The building material itself must have had a powerful anti-magic effect to it. But the bombardment showed no signs of letting up. They'd lost the ability to carelessly go outside. Jeanne blinked, her rosy eyes flashing. \"...Well now. This falls outside my expectations.\" \"Aye, it boggles the mind. What exactly is the meaning of this? Forgoing all the proper procedures to deploy a saint, then a summoned beast bombardment without so much as passing a verdict on us? Have they gone mad? No, wait... Ah!\" Elisabeth clicked her tongue, looking as though she'd just realized something. When she spoke, her tone was filled with vexation. \"The completed request, the one they submitted as part of the plan to defend the Capital immediately after La Mules's death! Blast, we overlooked it!\" \"I suspect your hypothesis is correct. We should assume they used the permit we obtained back then. Under the pretext of killing the Kaiser's contractor and putting an end to the battle against the demons, fast-tracking its transfer would certainly be possible. And as for that light...\" The one who replied to Elisabeth was Izabella. Still cradled in Deus Ex Machina's arms, she thoughtfully observed the exploding white light. Kaito followed her lead. Now that he looked closely, he could see that the light was made up of tiny skylark-like creatures. Saints' power came from sacred beasts. The man's birds were clearly far weaker than the one La Mules had been able to deploy, but in exchange, he was able to shoot them out repeatedly. Jeanne shook her head in annoyance. \"As far as the reconstruction sect is concerned, the end is nigh, after all. They're starting to move more brazenly. 'The sky is falling; the sky is falling! Let's all dance, guys, memento fuckin' mori!'\" \"Ugh, I feel like destroying that communication device didn't do us any favors.\" Kaito prefaced his comment with a groan as he thought back to the device Yah Llodl had been using to communicate. The orb that Elisabeth had mercilessly skewered had been needlessly extravagant and flashy. He didn't know where Yah Llodl ranked in the Church, but the man's pride was all too evident. Kaito had no doubt that Yah Llodl's anger was only worsening his animosity toward himself and the others. That said, figuring out what their foes were thinking wasn't going to help them much at this point. This is a problem... If we can't get outside, we can't activate the teleportation circle. Kaito furrowed his brow. The bombardment showed no signs of letting up. Elisabeth clicked her tongue in frustration. \"Tch, the intervals are too short. What to do. Send out Deus Ex Machina, perhaps? 'Tis fast and sturdy. Even so, it would doubtless be whittled away in short order. And you have to temporarily disassemble to activate the teleportation circle, eh... On the off chance they have a second saint in reserve, that would prove troublesome indeed. I wouldn't mind activating the circle myself, but if they set off the shackles midway through, maintaining it would be no mean feat.\" \"I concur. We seem to have quite the problem on our hands. If the Kaiser offered his help, it would make things a deal easier, but... The bad doggy's got a lot of pride, if nothing else!\" \"Hmm? Did the puny human say something? Seems to me like you fancy getting yourself bitten in two.\" \"Quit fighting, all of you. I will go.\" A dignified voice rang out, remonstrating them. Everyone turned to look at the speaker: Izabella. Still sitting in Deus Ex Machina's grasp, her arm was raised and her face was earnest. Jeanne blinked her eyes rapidly a few times. A few seconds later, her head slumped sharply to the side. \"Have you lost your mind, miss?\" \"I suppose I probably have. But I suspect my odds of success are better than you think. Now, let! Me! Down!\" Izabella contorted her body, her cynical remarks accompanied by a smile. Somehow, she was able to slip out from Deus Ex Machina's arms. After gracefully hopping down onto the floor, she gave a long exhale. Then she turned her blue and purple eyes toward the incessant explosions of light going off above them. She narrowed her gaze. \"I know the man who summons those beasts\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa Christoph, the Modest Birdkeeper. I've had the honor of visiting with him a number of times. He possesses a firm spirit. Even after formally becoming a saint, he still recognized me and offered me kind words of advice.\" \"That's...impressive.\" Izabella's words filled Kaito with earnest admiration. After all, La Mules, a similar saint, had lost her reason and humanity and become little more than an animal. Maybe it had just been the case that La Christoph's connection to God was weaker than hers had been, but odds were that his force of will was astounding. At the same time, being reminded of how brazenly the Church retained their saints caused Kaito to realize just how perverse of an organization it was. The cracks were always there\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe current situation just tore them wide open. The time had finally come. The Church's shell had cracked, and the terrible monstrosity within was now free. That was really all there was to it. While the twisted imagery was floating through Kaito's mind, Izabella continued laying out her plan. \"Even after being recognized as a saint, La Christoph persisted in his deep love for the people. I strongly doubt he knows anything about the plan to reconstruct the world. I'll need someone to block two or three of his attacks for me, but if I call out to him, I believe there's a good chance he'll stop.\" Izabella was totally serious. But Elisabeth crossed her arms and shook her head. \"You expect a saint to see sense while firing off a bombardment? The odds are lower than low.\" \"If I die, then all it will mean is that my work up until now was unworthy of being remembered. In that event, I will accept my fate. And I apologize, but you'll need to come up with a new plan.\" Izabella's voice was calm, and the evenness of her tone served to illustrate just how composed she was. Kaito reflexively shuddered. The degree of certainty in her voice was alarming. \"Izabella, no!\" \"Oh, Master Kaito\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Kaito hurriedly stood up, wrenching himself free from Hina's arms. Then he turned to face Izabella. He stared straight into her mismatched, gemstone-like eyes. \"Izabella, you can't! Whether or not that saint guy will remember you isn't the problem! It's what'll happen to you afterward. If your plan works, you won't be able to go back to the Church. Hell, even trying to will be off the table. I'm not gonna let you go through with some plan that'll get you killed, whether it works or not!\" Kaito's voice rose to a shout. When Izabella replied with silence, Kaito clenched his fists. The odds were low that Izabella's callout would stop the bombardment, but they weren't zero. But if they wanted to use that opportunity to activate a teleportation circle, it would mean leaving her behind. The moment Izabella showed signs of fleeing, the saint would no doubt recommence his attack on the spot. She was, of course, a member of the Church, and the commander of the Holy Knights to boot. But given the Church's current state, even someone of her standing wouldn't be able to return safely. The situation over there was anything but upstanding. That was just how deep the roots of evil had sunk into it. The entire organization had gone completely mad. \"Even if it was just because Jeanne kidnapped you, you still ended up going into the underground tomb. You can pretend not to have seen anything, but there's no way they'll believe you. And I bet the Grave Keeper will be especially pissed.\" Kaito's thoughts turned to the perverse nursery down in the depths of the tomb. There had been a monster with a snowy owl's head and a huge mass of tentacles stationed in front of it as a guard. It had been made by taking a holy summoned beast, feeding it demon meat, and mixing in human parts. That torture room, its guardian... It takes more than run-of-the-mill fanaticism to make messed-up shit like that. The Grave Keeper must not have had a moral bone in their body. And back in Jeanne's hometown, Kaito had seen those hideously transfigured paladins, too. It was unclear whether they'd done so willingly, but all of them had eaten demon meat. Either way, even if they'd left them alive, there was no way to save people who'd undergone transformations like that. \"If you go back, they're just gonna dispose of you. If you're lucky, all they'll do is kill you. You can't go back; it's over!\" \"I refuse to believe that! Or rather, I want to...but even I can see the truth.\" Izabella answered frankly. Her voice was calm. So calm, in fact, that it filled Kaito with ominous premonitions. Izabella wasn't even trying to deny the evil lurking within the Church anymore. But even so, her smile remained. \"There would normally be no shortage of people who would defend me and ensure my sentence was just. But at this rate, I'm likely to be judged behind closed doors, without my allies knowing about it. Even so, there are things I still must do. You see, I want to go back to the Church.\" \"That's crazy talk...\" \"I have to make sure as many of the Holy Knights know the truth as possible. If things continue as they are, they're liable to be taken advantage of.\" \"But you can't seriously think you're gonna get a chance to\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Even if I don't. I can't just sit back and watch my subordinates die.\" Izabella's words were matter-of-fact. She'd clearly had her mind made up for some time now. It was at that moment that Kaito realized something. He and Elisabeth didn't have that many people they needed to protect. At the end of the day, both of them were criminals. But Izabella was different. Many people"}, {"text": "had placed their trust and loyalty in her. \"The Holy Knights' main force has to receive any untoward orders. But it's only a matter of time. It's as Ms. Jeanne says: Organizations are, for better or for worse, like long centipedes. I refuse to let my people unknowingly destroy the very people, the very world they're trying to protect.\" \"Even so, you still\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"I understand how you feel. Or rather, allow me to pretend to sympathize despite being wholly incapable of understanding. Still, though, foolish little lady, I must ask that you stop.\" An unexpected voice called out to restrain Izabella. Jeanne stepped forward and stood beside Kaito. She, too, didn't hesitate to give her warning. Deus Ex Machina stooped over, as though trying to scoop Izabella back up. Falling away a step, Izabella took on a defensive pose. Jeanne pointed a pale finger at her. It hung in the air as Jeanne tried to elucidate the situation. \"I didn't bring you along just to let the Church pass judgment on you, miss. I needed someone besides the Torture Princess and her servant who knew the truth of the world and was able to help convey it. Someone who was affiliated with the Church yet could accept the truth without breaking. That was what I chose you from among the stray sheep for.\" \"So I supposed. I had the sense that your expectations for me were something along those lines.\" \"It wasn't so you could die a dog's death. Don't forget. Death is absolute. If you die, that's it. Game over.\" \"...Forgive me. I understand the importance of the task you've given me. But would you be able to find someone else to carry it out? I have my own task I need to finish, you see.\" Izabella flatly refused to heed Jeanne's warning. Narrowing her rosy eyes, Jeanne made to set Deus Ex Machina into motion. As things were, Izabella had no means to resist. But with a gentle expression, she repeated back the words Jeanne had once thrust at her. \"I am a commander, though perhaps only in name.\" *** For once in her life, a look of surprise crossed Jeanne's face. Izabella began walking. It was easy to make out the unwavering pride in her gait, as was the fact that stopping her would accomplish nothing. She walked past Jeanne, practically daring her to act. Her silver hair nearly grazed Jeanne's honey-blond locks. Standing straight up, Jeanne let out a quiet whisper. \"...What a fool you are.\" Taking her cue, Deus Ex Machina sprang into motion. But instead of trying to capture Izabella this time, it strode directly forward. It seemed that the steel giant intended to serve as Izabella's shield, just as she'd requested. \"You can't...\" Still refusing to give up, Kaito raised his voice. But the timing with which Izabella turned around indicated that she'd seen that coming. As light continued to explode at her back, her voice was the image of composure. \"Farewell, ladies and gentlemen. Dreadful as it was, I'm glad I was able to learn the truth. Even now, I still hold that the Church's teachings are wonderful. Using faith as a way to support a life lived nobly and properly is an honorable thing. People are weak. They need something to believe in. So as a member of the Church, I will fight to my last to right its wrongs.\" Kaito sucked in his breath. Even after learning so many ugly truths, Izabella retained her piety and pride as the commander of the Holy Knights. Her next words were stern, and her voice rang with conviction. \"That is why, Kaito Sena, Elisabeth Le Fanu, Jeanne de Rais, even if history ends up validating your actions, I cannot become like you.\" With quiet yet unfaltering words, Izabella issued a complete rejection of Kaito and the others. The ebony and gold Torture Princesses said nothing. Kaito, too, gazed silently at lacerations running across Izabella's skin and her tranquil eyes. His thoughts turned to the metaphor he'd just heard. There exist shepherds who would gladly cast themselves into the fire just to catch a glimpse of a miracle. And their sheep would follow after them, blind to the foolishness of their own actions. Even though she was just a lone sheep, Izabella was trying to shout out warnings to the rest. She was likely to find herself cut down in the blink of an eye. But even so, she refused to abandon her flock. Izabella Vicker is a noble person through and through. Authority and cajolery would utterly fail to make her falter. And she had the rare power to not only believe in her own sense of justice but to put it into action, too. Which means that there's no way she'd ever become an enemy of the world. Kaito now felt that fact keenly. In other words, it was pointless trying to get her to stay by their side any longer. Kaito and the others were enemies of the world, and the road before them was paved with thorns. At the end of the day, what we're trying to do is kill God and the Saint. Trying to coerce someone who was living their life nobly and properly wasn't possible. Satisfied with that fact, Kaito threw in the towel. Elisabeth quietly clicked her tongue. Her sleek black hair rustled as she shook her head. \"Ha, do as you please. If one persists in their foolery, that, too, is a form of conviction. If you have no regrets, then go forth and die unburdened. Your brand of idiocy may differ from mine, but we are both idiots nonetheless.\" \"That we are, I suppose. Idiots, one and all.\" Izabella's smile was tinged with a hint of embarrassment. The lacerations running across her face twisted unattractively. Yet, even so, Izabella Vicker was beautiful. The next moment, she dashed up the stairs. Her silver hair fluttered as she broke into a run. Explosions of white light rocked the entrance she was heading for. With surprisingly fluid motions, Deus Ex Machina took the lead from Izabella. The steel giant was the first to rush outside. Izabella followed unflinchingly after. The bombardment exploded across Deus Ex Machina. Protected by its massive body, Izabella shouted out. \"Please stop, La Christoph! It's me, Izabella Vicker! I have something I wish to report! Everyone, please, you have to listen to me!\" Tragically, her voice was drowned out. It looked as though the attacks would continue. But she didn't give up. \"Rgh!\" Seizing the tiniest of gaps between explosions, Izabella made her move, leaping out from behind Deus Ex Machina. Having abandoned her shield, Izabella laid herself exposed before La Christoph. \"It's time for us to move.\" \"Indeed.\" If they didn't leave then, they wouldn't make it in time. With no room to doubt whether or not Izabella would succeed, Jeanne and Elisabeth dashed forward. Kaito and Hina followed after them. With a singularly nonchalant air, the Kaiser shook his head in exasperation and did the same. Vlad floated along behind, a wide grin plastered across his face. Together, they passed through the entrance. Unbelievably, the bombardment had stopped. It was almost miraculous how quiet their surroundings were. They could see a priest wearing a lavish vestment shouting something at La Christoph. He was undoubtedly trying to get him to resume the bombardment. But as he gazed at Izabella in bewilderment, La Christoph obstinately refused to open his arms. The priest shouted again, even louder. \"What the hell are you doing? Why show mercy to someone who's been won over by the demons?\" As he did, Izabella's subordinates started moving at once. They all rushed over to the priest. The group that looked like executioners tried to get them to fall back, but the paladins gave determined shouts. \"Please, that's not it! Our commander was taken against her will!\" \"Bah! Back, you lot, back! What are you thinking?!\" \"You're the one trying to dispose of our kidnapped commander all on your own! What are you thinking?!\" \"She's fallen into the demons' clutches!\" \"We told you, she was abducted! We're not going to just let you blow away our commander!\" Disorder swelled through their ranks. Taking full advantage of the opportunity, Deus Ex Machina collapsed into pieces. The steel giant's body separated into a number of chunks. From them, four machines landed atop the ashen earth. One of them was a beast made of nothing but fangs. Another was an automaton, shaped like a human except for its fatally warped frame. One of the other monsters was a lizard with limbs made from pipes and wings of glass. And the final one was a bipedal suit of armor with no visible seams anywhere on its body. The chains on Jeanne's wrists jingled. Taking their cue, the machines began spinning. White light started glittering in a circle around them, and golden flower petals danced up through the air. The teleportation circle began activating, leaving Izabella behind. The priest went slack-jawed. La Christoph continued looking solely at Izabella. She made no motions to flee, so La Christoph chose not to resume his attack. \"Get ahold of yourselves! Don't let them get away, dammit\u00e2\u20ac\u201dstop them!\" As he shouted orders at the fighting paladins, the priest began chanting to activate Elisabeth's shackles. As she stood beside Kaito, her skin started burning, and she let out a small cry of pain. \"Urk\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Elisabeth...\" \"Lady Elisabeth.\" Kaito and Hina supported her shoulders. However, Elisabeth wasn't the one giving the chant for the summoning circle\u00e2\u20ac\u201dJeanne was. The light gradually grew in strength. The paladins and the executioner-like group frantically rushed toward them. As they did, Jeanne gently extended her hand. Making sure she wasn't seen by the people closing in on them, she lifted a tuft of Izabella's hair. Then she kissed her, like a knight kissing a princess's hand. Izabella's shoulders twitched. But she didn't turn around. Finally, Jeanne offered a surreptitious murmur to her dignified back. \"I don't hate seeing a mere human trying to oppose them. After all, such actions are the ones that are supposed to change the world. You may be an idiot, a dunce, and a fool, miss, but I choose to believe that your actions helped delay the clock hands in their march toward the end. You did catch my eye, and the eyes never lie.\" With slight vestiges of sorrow, Jeanne let go of the silver hair. As she did, she offered a quiet farewell. \"Good-bye, my stupid, gallant little lady.\" *** The next moment, the paladins and executioner-like group rushed in. Metal flower petals and white light blotted out their figures, but the moment before they faded from vision, a scene burned its way into Kaito's eyes. Losing a close struggle to the executioner-like group, the paladins were forced back. Countless arms draped in crimson cloth reached out. Then, one after another, they grabbed Izabella. And then, finally, she was pushed forcefully down onto the ground. 3 Something Left Behind The gold petals and white light dissolved together to form a solid, cylindrical wall. Then, immediately afterward, it crumbled. The fragments gently melted, transformed into droplets, and crashed against the stone floor. When each one landed, it sent a small crimson splash into the air. \"...Crimson?\" Kaito tilted his head to the side in confusion. Then he noticed the second magic circle at their feet. The blood it was comprised of was recoiling at Jeanne's mana, causing it to bounce up off the ground. As a result, their surroundings were like a rain of light pouring atop a sea of blood. After looking at the room he was in, Kaito furrowed his brow. \"Huh? Wait, don't tell me this is...\" \"Jeanne, you little... I must say, I was expecting we would arrive in the forest nearby. Why is it that you're able to leap directly to my castle? When was it you interfered with my teleportation circle?\" Her skin still covered"}, {"text": "in burn marks from the Church's shackles, Elisabeth crossed her arms. They had all successfully arrived in the wide chamber beneath Elisabeth's castle that sported her permanent teleportation circle. But teleporting directly to it wasn't supposed to be possible for anyone who hadn't themselves activated it previously. Everyone turned to look at Jeanne. Her abundant golden locks shook as she tilted her head to the side. \"What are you talking about, miss? Why, you daringly left your castle exposed so as to invite attacks by the fourteen demons, did you not? Shit, you had openings everywhere! In other words, sending in a familiar to invade your castle and tamper with your teleportation circle was no grand undertaking. But hey, don't sweat the small stuff!\" Her unabashed response earned her a murderous glare from Elisabeth. But it was true that, thanks to the fact that they'd traveled directly to the castle, their arrival had been quicker than they'd anticipated. Letting out a short sigh, Elisabeth started walking. Her heels clicked loudly as she went. \"Very well. I'm hardly pleased, but I shall overlook it this once. This once. Now then, let's be off.\" \"Um, Lady Elisabeth, we should treat your injuries first...\" Hina timidly called out to her. As she stopped in her tracks, Elisabeth's harsh expression softened. But despite Hina's frantic pleas, she just gently shook her head. \"How kind you are to the woman you once betrayed... No, no, stop looking at me with those teary eyes! It feels as though I'm kicking a puppy. I had no intention of being snide to you, Hina. What I was trying to say was that you needn't worry, that I would cast healing magic myself later, when we have time to spare. Aye.\" \"Wait...doesn't that mean that if you were talking to me, you would mean it snidely?\" \"How astute he is! I should surely think so. 'Tis your own fault for being so wholly unlovable. You're a man; deal with it.\" \"Well then, I'll just have to praise Master Kaito so sweetly that it all balances out!\" \"Uh... I dunno if 'balances out' is really the way you're supposed to look at it...\" Despite the crisis situation they were in, the banter the three of them exchanged was light. Kaito took care to speak in the same glib manner as always. By doing so, he managed to slowly but surely regain his lost composure. Eventually, he succeeded in shaking away the scene that had burned itself into his eyes. My grieving isn't gonna make things any better. We've gotta hurry, for Izabella's sake, too. \"...Hmph, 'Tis time to cut the idle chatter. Let us be off in earnest. There's no shortage of information we need to drag out of the Butcher, whether he gives it freely or not. And time is of the essence.\" Her words hinted at the possibility of torture. Elisabeth licked her scarlet lips, and Kaito quietly dashed after her. They all ran out of the chamber. Groan-like noises echoed throughout the labyrinthine basement as they hurriedly made their way through it and on up the stairs to the first floor. It was at that point that the Kaiser, who'd been dutifully accompanying them, paused. He raised his head high and sniffed at the air. Then, after shaking his head a few times, he let out a bored scoff. \"...Hmph, I thought as much. Already, eh?\" \"What's the matter, Kaiser?\" \"You can't tell, boy? I should think it's a smell that you, too, would be familiar with.\" \"Familiar...?!\" Then Kaito finally realized what was different. The rusty aroma of blood was wafting down the first-floor corridor. After sniffing at their surroundings some more, the Kaiser approached something hidden in one of the walls' shadows. When he realized what it was, a shock ran through Kaito. The Kaiser's nose was right up against a large pool of blood. The supreme hound then poked at something dark sitting in the middle of the sea of red. \"This in particular. Its odor is like that of a demi-human, yet more mixed. What do you think, O unworthy master of mine? Surely you recognize it.\" The Kaiser let out a satisfied laugh, his expression hinting at ominous things to come. Kaito silently knelt down beside him. When he saw what his hound was pawing at, his face went white. Resting half-submerged in the pool of blood was a scrap of tattered black cloth. \"...The Butcher.\" \"Kaito, Hina, to my bedroom! Investigate the status of the Gibbet! Jeanne and Deus Ex Machina, go search elsewhere! You two are better at covering ground!\" \"I have no objections, miss. We are at least twice as fast as you punks, after all.\" \"Oh my, precious daughter of mine. Ignoring me?\" \"You and the Kaiser, go search as well! And before that, the both of you need to muster up some determination! Especially you, Vlad, you deadbeat! You seem quite content to just sit there and do nothing!\" Vlad peevishly pouted upon receiving his orders and insults in the same breath. Like always, his expression was creepily innocent. He stroked his chin and crossed his long legs in the air. \"Hmm, given that you all are the ones who killed me, I'd say I'm contributing more than my share. Also, given that I'm quite literally dead, perhaps 'deadbeat' isn't the kindest insult you could have chosen... Oh, I see\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou're choosing to turn a deaf ear to my complaints. Ah well, I suppose I can help you out with your investigation.\" Nobody present was paying any heed to his grievances; they'd all set off. Protest written across his face, Vlad floated on after Jeanne. The Kaiser, on the other hand, seemed to think it was none of his concern. He snorted, then vanished. Separating from the others, Kaito's group made for the stairs to the second floor. Kaito, Hina, and Elisabeth hurried through the oppressive cliff-top castle. Their footsteps echoed through the hall. Right before reaching the stairs, though, the three of them stopped in their tracks. \"...'Tis his handiwork, no doubt.\" \"Yeah...\" Before them stood a blood-soaked suit of armor. It resembled the moving suits of armor installed throughout the castle, but just barely peering out from beneath the rusty bloodstains on its chest was a white lily coat of arms. Elisabeth let out a murmur, her voice tinged with pity. \"Hello, transfigured paladin.\" \"Uorrrgh, uorrr... Gah, graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah... Blagh, blegh, blargh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Kaito and the others hadn't done anything yet. But in spite of that fact, the blood spurted forcefully from the openings in the paladin's helmet. It would appear that all the blood staining his silver armor had come from his own mouth. Upon catching a glimpse of the man's eyes through his helmet's eyeholes, Kaito gasped. The man's left eye had ruptured, and a number of pink sacs were dangling from his neck and pulsating. It looked like some sort of strange, parasitic plant was growing off him. But the truth was even more revolting. The sacs were made up of the man's own engorged flesh. \"Uorrr... Ah, ah, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!\" With a shout, the paladin hoisted up his weapon. They normally used swords, but his had been replaced with a crude battle-ax. It looked far too heavy for a normal paladin to wield properly. Before charging at them, the paladin held his battle-ax directly at Kaito and the other two. Even in his current state, he was still making sure to pay respect to his foes. *** Kaito involuntarily bit down on his lip. Normally, that was a gesture one would perform with a sword. Perhaps due to haziness stemming from his hunger for pain, the paladin firmly believed himself to be holding a sword. It was, in a word, pitiful. \"Master Kaito...\" \"Yeah, he's beyond help.\" Even if they left him alive, there was no way to save people who'd undergone transformations like that. Kaito raised his arm, and Hina readied her halberd. But a cold voice spoke first, scoffing at the fact that they'd faltered even for a second. \"Gavel.\" *** A solemn, bell-like noise rang out. A mass of crimson flower petals scattered magnificently through the air. A massive iron hammer swung down from empty space, the very air trembling as it fell. The transformed paladin was crushed, armor and all. The hammer's head was covered in brutal-looking thorns, causing it to resemble a meat tenderizer as it flattened the man from the head down. An invisible hand lifted up the Gavel's short handle. An unsettling sticky noise accompanied it. Crimson lines gently stretched up, then snapped. Beneath the hammer, iron plates and human flesh were all flattened into one. It made for a spectacle so far removed from the man's original form that the action seemed retroactively less cruel. \"Hmph.\" Elisabeth snapped her fingers. The iron hammer transformed into a cloud of petals, then vanished. All that remained was a horrid, incomprehensible pile. It made a squelching sound as Elisabeth trampled it underfoot. Ascending the stairs, she let out a low murmur. \"Hurry.\" \"...Got it.\" She spoke but a single word, and Kaito's response was similarly concise. After stepping over the pitiful corpse spread out before the staircase, the three of them resumed running. On their way, they encountered two more transfigured paladins and dispatched them just as quickly. Having disposed of everyone in their path, the three of them then dashed through the corridor where high windows cast ominous designs on the floor. Eventually, Elisabeth's bedroom came into view. Kaito felt a shiver go across his body as he ran. A terrible scene surely awaited them there, as the door was wide open and the floor around it was covered in blood. \"Butcher!\" \"Mr. Butcher!\" As Kaito and Hina shouted, Elisabeth stepped wordlessly into the room. What greeted them was an overwhelming silence. It was quiet in the room. Quiet and still. Ever since a demon had broken in, the window's slatted shutter had been left broken. A faint light streamed down onto the vacant floor. The spots where the plain yet refined bed and dresser had once been were now devoid of furniture. They'd gotten caught in Elisabeth's battle with the Butcher and destroyed. The only thing left was the knife-ridden map on the wall. That and the tall, narrow metal cage hanging from the ceiling\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Gibbet, one of Elisabeth's summoned torture devices. Kaito looked up at the iron cage in silence. It was empty. The Butcher was nowhere to be seen. \"Elisabeth...\" \"...Hmm.\" Elisabeth snapped her fingers. Its chain rattled, and the cage landed on the floor. The first thing she did was deliberately inspect the cage door. Kaito watched her work from the side. After running her finger across the scratch marks left on the lock and confirming their direction and shape, she nodded. \"These marks came from within. It would seem the Butcher opened the cage on his own, then fled.\" \"You're saying that he wasn't removed by force? Could Mr. Butcher be all right, then?\" \"No, there's no way... Something definitely went down after he broke out.\" Kaito turned to look back toward the bedroom's entrance. Drops of blood were scattered about by the doorway. And not only were there grotesque paladins prowling the castle grounds, there had been a scrap of black cloth floating in the pool of blood back on the first floor. There was no way the Butcher was unharmed. Elisabeth sighed, as though agreeing with Kaito's fears. \"I can probably surmise what happened. After breaking out of the cage, he had the poor fortune of running into those paladins. They probably brought a fair number of men here with the intention of capturing me on my return from the underground tomb. There were doubtless priests among them to activate my shackles, to boot. After capturing the Butcher, though, they returned to their headquarters. That gives us our reason why none of the ones we faced were in any state to fight.\""}, {"text": "Upon hearing Elisabeth's hypothesis, Kaito nodded. It was true that all the paladins they'd encountered had already been half-dead. The assembled manpower had been too half-assed to conduct any sort of proper purge. It seemed likely that the only ones left behind were those who'd had a poor affinity for demon meat and were on the verge of death. Even though they weren't as sure of it as Jeanne, the Church was probably looking for the Apostle, too... So it makes sense that they took the Butcher back to their headquarters with them. \"You mean to say that Mr. Butcher has been captured? The Church is... Oh?\" \"What's wrong, Hina?\" \"My beloved Master Kaito, my dear Lady Elisabeth, what might that be?\" Forgetting how worried she was, Hina sounded flabbergasted. Kaito and Elisabeth turned toward the direction she was pointing. Something had been placed in the room's blind spot, arranged so that the Gibbet would draw one's attention in its place. Upon seeing it, the two of them squinted in unison. \"That's...\" It had a preeminent presence to it, which made the fact that it had evaded their attention for so long even odder. Once they saw it the first time, though, it was thereafter impossible to ignore. Sitting on the floor was a massive slab of bone-in meat. It was so impressive, it practically deserved fanfare. \"'Tis meat.\" \"Yup, that's meat.\" \"It's meat, isn't it?\" Despite themselves, all three of them said the obvious. The paladins had sunken into madness, so it made sense that they'd overlooked it. But its very presence was such that Kaito and the others couldn't help commenting on it. The three of them cautiously approached the meat. The closer they looked, the odder its countenance seemed to be. Kaito and Elisabeth exchanged a glance, then started elbowing each other in the side. \"Go on, then, Kaito. You're the one with the wife, so why don't you show her how manly you are, eh?\" \"Oh, no, no, I wouldn't dream of denying the opportunity to check it out to my world-famous master in action.\" \"Allow me, then. As your intrepid maid, I shall go forth and investigate the meat! I'm off!\" \"\"No, no, no, no, no, no, no.\"\" Kaito and Elisabeth both reached out, determined not to foist the task off on Hina. By sheer coincidence, Elisabeth's fingers reached it quicker. She tutted at Kaito as she hoisted up the meat. Then something about the sensation of grabbing the bone gave her pause. \"Hmm? 'Tis...loose? Perhaps... Rrrrrrrrrrr, rah!\" \"Yikes!\" With a loud pop, Elisabeth yanked the bone free from the meat. When she did, something fell out from within and clinked against the ground. She picked it up and held it in front of her eyes. It was a slab of metal, twisted into an intricate shape. Even though it was covered in grease, it still sparkled. After pondering its design, Elisabeth tilted her head to the side. \"Some kind of key, perhaps?\" \"Yeah, and there's something on the side, right? Look\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthere.\" Elisabeth turned the key over as Kaito had instructed. One of her eyebrows shot violently up. The words beloved dragon no. 2 were etched on its soiled metal surface. \"That's...\" \"Familiar words, indeed.\" Kaito and the others began whispering among themselves. Whatever it was, it probably had something to do with the dragons the Butcher kept. And keys were, by nature, designed to open things. As he considered those facts, Kaito remembered something else as well. Oh yeah, Elisabeth knows where the Butcher lives. Elisabeth had sent Hina on an errand there once, and on another occasion had brought golems and ice spirits there as a gift. The Butcher had many clients, albeit most of whom he'd probably picked for their lack of knowledge regarding the Apostle. Of them, though, the number who knew where he lived was likely quite small. In fact, Elisabeth might well be the only one. Elisabeth tossed the key in the air. Before it could fall, she snatched it back up. \"After we reconvene with Jeanne and the others, we're heading for the teleportation circle. We make for the Butcher's residence.\" \"Got it.\" \"Yes, ma'am.\" Kaito and Hina nodded. Without another word, Kaito began pondering. The Butcher had definitely left the key there on purpose. It was impossible to know whether his intentions had been benevolent or malicious. Even so, though, Kaito wanted to believe. Maybe this will let us change something. Kaito couldn't help but wish for it as he thought back on the Butcher and the pleased way in which he would tell his tall tales. The Butcher's residence was home to no small share of danger. Specifically, it was in the deep heart of a vast, dark, remote forest. Nobody dared harvest its rare herbs and ores, and the closest human settlement was on the other side of a mountain. Thanks to that, the forest had been able to avoid human exploitation. As a consequence, monsters and man-eating plants thrived within its confines. It had long since become a place where no human dared tread. However, everyone in their group had, in some sense, transcended humanity. Kreeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Kree\u00e2\u20ac\u201d A strange noise erupted as a tangle of ivy made to take a bite out of Elisabeth's head, but she ripped it in two with her bare hands. Its death wail was a sound no plant should ever make. As she tossed the ivy aside, Elisabeth sighed. \"Hmm, none of them poses much threat, but they do make it unpleasant to walk. 'Twould have been far more convenient if we could have but leaped there directly.\" \"It's set up so that you can only teleport as far as the forest entrance. It was like that when I came here, as well.\" \"Huh. I wonder if the Butcher set it up that way in preparation for when we all found out his secret.\" Kaito's voice was soft. \"Nay, I suspect he merely wasn't thinking at all,\" groaned Elisabeth in reply. Beside them, Hina shouted, \"Don't you dare get near them, you insolent lout!\" at a poisonous moth as she bisected it down the middle. Leading the group was Deus Ex Machina, which had returned to being a steel titan and was currently trampling some howling plants underfoot. The chains on Jeanne's wrists jingled as she gracefully followed after it. Vlad gently drifted along behind. They all marched in silence, the only noises the gyaaahs and arrrghs of their would-be hunters. Eventually, though, they reached a clearing and stopped. A fancy hut towered before them. It was so impressive, it practically deserved fanfare. \".................................It's a mushroom.\" \"It would appear to be a mushroom, yes.\" \"Aye, and a toadstool, at that.\" \"Hmm? Why, where is the meat? I must say, abandoning the sense of cohesion strikes me as a crime against aesthetics.\" Kaito was aghast, Hina merely nodded, Elisabeth was exasperated, and Vlad leveled a characteristically obtuse complaint. Erected before them was a completely round house. Its red roof was the very image of a mushroom's cap, and it was even mottled white. It was abundantly clear that the building was modeled after a mushroom\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmore specifically, a toadstool. And at the bottom of the stalk was an adorable little round door. Kaito grabbed its handle and pulled. However, the door refused to budge. It must have been locked. Elisabeth prompted him to move aside, then raised one of her shapely legs into the air and let out a casual shout. \"Hi-yah!\" \"Welp, there she goes!\" Elisabeth had let loose a magnificently bold roundhouse kick. The door shattered. Inside, though, nothing seemed particularly amiss. While it was true that the massive chopping block, assorted knives, hand-operated saw, and miscellaneous hooks made the house seem a good deal more dangerous than the average merchant's, given the vast array of meats the Butcher dealt in, it all fell within reasonable expectations. Suspecting that the room had more to hide, Kaito and the others got to work searching it. Vlad alone stood motionless, still floating in the air. Kaito turned back to lodge a complaint. \"Vlad, c'mon. I know you can't touch stuff, but you could at least try to help out.\" \"I'm afraid I can't, my dear successor. I'm rather preoccupied, you see, trying to figure out why the area around these shelves is the only place free of dust.\" \"...Huh.\" \"I see. I guess the dead guy ain't a deadbeat after all.\" Vlad smiled, and Jeanne called Deus Ex Machina over. It moved the shelves aside with great ease. A secret door was installed beneath them. When they opened it, they discovered a staircase leading underground. Nerves on edge, the group descended. At the bottom, they discovered what had once been an underground lake now being used as a storehouse. A vast number of stone sheds were lined up atop the parched earth. Despite their master's absence, golems and ice spirits were diligently managing the meat within. There was nothing strange about that, either. And there certainly didn't appear to be anything related to the Saint in there. It feels like the nasty stuff we learned was all just a bad dream or something. As doubts started creeping through Kaito's mind, though, Hina started waving her hand about and shouting. \"Master Kaitooo! There's another set of stairs leading up over here!\" Apparently, she'd found a different set of stairs than the ones they'd come down on. But given that they hadn't found anything so far, the group's expectations as they ascended were low. Upon opening the wooden door at the top, they saw dim light flooding forth. Kaito popped his head out through the doorway. They were surrounded by trees. It was probably a backyard of some sort. \"Hey, over there!\" Then amid the dazzling light and vivid shades of green, Kaito spotted it. \"Ahhhhhh! Ahhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! I'm gonna faaall!\" \"Don't worry, Master Kaito! I have your hand firmly in my grasp! Even if every gear in my body should stop, I will never let you go! Or would it be better if we simply traded places?\" \"Nope, that's a no-go! If we think about it rationally, I'm just as likely to fall from up there, so it works out better for both of us for you to keep supporting me like this, but that doesn't change the fact that it's scary as shiiiiiiiiit!\" \"Seeing you so scared is so heartrendingly cuuuuuuuuuuute!\" A strange shout erupted from Hina. They'd been in so many nerve-racking situations recently, she must have finally snapped. As she swayed and squirmed, Kaito's legs were left practically floating in midair. Furthermore, the two thin black wings beside him were flapping fiercely through the air. Each time they did, Kaito had to expend mana to maintain his stamina and avoid getting sent flying. Below him, the forest spread out in every direction. The trees behind him vanished in a sea of green as they receded into the distance. Currently, Kaito and the others were riding atop a majestic red dragon. Upon leaving the Butcher's house behind them, they'd taken to the skies. It had all started a few hours prior. When they'd entered the Butcher's backyard, they'd been met by three dragons. The first was the steel dragon that had previously brought Hina to the Capital. The second had been a female with four wings and a long, slender crimson body. According to Jeanne, it was called a \"red dragon.\" The moment they'd used their key to unlock her collar, she'd begun violently flapping her wings. They hadn't been afforded a moment of hesitation. Jeanne, who seemed to have expected this development, had elegantly mounted the dragon's saddle. Elisabeth followed after and reclined atop the dragon's back. And bringing up the rear had been Hina, who'd grabbed the startled Kaito by the arm and jumped on board last. Naturally, a red dragon's body was tapered at the rear. In other words, there was basically nowhere viable to sit near"}, {"text": "her backside. As a result, Kaito had been wailing the entire time since. An exasperated shout came from Elisabeth, near the front. \"Enough of your whining, Kaito! You're immortal! Even if you do fall, you're sure to survive!\" \"Hell no, I'm not falling for that! I know full well that enough blood loss will make my soul fade away! I'm freaking out over here, and the bumpiness isn't helping!\" \"Your grumbling really is getting irritating, mister. Why don't you make like a corpse and shut the hell up.\" \"You're sitting in the saddle; you're in no position to talk!\" Kaito put forth no shortage of effort in making his objections known. Jeanne's honey-blond locks fluttered in the air as she feigned ignorance. Deus Ex Machina was no longer by her side. It was ill-equipped for long flights, so she'd temporarily dismissed it. Vlad, who was floating beside Kaito, gave a light chuckle. \"Well, well, well, my dear successor, it seems that you're growing accustomed to the skies. And isn't that what's really important here?\" \"Shut up! ...But I, uh, I guess it's not as bad anymore...\" Still trembling, Kaito caught a glimpse of the ground below. The forest looked like a vast, vibrant green swath. Beastfolk, demi-human, human\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit was impossible to tell whose territory they were above. Looking down on it from the sky, he felt land-ownership rights seemed almost petty and irrelevant. The red dragon's body weaved back and forth as she continued her flight. It was unclear where their destination was, but she clearly seemed to have one in mind. Her speed was steady, and she showed no signs of being lost. Then the landscape below them started to change. The forest came to an end and was replaced by a series of houses and buildings that looked as small as toys. Then they, too, were replaced with a sandy yellow desert. As he gazed off into the distance, Kaito felt his breath catch in his throat. Far away, he could make out a vast body of water, sparkling as radiantly as though it had fragments of glass sprinkled atop it. \"You've gotta be kidding. We're gonna cross the ocean?\" \"At this rate, it seems she intends to leave the very continent.\" Elisabeth sat up. Her voice carried an understandable hint of tension to it. At some point, the air had taken on a different quality. It had previously been dry and parched but was now rife with moisture and the smell of the sea. The ocean was approaching faster than they could blink. Then the red dragon soared over the glittering sea. A gust of conspicuously fishy wind lapped at their cheeks. A flock of seabirds let out alarmed cries, then flew off. A line of white sailboats ran atop the waves. At that point, the sun started sinking beneath the horizon line. The waters burned a vivid red. The light was the shade of ripe fruit, and it scorched its way into Kaito's retinas. The majesty and splendor of it all took hold of his eyes and soul. It was a landscape he'd never gotten the chance to see in the closed-off life he'd lived before. Anxious as he was as to the nature of the red dragon's destination, an uncharacteristic surge of excitement ran through him. Riding a dragon through the skies, huh... Man, just look at how far I've come! \"Hmm. I'll admit to not knowing why I know, my dear successor, but I think I have an inkling of where this dragon is heading.\" \"W-wait, for real, Vlad? Then where\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? Ahhhh!\" Upon hearing Vlad's assertion, Kaito had turned his head to one side in earnest. The moment he had, though, the red dragon had charged headfirst into a cloud. His sight stolen away from him, Kaito let out another yelp, at which an emotional voice called out, \"Master Kaito, you're so cuuuuuute!\" Beyond the pale white of the cloud, Vlad quietly murmured his response. \"The World's End, in all likelihood.\" At that moment, Kaito recalled something he'd once heard. It's a nonsensical little fairy tale, and one that's gone on for a very, very long time. Having first gotten atop a red dragon's back, it would appear that they were now heading to a land straight out of a story. 4 The World's End Someone once said that the world has no end. The world is round, they proclaimed, and as such it has no terminus. Someone once said that the world has an end. It's like a waterfall, they proclaimed, one that swallows up anything and everything. Someone once said that the world has an end. For God created that place, they proclaimed, and designated it \"the World's End.\" Was the world, in fact, round? Were the seas all connected? Or was there nothing but a waterfall at the edge and an abyss that swallowed up anything and everything? To this very day, the truth is yet unknown. After all, nobody ever actually undertook the voyage to find out for themselves. Even so, though, one of the three proclamations can currently be held up as definitely true. For in this world, there is a location that God designated as its End. It's said to be a pure place, one crafted from snow and water, wind and mana. And it's a place that only those granted knowledge of its location were able to reach. \"'Even if one were to walk the whole earth over,' it's said. Being a mage, I'd of course heard of it, but to think that while I live and breathe... Well, no, I suppose I'm dead now. Either way, I never dreamed I'd actually be able to reach it! Yet, now I stand with my own two feet...or to be more precise, I should say I float! But in any case, it's quite moving.\" \"That's a lot of corrections you're making there. Are you quite all right?\" \"Ha-ha-ha, as satisfied as satisfied can be!\" Leisurely shrugging off his beloved daughter's cold stare, Vlad gave a hearty laugh. With grace befitting his noble bearing, Vlad cast a sweeping gaze over the snowscape before them. The ground was frozen and hard, and no amount of digging would turn up soil. The entire region was made of mana-rich ice. Because of that, everything as far as the eye could see was blue and faintly glowing. The snowflakes were big enough to make out their individual shapes, and they piled up everywhere like little handicrafts. Above them, the sky was milky and white. Strangely, it was also covered in an oil-like rainbow sheen, although that didn't appear to belong to clouds, the sun, or the stars. The sky was simply empty. It was like a giant lid was sitting over their heads. Consequently, it was difficult to tell whether it was night or day. In a sense, it resembled the demons' world. However, the sky wasn't sullied like it had been back there. The wind was frighteningly clean and pure, and the atmosphere was sparkling. It was beautiful, almost miraculously so. But at the same time, there was nothing there. There was just absolute emptiness. It was like a hollow vessel, with all the desolate solitude of everything having ended and the faint hope that something new would begin. It was a place truly deserving of the name \"the World's End.\" And in that legendary land, Kaito Sena was currently freezing to death. \"I'm s-so c-cold! Cold, cold, cold, cold, c-c-c-c-cold!\" \"Please, Master Kaito, pull yourself together! Oh, if only my surface area were a hundred times larger!\" \"Hmm, I feel as though I just saw a vision of Kaito being fatally crushed.\" Despite being wrapped in Hina's tight embrace, Kaito was shivering. For the last little while, Hina had been laudably trying to warm him up with her own body. Just as she'd said, though, she lacked the surface area to cover him completely. Other than his face, which was buried in her opulent chest, Kaito was suffering an utter defeat at the hands of the cold. As she gazed at his frozen visage, Elisabeth nodded. \"'Tis true, though. The temperature is such that no human would withstand it unprepared.\" \"The World's End is a place of purity. In other words, this ain't no place for respectable creatures to try survivin'.\" \"H-h-how the hell are you two not cold in those r-r-ridiculous getups?!\" Kaito couldn't stop himself from crying out. Elisabeth and Jeanne, in stark defiance of what they'd just said, seemed to be perfectly fine. Vlad was a phantasm, and Hina was an automaton. It made sense for the two of them not to feel the cold. But the fact that Elisabeth and Jeanne seemed unaffected as well made no sense. After all, the amount of fabric comprising the Torture Princess's bondage dresses barely even rose to the level of \"sparse.\" Jeanne appeared dumbfounded by Kaito's exclamation. She shrugged her exposed shoulders. \"Allow me to pose you a question, mister. Why should any mage complain about the cold in a land as rich in mana as this? What, you think you classify as 'respectable'?! You're like some sorta masochist perv who owns clothes but walks around naked anyway!\" \"'Tis just as Jeanne says. Using your mana better would serve you well. Are you ready? Hold the sensation of a lit fire within the pit of your stomach. Then form a layer of warmth in the air around... Wait, no. Stop. You were just on the verge of immolation, no?\" \"Y-y-yeah, that's right, I a-a-almost caught on fire! I'm bad at that f-f-fiddly magic stuff, okay, and I'm cold!\" As smoke sputtered from the top of his head, Kaito continued shivering. Then Vlad returned, seemingly having grown bored of observing the scenery. He shook his head in exasperation. \"I take it you intend to secede, then, my dear successor? It's a pitiful way to die, to be certain, but it is what it is. Partings are always sudden and always sorrowful. As comical of a farewell as it is, perhaps that, too, lends it deeper significance.\" \"Listen here, you. When I die, I'm smashing your stupid jewel on my way out if it's the last thing I do.\" Kaito leveled a glare at Vlad through his shivers. It was unclear what he found so funny, but Vlad responded with a chipper laugh. Exasperated as she was, Elisabeth gave Kaito a firm clap on the shoulder. \"Calm down, now. I daresay you're at no risk of actually freezing to death.\" \"I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI mean, you're r-r-right, but I feel like it'd still be a problem if I s-s-stopped being able to move.\" Elisabeth did have a point. Kaito's soul was currently housed inside a homunculus. As long as he didn't unintentionally undergo severe blood loss, his body was immortal. In fact, if he were a normal human, he would have already succumbed to hypothermia and died. But if Elisabeth's blood running through his veins was to freeze, so would his motor functions. And given their current situation, he wasn't particularly keen on asking someone to lug him around as a paperweight. Hina clenched her fists in determination. Her face full of resolve, she grabbed at her maid uniform. \"Now I understand! Now that it's come to this, we only have one option left! As his bride, I will take extreme, extreme pleasure in removing my clothes and pressing myself against my precious husband to better warm him up!\" \"Settle yourself down, Hina. 'Tis true that you replicate a human's body heat despite being an automaton. But stripping and clinging to him will change little. Also, do try to hide your ulterior motives a bit more thoroughly. Promise me that, if nothing else... In any case, the red dragon seems to have stopped moving. We have nothing to use as a guide, and Kaito is on the verge of freezing.\" \"I d-d-don't like where this is g-g-going.\" \"The matter now becomes, 'what to do?'\" Elisabeth crossed"}, {"text": "her arms and hmmed. Then she snapped her gaze to the side. The red dragon was lying on its belly there, seemingly unaffected by the cold. Ever since they'd arrived at the World's End, she'd suddenly stopped moving. She was instead dozing off, as though she'd come home for the first time in a long while. Upon hearing what Elisabeth had to say, Jeanne shrugged again. \"A good question. Leaving the pathetic mister to freeze to death won't exactly do us any good. Nevertheless, walking about randomly would be foolish. We need to avoid wasting our stamina. Our best option is to await good news from my children. If things go well, it will give us a direction for our next course of action, as well. And if they don't, well, we can just give up and let him die.\" \"D-d-damn, that's harsh.\" Kaito lamented, his face pale. However, he didn't have any specific objections to Jeanne's proposal. After Deus Ex Machina had rematerialized, it had split up and begun scouting. In accordance with Jeanne's orders, its four parts had gone out to search the vast untrodden land. Waiting for the four to return was the best option they had available to them. After all, there's basically nothing to use as a landmark here. If we started walking, odds are we'd just end up going in circles. Given that the Butcher invited us here, there should be something we can reach before we freeze to death, but... Despite his racing thoughts, Kaito chose to put his trust in the four machines. In other words, the only thing there was to do was wait. They spent the next little while in silence. Sandwiched between the luminescent sky and earth, even Kaito's sense of the passage of time evaporated. Given the fact that he was able to successfully put up with it, the time he spent waiting couldn't have been more than a few minutes, but to him it felt like an eternity. Then, with a start, he looked up. He could hear the crunching sound of something scraping at the frozen earth. A distorted mass of silver approached from the distance, chipping lightly away at the ice as it moved. Bandersnatch, the beast made from nothing but fangs, had returned. It bored holes in the ice as it came to a quick stop. Sitting in front of its master with its feet all lined up together, Bandersnatch let its mouth click open and shut. Apparently, it was using the rattling of its fangs to somehow give its report. Jeanne responded with a theatrical little gesture and covered her mouth with her hand. \"My, my, this falls outside my expectations.\" \"Wh-wh-wh-what is it, Jeanne? D-d-d-did something happen?\" \"I'll praise you for having the grit to ask your question despite your teeth shivering to their roots, mister, if nothing else. Listen and be awed. Bandersnatch found a soldier encampment down the way. Who'da thunk that someone'd beat us to the World's End? Barely even feels real.\" \"What? The Church's goons, then? They must have dragged something out of the Butcher.\" \"That isn't it. The flag they're flying isn't the Church's. I recognize the design, but...describing it would be difficult. Draw it, if you would.\" Bandersnatch nodded obediently at Jeanne's order. With unhesitating motions, it set its bladed legs to work. It looked something akin to a machine outputting image data. Silver whooshed through the air, carving a delicate, flowing pattern in the ground. The first things it drew were animals. Then flowers. Eventually, the drawing of a white deer, an ancient wolf, and a colossal hawk all wreathed in an extravagant ring of flowers was complete. Kaito's eyes went wide. Momentarily forgetting about the cold, he let out a dumbfounded whisper. \"The Forest King and the other two... And wait, the flowers in the crest vary by member of the royal family, and that one is specific to...\" \"Yes, Master Kaito, I remember it, too.\" Still nestled beside him, Hina gave an obedient nod. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes in confusion. His tone serious, Kaito stated the flag's owner. \"It belongs to the private army of Vyade Ula Forstlast, the Forest King's third imperial princess.\" With that, a new mystery arose. After all, Kaito and the others were currently at the World's End. Without being told exactly where it was, it was impossible to even reach. So why are the beastfolk here? And what's their goal? No matter how hard he racked his brain, though, Kaito couldn't come up with answers. He didn't even have enough information to come up with a reasonable guess. He scrunched up his face. Elisabeth responded by crossing her arms and puffing out her chest. \"When thinking fails, all that's left is to act. And one way or another, we need to figure out the beastfolk's reason and objective in coming to the World's End.\" \"Indeed. We can hardly chalk it up to happenstance. Which leaves us no choice but to find out why.\" \"Yeah...you two are right. Guess we should get moving, then.\" Jeanne interjected in the affirmative, and Kaito nodded as well. Odds were that the beastfolk weren't their enemies. Kaito didn't think of them as enemies, at any rate, and he chose to believe that they'd feel the same way. And with that, their course of action was set. They were going to head to the beastfolk campsite and make contact with them. Without further delay, they followed Bandersnatch and set off. As they walked, they trampled snowflakes underfoot. But just after they got going, a serious problem reared its head. \"E-E-Elisabeth, this isn't g-g-good.\" \"What isn't? Ah. I think I have the gist of it, but go on and say it anyway.\" \"A-a-at this rate, I'm gonna die. Or r-r-rather, freeze stiff.\" \"Hmm. I'm afraid I don't really see the issue. We can merely simmer you in hot water later, I should think.\" \"Wh-wh-whaddaya think I am, f-f-frozen peas? I don't wanna be a s-s-statue.\" As they were talking, Kaito's body heat was mercilessly fading away. For a moment, the insane thought of burrowing into the Kaiser's fur passed through his mind. After all, the one part of his body that wasn't cold was his left arm, which had been transformed into that of a beast. If he clung to the Kaiser's canine pelt, he was sure it would warm him up. But the Kaiser was a proud demon. Rubbing his soft fur would no doubt incite his rage. And for that matter, Kaito wasn't sure if demons even had body heat. All right, brain, back it up. Let's try to avoid getting ourselves bitten in half. Narrowly coming back to his senses, Kaito began trying to think of a more realistic solution. The plan he ended up going with was trying to get magical tutelage from Elisabeth again. No matter how many times he tried, though, success eluded him. \"...N-n-no dice, huh?\" \"Hmm. How else to go about teaching you, I wonder?\" Having already tried out a number of different explanations, Elisabeth tapped a finger against her forehead. Thin beads of smoke were coming up from Kaito's head. Elisabeth frowned as she gazed at his sorry demeanor. \"The problem seems to lie in the fact that thermoregulation magic doesn't use pain as its fulcrum. To you, that makes the sensation comparatively hard to grasp. Even so, though, I'm at something of a loss as to how else to explain it.\" \"D-d-don't give up now; you've g-g-got my life in your hands.\" \"Worry not. I've all but dropped it already.\" \"H-h-how the hell's that s-s-supposed to make me feel better?\" \"It's okay, Master Kaito! Even if you can't move anymore, I will make sure to dutifully carry you!\" \"Hmm, transporting cargo under our present circumstances seems rather hazardous. Blast it, though! How can it be that a man who birthed a sword on his own strength has so impoverished an imagination?! One. More. Time. First, you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"May I, my precious daughter?\" \"I'm sorry, does the charcoal briquette with delusions of grandeur have something to say?\" \"Ha-ha-ha, as rebellious as always. Worry not, though; I'm a forgiving man.\" Vlad's interruption was met with Elisabeth's unconcealed scorn. However, he just laughed off her snide comment. He found his face riddled with stakes in reply, but he carried on undiscouraged. \"The reason your teachings are so ineffective is because they're designed with a sane pupil in mind. If you want to teach him, then you'd best rethink your methods from the ground up... Now then, my dear successor, I want you to release fire and ice within your body at the same time. Don't try to grasp the sensations. Actually release them. And put enough strength into both of them to kill yourself.\" \"Wait, Vlad, are you mad? I mean, I'm well aware that you're mad, but that's\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Each one will offset the other. But of the two, your talent with fire is greater, and the difference should be precisely enough to warm your body.\" Kaito followed Vlad's instructions and closed his eyes. He focused his mind, then tried burning up and freezing his innards. His mana immediately started flowing freely, as though all the lack of response up until then was but a distant memory. Oh man, this is way nicer. The two contradictory energies were clashing within Kaito's body. It wasn't without a degree of pain, but neither was able to fully take form without being quashed by the other. At the end, the only lasting effect was his body temperature successfully rising. Kaito slowly opened his eyes. He then turned to Vlad, who was beaming triumphantly, and nodded. \"Yeah, the cold's manageable now. Thanks, Vlad.\" \"Y-you little... Do something about that irreconcilably twisted nature of yoooooours!\" Elisabeth evoked the image of a cat with its hairs standing on end as she screamed. As she did, she leveled a splendid roundhouse kick at Kaito's back. The attack itself was, by all means, no different than his usual treatment. Their location, on the other hand, was anything but usual. As a result, the impact of the kick caused Kaito to lose his footing and slip. \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Oh?\" The frozen ground was all but devoid of friction. And to compound on Kaito's misfortune, the ground had begun gently sloping up at some point. Without realizing it, they'd climbed up a little white hill. One can imagine, then, what happened to Kaito when he slipped. His black long coat acting as a sled, he began sliding down the hill at an alarming rate. \"Ahhhhhhhh, Elisabeeeeeeeeeeeeeth!\" \"Kaitoooooooooooooooooo!\" \"My beloved Master Kaitoooooooooooooooo!\" \"Hmm. I seem to have lost my precious successor.\" \"I don't know if he was really all that precious.\" While the remaining members clamored among themselves, Kaito continued accelerating with no signs of stopping. He frantically thrust his beastly arm into the ground. However, he was unsuccessful in driving his claws into the ice. So, uh, what exactly am I supposed to do now? Although he wasn't exactly being driven by negative emotions, the absurdity of the situation served to calm him just as effectively. Kaito narrowed his eyes and cast a glance over his surroundings. When he did, he realized something. There were strange furrows in the ground right next to where he was sliding. The snowflakes had been carved up, and the ice had been shaved away. In all likelihood, this was where Bandersnatch had slid down the hill. \"Well, it looks like I'm headed in the right direction, so...I guess this is fine?\" After all, Kaito's pace had been the slowest among the group. Deciding that continuing to slide was just fine by him, he stopped resisting. Of course, that said, it wasn't like he had any way to stop. Growing slightly desperate, Kaito crossed his arms. Maintaining that posture, he continued sliding away. Eventually, the ground became flat again. Despite that, though, Kaito's speed showed no signs of abating. He merely continued rushing along the"}, {"text": "ground beneath the milky-white sky. Then, suddenly, he got caught on something and came to a stop. \"Hmm? What's that?\" Kaito squinted. It felt as though he'd been caught by countless pairs of transparent hands. He then reached out and checked to see what it was that had actually stopped him. It turned out to be a fat bundle of wire-thin plants. Each one of the snow-white vines was covered in fuzzy, bur-shaped blossoms. Narrowing his eyes once more, Kaito surveyed his surroundings. The ivy stretched out around the entire environs. He tried giving the vine a tug. The more he pulled it back, though, the more it stretched. It didn't look like it was going to snap, nor was there any end to it in sight. It was far longer and sturdier than he'd expected. What's a plant doing here, though? I thought stuff wasn't supposed to be able to live here. What's going on, then? And did Bandersnatch manage to avoid this stuff? Faced with the plant's contradictory existence, he cocked his head to the side and double-checked the shaving in the ice. Bandersnatch's tracks stopped just before the ivy, then reappeared on the other side with deep holes at the very beginning. It must have noticed the ivy just before running into it, then jumped to avoid it. Kaito, on the other hand, hadn't had such luck. Crossing his arms again, he tilted his head back to the side. \"What's up with this ivy, then? I mean, there are definitely things that come to mind when I think plants, but...\" \"I came to see who was caught, but this? To think that a human would make it to the World's End. It would appear we were not the only ones invited... Who are you? State your name!\" \"Huh?\" Suddenly, he heard a deep voice addressing him. Kaito's eyes went wide. But the animosity present in the other party's voice wasn't what he was reacting to. The expression flooding his face wasn't one of tension and alertness but one of shocked familiarity. \"...No way.\" He knew that voice. Flustered, he cast a glance at his surroundings. It was then that he realized there was a group behind him leveling swords at his back. The approaching soldiers were all clad in vermilion armor. Its scale-and-leather aesthetic gave the same unique impression as always. In addition to their breastplates, though, they were also wearing thick winter coats. The coats had likely been made from the fur of their comrades, as that was their people's custom. Just as Kaito had expected, masculine, inhuman faces peeked out from within their heavy hoods. At the front of the group was a beastman with copper fur and a wolf's head. And the subordinates standing behind him looked familiar as well. Kaito somehow managed to avoid slipping as he stood up. Then, making no efforts to defend himself, he called out to the wolf-headed beastman. \"Lute!\" \"Hmm? Why do you know my...? Wait, you're\u00e2\u20ac\u201d!\" Lute, the commanding officer of the first squad of Vyade Ula Forstlast's private army, stopped dead in his tracks. At that point, Kaito finally came to a realization. The reason the plants hadn't withered away in this frozen world was because the beastfolk had brought them there. They must have been using them in place of a fence to keep out intruders. What beastfolk lacked in magical prowess they made up for in their peculiar brand of engineering. Armor and magical tools made from the corpses of their comrades and plants that could grow inside buildings without any soil were just a few examples. It made total sense for them to have developed breeds of plants that were resilient to the cold. At any rate, Kaito found it a great relief that the beastfolk he'd run into had been people he knew. He opened his mouth, about to casually ask them how they were doing. At the last moment, though, he swallowed his words. No, no, no, no, no... This isn't some situation where I can just stroll up and say, long time no see. This was the first time Lute had seen him after Jeanne had forcibly taken him away. And ever since then, the situation had gone completely pear-shaped. The relationship diagram of the people Kaito was involved with had grown more tangled by the minute. And above all else, they were currently standing at the World's End. Under normal circumstances, people couldn't even reach it without being told its precise location. And I don't have any idea what Lute and his men are doing here. Depending on what their objective was, they could very well perceive Kaito as an enemy. And even if they didn't, the way he'd just suddenly appeared was suspicious in the extreme. Having their reunion take place due to him getting caught in their guard netting could hardly be regarded as desirable. Kaito clutched his head. He could feel a headache coming on. Man, why couldn't we have reunited under some easier-to-explain circumstances? \u00e2\u20ac\u201dWait, hwah! \"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Sir Kaito, you're alive!\" All Kaito's concerns were blown away in an instant. A hearty smile spread across Lute's face as he unhesitatingly wrapped Kaito up in an embrace, his thick, burly arms holding Kaito firmly in place. Perhaps getting slightly carried away, Lute swung Kaito from side to side as he spoke in a tone full of heartfelt delight. \"You're alive, you're alive, thank goodness you're alive! Oh, could there even be a more joyous reunion?! How wonderful it is that you survived! Look, everyone, it's Sir Kaito! He's alive!\" Lute set Kaito down and gave him an affectionate thump on the back. Feeling woozy, Kaito pitched forward, nearly toppling to the ground. As he did, Lute's subordinates surged toward him. One after another, they thrust their oafish, gloved hands into his and shook. \"We missed you! Captain Lute is right; it's wonderful to see you alive.\" \"You look well. That's good to see.\" \"We were all so worried about you.\" \"Oh, uh, thanks, you too, nice to see you all.\" Thoroughly flummoxed, Kaito did his best to respond to his overly enthusiastic welcome. While he did, though, another part of his brain coldly analyzed each beastperson's reaction. However, much to his surprise, not a single one of them cast so much as a doubtful glance his way. Wait, seriously? Should they really be welcoming me so openly? Kaito was taken somewhat aback. At the same time, however, he felt a strong feeling wash over him. Lute had once told him that beastfolk took much more pride in repaying debts than humans did. It would seem that he hadn't been lying. The words of celebration eventually died down, and all the hands were successfully shaken. The mood was amiable and calm. \"Very good, very good.\" Lute nodded in satisfaction. At long last, though, he cocked his head in puzzlement. \"Hmm? But, Sir Kaito, whatever are you doing at the World's End?\" \"Wait, don't tell me you only just started wondering that.\" \"And for that matter, whatever became of you after you were taken away by that eerie golden girl?\" Lute's questions were starting to come out in force. Kaito nodded. In the midst of the storm of greetings and handshakes, he'd been hard at work trying to straighten out all the information in his head. He opened his mouth, prepared to begin explaining the particulars. \"Okay, Lute. You gotta promise not to get too freaked out. Right after that, I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" It was at that moment that the crunching sound of ice being shaved away began growing audible from afar. The timing was atrocious. Oh, shit, thought Kaito as he spun to look behind himself. But he was already too late. New colors were visible atop the snow-white hill. The silver, black, and gold were especially eye-catching. Leading the group was a twisted silver machine. Right behind it was a young woman wearing a risqu\u00c3\u00a9 bondage dress running alongside a maid, and floating a ways behind them was a man dressed like an aristocrat. And dashing along calmly directly beside him was a young lady wearing a white bondage dress comprised of little more than just belts. When you see them from a distance, they look kinda weird, don't they? \"Kaitoooooo! Are you okaaaaaaaaaay? I was a bit careless back there\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI'll admit to that! Having you die on me like this would haunt not just my dreams but my waking hours as well!\" \"Master Kaitooooooooooooo, are you all riiiiiiiiiight? You're okay, riiiiiiight?! If you aren't, I'll be sure to follow right afterrrrrrrrrrrrr!\" \"Good heavens, what a troublesome man he is. Sheesh, it's a miracle he managed to get himself a wife.\" \"I find myself agreeing, but hold on a minute... A wife? Now that I think about it, did my dear successor swear an eternal oath with that automaton I made? Boasting of loving a doll is an absurdity among absurdities, but I suppose the same could be said of a human partner as well. Love is pleasant enough as a temporary indulgence, but it's far too insubstantial a delusion to spend one's whole life bound to. Human or doll, that fact remains unchanged. But that's not the important part. That doll is a creation of mine, which means...that in a sense, he's become my son-in-law both in name and in substance?\" The group's ramblings were just as self-indulgent as always. There was no background noise to interrupt them, so their voices traveled well. Kaito especially wanted to declare his staunch objection to Vlad's assertion. But now wasn't the time for that. Oh, shit. The beastman's eyes had come to a stop on the girl in the questionable white bondage dress\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe golden Torture Princess with honey-blond locks and sparkling gold adornments, Jeanne de Rais. Their tails were jutting out from their coats, and they all puffed up in unison. The beastfolk grabbed for their weapons and went on high alert. Elisabeth noticed their change in demeanor and came to an abrupt stop. Her expression turned grave, and she reached out and snagged Hina by the collar. Hina responded by kicking and squirming, wanting nothing more than to dash over to Kaito's side. \"What are you doing, Lady Elisabeth? Master Kaito is right there in front of us, Lady Elisabeth. All I have to do to be with my beloved husband is walk straight forward, Lady Elisabeth!\" \"Calm yourself. Look around him. He's surrounded by beastfolk, but... I see. He must have gotten himself caught on the guard netting they're wont to place around their campsites. Little matter, that, though... Although it seems we arrived a tad too early to join up with them and a tad too late.\" With only a glance, Elisabeth had read the situation like a book. Back in the underground tomb, Kaito had told Elisabeth all about what had happened when he was on the run. In other words, she knew about the grave injuries the golden Torture Princess had inflicted on Lute and his men when she'd whisked Kaito away from the beastfolk lands. Jeanne herself, on the other hand, seemed utterly nonchalant about the whole situation. Jeanne de Rais is the oppressor of slaves, the saint, the whore...and the self-proclaimed maiden of salvation. According to Jeanne, salvation could be obtained only by human deeds. And she was haughtier than both God and Diablo. She probably didn't even harbor a shred of guilt toward those she'd sacrificed with noble intentions. As though to provide proof of that, Jeanne turned to the beastfolk and began casually tossing cruelties their way. \"Oh, why, it's been some time. You seem to be in better health than I expected. How nice. Y'all are a bunch of sturdy old pups.\" \"Positions!\" Lute shouted, his voice tinged with rage. The sounds of swords being drawn could be heard, one after another in succession. Bows stretched to their limits. Dammit, they're practically at each other's throats already. If a fight"}, {"text": "breaks out, all this will have been for nothing! Kaito immediately realized that he was going to have to be the one to stop them. Leaping out in front of the beastfolk, he spread his arms wide. \"Wait, hold up! Jeanne might not make any sense, and she might be a total asshole, but she's not your enemy!\" \"I feel as though I'm being mocked. Not that I'm disputing the charges, mind you!\" \"Have you gone mad, Sir Kaito?! Why would you protect the monster who mercilessly wounded and cruelly slaughtered our people...? Curses, she must have brainwashed you! Or perhaps you were accomplices from the start... I truly don't want to believe that, but...\" Lute ignored Jeanne's comical interjection as he ground his fangs. Kaito gave a silent thanks for Lute's rationality. If he hadn't hesitated just then, arrows would already be flying. Now, how should he go about breaking the deadlock? Kaito frantically racked his brain. In the end, he decided to hit the beastfolk with the most appropriate card he had. \"The golden girl...Jeanne de Rais didn't slaughter the people in those villages!\" \"What did you just say?\" Lute was visibly shocked, just like Kaito had expected. He breathed a sigh of relief. The beastfolk were proper soldiers; they cared more about their people who had fallen victim than about the wounds they themselves had suffered. He could take that to mean he'd been successful in buying them another chance to discuss things over and explain themselves. In order to give both himself and the beastfolk a chance to calm down, he took his time laying out his next few points. \"Would you mind hearing me out? Right now, she and I are working together. And it's to prevent the killer you guys are looking for from achieving their ultimate goal. If it's okay with you, Lute, I wanna give you a proper explanation of everything that's happened. Do you have somewhere we could sit down and talk?\" Kaito already knew that the beastfolk had set up camp, but he decided to feign ignorance. However, the response he got was lethargic. Lute's subordinates seemed unsure as well. Looks like they need another push. C'mon, think. How much information can I safely give out? The terrible truths he'd come to learn floated through his mind one after another. Each and every one of them was like a bomb with the power to shake human society to its foundations. If he let them slip carelessly, he could very well end up bringing about an international incident. Despite the fact that he was short on time, he considered his options as carefully as he could. I really want to be able to see eye to eye with Lute and his men here. They had no idea what was waiting at the World's End. Given that the Butcher had brought them there, it had to be something important, but they were critically short on preparation and manpower. They didn't even have a home base to speak of. We need to get the beastfolk to work with us. Because most importantly, if we lose Lute, we lose our connection to Vyade Ula Forstlast. Kaito and the others were trying to face off against the Church, a massive, influential organization. It was vital that they get someone powerful to back them up, and there was no guarantee that they'd have another chance to negotiate with the beastfolk. At worst, the world might even be destroyed before then. I don't want to start a war between them and the humans. But right now, I need to maintain my relationship with the beastfolk. Kaito clenched his fists. Steeling his resolve, he opened his mouth. Then he threw down one of the most crucial cards available to him. As far as humanity was concerned, it was a perilous card indeed. \"There's something I want to tell you, something the Church has been working to conceal.\" That one sentence was more than sufficient to insinuate the Church's involvement with the beastfolk murders. Lute's ears twitched beneath his hood. As they did, he stared straight at Kaito and studied his expression. Kaito responded to Lute's piercing gold gaze with silence. The shoe was on the other foot now. This time, Kaito was the one concealing information and asking for help. And he was well aware of how self-serving he was being. But what we're trying to do ends up being in Lute's best interest, too. Kaito's conviction stemmed from his desire to stop the world from ending. Thanks to that, he was able to avoid looking away. The two of them stared at each other, the way they had when they'd first met. Eventually, Lute closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them. Having made some sort of decision, he raised his arm straight out to the side. Kaito's shoulders twitched. However, he made no motions to flee, nor did he ready himself to defend or counterattack. Staring fixedly at him as he did, Lute abruptly turned his palm down. All at once, his subordinates lowered their swords and bows. They relaxed their postures. Kaito let out a sigh of relief. The tension in his body had faded away so rapidly, in fact, that his knees began to awkwardly give way. As he looked at Kaito, Lute narrowed his eyes. Then he placed his palm atop his vermilion breastplate. As he did, he spoke in a respectful tone. \"I suppose this marks the second time, then, that we extend an invitation to the enemy of mankind.\" Bright red flames crackled up within the stone-enclosed hearth. In a sense, seeing light and heat in that closed-off world of ice and snow was practically moving. On top of the fire was a pot filled with scooped-up snow. After slowly melting, the clumps had transformed into shockingly pure water. Hina was hard at work shredding flower petals and pouring them in. The water boiled, and as it changed to a vibrant shade of orange, she scooped the petals back up before they could go tart. Then she replaced them with some diced-up dried fruit. Beside her, a gray wolf beastman was setting out bowls. As the preparation of the tea steadily advanced, Lute, Kaito, and Elisabeth sat down in a circle. They were currently resting, having made their way to one of the portable dwellings of the beastfolk's campsite. The inside of the ceiling above their heads was supported by an umbrellalike frame. Comprised of wood and beastfolk hides, the hut had been prepared in advance so that it could be set up by anyone. After the planks that made up its round floor had been laid out, they'd been covered twice over with rugs woven from various types of fur. According to Elisabeth, they'd been made from the pelts of powerful mages, and the patterns woven within served to ward off the cold. Given all the measures they'd taken, the inside of the hut was surprisingly warm. With no need to worry about the cold, Kaito and the others sat cross-legged as they talked. \"After that, we went back to Elisabeth's castle for a bit. But the Butcher had already been...\" As he relayed his story to Lute, Kaito cast a number of furtive glances to the side. Jeanne was sitting in the corner hugging her knees under the watchful eyes of several guards. Her hip adornments interfered with her ability to sit, so she'd done away with them, but as a result, she was practically naked from the waist down. If they hadn't been beastfolk, her guards would have likely been at a loss for where to look. Originally, the plan had been for her to be confined to a different room altogether. But with just a few words, Jeanne herself had gotten that plan amended. \"If confining me in name alone will satisfy you, then do as you wish. But if a couple of nobodies guarding me will put your minds at ease, then you're all a bunch of dumb shits. Looks like living till old age just ain't in the cards for ya.\" Her words had evoked no small amount of displeasure from the beastfolk. On the other hand, she did have a point. Locking her up would accomplish little. It took a thief to catch a thief, and it took a Torture Princess to stand up to a Torture Princess. Even so, they didn't want to upset the beastfolk any more than they already had. Having been given strict instructions by everyone to say nothing, Jeanne was currently sitting in silence. Next, Kaito had dispelled Vlad's phantasm and thought back to the complaint Vlad had lodged. \"Hold on now, my dear successor. Lumping me in with her and getting rid of me as well is rather unjust, no? Respect might not be either of our strong suits, but we are different people, I'll have you know. Hmm? 'Did you forget all that you said back in the beastfolk village?' Good heavens, is a man forbidden from enjoying a smart remark now and again? But very well. I am a dead man, after all; being forgotten about seems appropriate enough.\" Now that I think about it, was he being sarcastic back then? Eh, whatever. Kaito then turned his focus back to the exposition he was giving to Lute. At long last, the story reached the point where they'd arrived at the World's End. \"...And so basically, we ended up flying here.\" \"I...see. I must admit, it all seems rather implausible.\" Apparently at a loss for words, Lute stroked his chin. He had just gotten a huge amount of information dumped in his lap. Kaito could certainly appreciate his bewilderment. After all, the entire story felt almost surreal. If I hadn't lived through it myself, I probably wouldn't believe it right away, either. After receiving Elisabeth's approval, he'd gone ahead and told Lute almost everything. Even while he was talking, he felt like he'd been spinning some sort of tall tale. Despite that, though, he unfalteringly laid out the truth. The one thing he did make sure to do, though, was stress the fact that the culprits behind the beastfolk killings were only a group of fanatics within the Church who'd taken advantage of the chaos of Godd Deos's death to run wild, and that their wishes ran contrary to those of humanity as a whole. Furthermore, he added, he felt that they should be treated like demons and their contractors and viewed as enemies of the entire world. If the beastfolk see that as an \"act committed by humanity\" and decide to retaliate, then even avoiding the world's restructuring won't be enough to stop the world from falling into an age of darkness. Both sides would suffer tremendous casualties. Lute had avoided giving Kaito a firm answer to his request. Given his position, doing so made perfect sense. Even if he knew who the killers were, the choice of how to retaliate wasn't Lute's to make. Everything lay on the shoulders of Vyade and whichever other members of the imperial family to whom she chose to disclose the information. Vyade's the Wise Wolf. She holds harmony in high regard, and she desires peace for her people. Kaito chose to believe that she wouldn't start a war in retaliation. Before him, he could see Lute's face growing more sullen by the minute. He looked as though he'd just bitten into a piece of meat that not even his beastfolk fangs could tear. \"The first demon slumbering in the royal underground tomb, the truth about the Saint, the Apostle yet living... It's like something out of a myth or a fairy tale.\" \"Man, tell me about it.\" \"If not for the land on which I heard it, I'd have written it off as idle fancy.\" \"If not for where you heard it, huh...? So you believe me?\" \"It would seem I have little choice. You see, Sir Kaito,"}, {"text": "the way we arrived here, at the World's End, was given to us abruptly and by a mysterious individual.\" Suddenly, Kaito recalled what Lute had said back when he'd been caught on the ivy that had served as guard netting. Even though he'd been astonished at the unexpected reunion, he'd heard Lute's words loud and clear. Back then, Lute said... \"To think that a human would make it to the World's End. It would appear we were not the only ones invited...\" \"You said you guys were 'invited,' right?\" \"Precisely. It would probably be faster to show you the object itself. Have a look.\" Lute withdrew a piece of paper from the sack on his back. Kaito took it, then stared at it intently. Elisabeth, who was right next to him, peered at it as well. They scrunched up their brows in unison. \"This is...\" \"...Aye.\" Complex magical runes were piled up along the left side of the paper. Together, they made up a formula designed to interfere with a teleportation circle. Even Kaito, who was generally ignorant when it came to magical matters, could tell how abnormally chaotic they were. It reminded Kaito of the letter the Governor had once given them. Back then, the formula dissolved, paper and all, after a single use. This paper, on the other hand, had survived even after Lute and his men had teleported. Frightened by its incomprehensible construction as he was, he turned his gaze to the paper's right side. A few words were written on it in a round scrawl. The beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. If you wish to reject those words, make for the World's End. The right shall be granted to all races impartially. The invitation was almost reminiscent of a poem. The artwork at the end, though, stood out like a sore thumb. A massive piece of bone-in meat was drawn on the paper. It was so impressive, it practically deserved fanfare. \"...Aye, the Butcher wrote this.\" \"Yup, definitely the Butcher.\" \"You can tell from so little information? Consider me impressed.\" Lute's words rang with frank admiration. In truth, Kaito had come to that conclusion off the bone-in-meat drawing alone, but some things were better left unsaid. His expression turned meek as he handed the paper back to Lute. After glancing over its contents again, Lute frowned. \"The first time I saw it, it seemed like some manner of practical joke. But it was impossible to write off as such, as the circumstances under which it was delivered were far too peculiar.\" Apparently, the letter had been delivered to Vyade's third villa. Ever since Jeanne's invasion, Vyade had changed residences and fortified her defenses. But someone managed to not only find where she'd moved but also slip past the guard netting and invade her bedchambers. The culprit had been a small dragon. After leaving the letter on Vyade's pillow, he'd flapped his way out. Afterward, one of the few beastfolk mages had immediately gotten to work analyzing the formula written on the letter. What they'd discovered was that there was an unknown set of coordinates recorded within it. However, there were still many members of Vyade's private army who had yet to recover from the wounds Jeanne had dealt to them. Because of that, she'd chosen Lute, who was naturally resilient and deeply loyal, and put him and his subordinates through a round of intensive healing. While that was going on, she'd also sent out scouts to the designated location and had them bring back reports. Then, armed with their newfound information, the squad had prepared themselves for the environment and set off. Upon reaching the site themselves, Lute and his men had come to realize just where it was that they'd come to. Beastfolk held little piety toward God and the Saint, but even they were versed in their legends. In this world, there exists a place that God designated as its End. A pure place, crafted from snow and water, wind and mana. A place that only those granted knowledge of its location are able to reach. \"Given everything you just told me, Sir Kaito, it follows that the first half of the letter\u00e2\u20ac\u201d'The beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. If you wish to reject those words, make for the World's End'\u00e2\u20ac\u201drefers to preventing the world from being restructured. But what is this 'right' it says will be granted? Why, it's not even clear what the letter's writer would have us do in order to attain it.\" \"Yeah, it really isn't... What does the Butcher want with all the races anyway?\" \"In truth, we were at a loss for what to do after we finished setting up camp and laying out the netting. With only the letter at our disposal, we couldn't make heads or tails of things.\" Lute scratched his head. Apparently, the arrival of Kaito's group had been a great help to him as well. For a moment, the conversation came to a lull. Kaito and Lute crossed their arms, and Elisabeth immersed herself in thought. Silence filled the room. Then a bright voice piped up. \"Thank you all for waiting\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's ready! Go on and drink it while it's still hot!\" Hina was nearly prancing as she began passing out tea. Her smile was, to borrow an idiom from Kaito's old world, like a breath of fresh air. Kaito and Lute thanked her as they received their bowls. Kaito took a sip from his. It was as sweet as honey, and it had a fruity tanginess mixed in as well. Elisabeth, on the other hand, sat unmoving, her bowl remaining perched in her hand. Eventually, she let out a quiet murmur. \"'The beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. If you wish to reject those words, make for the World's End. The right shall be granted to all races impartially.' Given that he used the phrase 'all races,' we can assume that, while their coordinates are unknown to us, the demi-humans must have received his invitation as well. And rejecting the notion that everything from the beginning to the end lies in God's hand, eh?\" \"What do you think it means?\" \"In all likelihood, something exists here that would serve to hinder God's restructuring of the world.\" It sounded like Elisabeth already knew what that was. Kaito's eyes widened. The surprise of that realization almost caused him to drop his bowl. The moment before its contents spilled, though, Hina grabbed it from beside him. \"Are you all right? Not a single drop spilled on your leg, my dearest Master Kaito, did it?\" \"Huh? Oh yeah, no, I'm fine. Thanks. Sorry about that.\" Kaito's thanks was decidedly absentminded. Reflexively, he cast a glance toward Jeanne. The golden girl was as expressionless as always, but the corners of her mouth were ever so slightly curled up. She nodded, affirming his suspicions. Elisabeth went on, her voice low. \"'Tis but one thing I could imagine it to be.\" \"Yeah, same.\" Kaito offered a brief agreement. But he left the role of saying it aloud to Elisabeth. Lute leaned forward in anticipation. Elisabeth reverently opened her mouth to speak. \"Here lies\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Why, indeed, our revered Saint is here.\" A sweet, bell-like voice rang out. Who the soft interjection belonged to, nobody there knew. At some point, a petite individual clad in scarlet cloth from head to toe had taken a seat beside Kaito. The long garment reached all the way to the floor, spreading out wide like a carpet of rose petals. Half-hidden within its folds, she was also wearing a gold-hemmed vestment of the same color. She looked to be affiliated with the Church. The most surprising bit, though, was what lay beneath the clothes. Their sudden intruder was a young girl. She looked to be less than ten. She had simple flaxen hair and marvelously clear eyes the color of amber. Her short, evenly cut hair paired well with her attractively proportionate facial features. Her appearance was more than sufficient to classify her as cute. But there was just something about her. There's something...catastrophically broken about her. No matter how you looked at her, she was nothing more than a sweet, simple little girl. But Kaito couldn't dispel the strange impression he was getting from her. And the fact that she'd appeared out of nowhere without catching anyone's attention served as proof that she wasn't just anyone. Due to the intrusion of a single young girl, the air in the room was stretched thin and tense. Lute and his men reached for their swords. However, their opponent was simply too young to cut down or cross-examine. Hesitation welled up in their eyes. Hina alone assumed a battle-ready stance as she swiftly moved to protect Kaito. Jeanne merely blinked. Still cross-legged, Elisabeth planted her chin atop her hands. Then she spoke, making no effort to hide her displeasure. \"As I suspect. And that's why you're here, I suppose.\" \"Yes, exactly. Lovely to see you again, Elisabeth Le Fanu. I remember the last time we met, you know. You may have known my name, but you didn't have the faintest clue as to the gravity of the role I play. You've matured quite splendidly, O ignorant sheep. I can hardly make light of you after you've come this far.\" The girl chuckled, clearly amused. Elisabeth's brow furrowed even further. Kaito cocked his head to the side. It would appear that the two knew each other, although their relationship seemed anything but cordial. Who is this girl? What is she? Kaito opened his mouth, about to give voice to those questions. Before he could, though, Elisabeth continued, spitting out her words with a look of utmost resentment plastered across her face. \"Is it really fine for you to be out of the Capital like this, Grave Keeper?\" 5 The Grave Keeper's Zealotry \"Oh, no, it isn't fine at all. It's super not-fine. But we all have to do what we have to do. I serve at the pleasure of God and the Holy Mother. The tomb's seal is broken, and the end is nigh. Soon, the living and the dead will both return to ash. We'll be just fine leaving a handful of men to protect those worthless old kingly corpses, thank you very much. Besides, I had another part I needed to play.\" The girl's voice was as smooth as silk. Abruptly, she stood up. Her long scarlet cloak fluttered, and she continued her speech in an operatic tone. \"I may be the Grave Keeper, but I am also the Messenger. I am the one who blows the horn at the end of days, loudly hailing the sheep\u00e2\u20ac\u201d'behold, for she is awakened, and rejoice, for the devout have been granted a miracle.'\" Kaito squinted. Her speech was strangely verbose. Considering that she was a member of the Church and a fanatic, to boot, the actual contents of her speech themselves were fairly normal. But the fact that they were coming from someone who looked to be a ten-year-old girl was anything but. The most pressing issue, though, was how she'd addressed herself. \"...The Grave Keeper?\" Kaito thought back to the horrors he'd seen in the underground tomb. Living people had had their pain harvested for pacification down in the cruel nursery. And the room's gatekeeper had been a monster created by taking a divine creature, feeding it demon meat, and mixing in human parts. The Grave Keeper had been the one responsible for all that. As a result, Kaito had come to believe that the Grave Keeper lacked anything resembling morals or basic rationality. But the girl standing before him seemed entirely sane. That fact sent a shiver down Kaito's spine. You mean that the person who created that stuff, who was able to create all that stuff, knew full well what she"}, {"text": "was doing? Kaito had assumed they had been the deeds of someone consumed by madness, but this notion was dozens of times more horrifying. Then a sharp noise sliced through the air. Kaito frantically looked up. When he did, he saw the tip of Lute's sword resting on the Grave Keeper's forehead from where he'd swung it. It looked capable of splitting her head open at any moment. However, the only response the Grave Keeper gave was a few blinks. When he spoke, Lute's voice was full of loathing. \"Just what business does the rotting flesh of the Church have with us?\" \"I'm rather disappointed. You seemed so magnanimous, yet your actions are most deplorable. Have you perhaps forgotten about the third peace treaty? Normally, we would not be so lenient toward pagans such as yourselves. But the beastfolk are not our people, nor are they even human. So the Church overlooks your sins and strives constantly to be good neighbors to you. Ah, but alas! Alas, you repay me with violence!\" \"Don't take me for a fool, girl!\" Lute howled. The pelts that made up the portable dwelling's walls shook from the vibrations. Kaito swallowed and looked back at Lute's sword. Fortunately, it hadn't broken the Grave Keeper's skin yet. In an impressive display of rationality, Lute had carefully maintained the sword's position. \"We know all about what you did to our people, how you slaughtered them! Our people place much higher pride in repaying debts than humans do! That, and because a friend of mine put in a good word for you, I have no desire to decry humanity as evil! But betrayal must be repaid with fangs! If you are the Grave Keeper, then you will not leave this place alive!\" \"...Wherefore?\" \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"What right hath the likes of the third imperial princess's private army to bellow at me?\" Her voice had a terrifyingly calm ring to it. She focused her clear, hollow gaze on Lute. Upon seeing her apparent transformation, Kaito let a breath catch in his throat. Elisabeth gave a light scoff. Lute, like Kaito, had shock spread across his face. The Grave Keeper continued her diatribe dispassionately in a strangely old-fashioned tone. \"Thou hast no right to take such a tone with me. What evidence doth thou hast of such killings? Didst thou misconstrue the testimony of a demon's contractor and the Torture Princess as valid, perchance? Thou showest thy na\u00c3\u00afvet\u00c3\u00a9, knave.\" \"You would treat me as a child?!\" \"As such befits an immature mutt as thyself. A lesson, perhaps, for thee. If thou wishest to turn thy sword on the Grave Keeper, do come up with a better excuse. Vyade would surely do as such.\" \"What do you know of Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast?!\" \"Will it require an order ere thou understand? What an insufferable simpleton. Now, stand down.\" \"Grrr\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Stand down, I did say!\" When Lute heard the Grave Keeper's arrogant tone, his face contorted. His hands trembled in humiliation. A scratch appeared on the Grave Keeper's forehead, and blood began to drip forth. Wholly unperturbed by that fact, she began speaking in another tone altogether. \"Well, if you really wanna take my head...then go on\u00e2\u20ac\u201dgo for it! Seeing one of the three kings have to take responsibility? Now, that sounds like a good time! And hey, don't worry! The restructuring will be a grand repentance, a rite of absolute destruction where all sins get forgiven! Watching our races carve each other up in the meantime sounds like a blast! Everyone's gonna die anyway, so hey, memento mori!\" This time, she spoke like a young punk, and an energetic smile spread across her face. Kaito was astounded all over again. What the hell is wrong with her? The Grave Keeper's speech patterns were abnormal, and in a different way than Jeanne's. Hers were incongruous, as though several different people were all mixed together. The tip of Lute's sword shook a little. The trail of blood had dripped all the way down to the Grave Keeper's lips. In spite of that, though, her smile remained the same. Grinding his teeth, Lute raised his sword overhead. \"Hrgh!\" \"Lute, no!\" Kaito called out to stop him. Killing the Grave Keeper could easily have drastic consequences. Instead of stopping, though, Lute returned his sword to its sheath. Then he collapsed cross-legged onto the pelt floor. Kaito breathed a sigh of relief. The Grave Keeper sloppily licked at her blood. After cleaning the area around her mouth in the same manner a cat would, she spoke. \"Ah, how lovely. And the Church is quite magnanimous toward its neighbors. We will overlook your discourtesy this time.\" Man, there's gotta be a limit to how shameless you can be. Kaito frowned. Lute grimaced as well, but he looked around the room, seemingly having returned to his senses. His subordinates had been directing murderous rage toward the Grave Keeper as well. Even now, they still seemed poised to spring forward and go for her throat. Lute took a deep breath. Then, having stiffened his resolve, he bowed to the Grave Keeper. \"I thank you for your generosity.\" His subordinates ground their teeth in unison. Their commanding officer had apologized, and they couldn't let that apology go to waste. They forcibly choked back their rage. But Lute then continued, his voice practically a growl. \"But make certain you do not forget. This is the World's End, a land that belongs to no race. If we all seek the same thing, then conflict is inevitable. And the battlefield is a place of many surprises. You may be influential, but I can make no guarantees for your safety. So take care. Remember, any old blackguard might fire the arrow that takes your head.\" \"Oh yes, I've been aware of that for quite a long while. Why, I've seen it myself. That's simply the kind of place that a battlefield is. Anyone and everyone might find themselves among the ranks of the fallen. The dead will form circles and dance among the skulls, waiting patiently atop God's palm for the day when all returns to nothing. Such tranquility, such delight! But we are not yet on a battlefield, and I am but a simple messenger.\" The Grave Keeper gently laid her hand atop her chest. Then, at long last, she displayed an innocent, age-appropriate smile. \"Now, let's have a chat! Let's talk peacefully and pastorally so that all God's creatures can come to an understanding.\" \"Have a...chat?\" Kaito let out a dumbfounded murmur. The Grave Keeper's proposal seemed completely reasonable. But that was what made it seem so completely and utterly surreal. After all, their two camps were working under diametrically opposed goals and beliefs. Jeanne, Kaito, and the others were trying to protect and preserve the world as it was. That was the salvation they were trying to attain. The Grave Keeper and the rest of the fanatics, on the other hand, were trying to bring about the world's restructuring. That was the salvation they were trying to attain. Most conflicts had some sort of common ground the two sides could agree on. But here, no such thing existed. There was no way for them to meet halfway. The chasm that lay between them was vast and deep. Given the situation, then, what could there be to talk about? \"'Twould be meaningless. And surely you know that, Grave Keeper. Exchanging words would amount to naught but a waste of time.\" \"Oh my, you state that so assertively. It saddens my heart, it does.\" \"You lot endorse the restructuring, and we seek survival. The world will either perish or not perish. The two options leave no room for compromise, which presents us with a rare instance of pure, unadulterated opposition.\" Elisabeth gave voice to the same thoughts that had been going through Kaito's head. Still languidly resting her chin atop her palms and crossed legs, she bluntly continued. \"Mutual understanding is impossible for us. One or the other shall have to die.\" \"Oh my, I should hope not. We at least have room to talk things over. Elisabeth Le Fanu, you especially should have little reason to want the world to continue.\" The Grave Keeper smiled. Elisabeth sullenly arched an eyebrow. Kaito immediately picked up on what the Grave Keeper was trying to say. Elisabeth's going to be burned at the stake. So it shouldn't really matter to her whether or not the world goes on... But wait. If we manage to prevent the world from being restructured and show everyone how corrupt the Church is, could we maybe get her sentence reduced? It was the first time that Kaito had considered that possibility. But the Grave Keeper wasn't finished yet. \"Let us assume for a moment that the restructuring fails to occur and that you are all successful in borrowing Vyade Ula Forstlast's wisdom and denounce the Church. A purge would take place within it, to be certain. And Godd Deos's equilibrium sect would rise to power once more. Even so, the first demon's existence would still be hidden from the public, and the truth would be concealed once more. Why, I would bet on it. You all would choose to remain silent, and Vyade would, as well.\" Elisabeth offered no response to the Grave Keeper's bold declaration. Although he was about to vehemently object, Kaito ultimately held his tongue. The Grave Keeper was right. She's right... I won't say anything. And Elisabeth's probably the same. After all, what would happen if he talked? If he publicly announced the existence of the first demon, the world would descend into chaos. Destroying the very foundation of one of the world's most prominent religions tended to have that effect. The Church, its followers, some of the aristocrats, and even the royal family would become the subjects of intense hate and distrust. History would be marked by an age of executions and torture. The will of the masses could transform into a ruthless killing machine. Who knows just how many would hang? Furthermore, the war against the demons had dealt a grave blow to the world's economy. If society lost their leaders as well, it would plunge into an unprecedented state of disorder. And if a famine or plague hit, the disaster would be inconceivable. It was all too easy to imagine. Which left them with but a single choice. They couldn't say anything. \"In short, even if your actions allow the world to persist, no grand accolades await you. For you yourselves will be the ones covering it up. Which all comes to mean that Torture Princess's fate will be unchanged.\" If we made some sort of backroom deal with the Church... No, that wouldn't work. Elisabeth herself doesn't want amnesty, and the masses would call relentlessly for the Torture Princess's head. The sheep would come to a stop right before plunging into the flames. But then, unknowingly, they would burn their own savior to death. Kaito clenched his fists. If that was the case, then the issue became which end was more honorable: the world's restructuring or burning at the stake. \"As I said but moments ago, the restructuring will be a grand repentance. When the end arrives, all your sins will be forgiven. The time has come to 'pray that God will be your salvation.' Doesn't that sound pleasant? It's a more beautiful end than burning to death, at any rate. The Lord will finally reward you for your efforts.\" The Grave Keeper smiled, as though giving Elisabeth her blessings. As she did, Kaito was assailed by a particular doubt. True, the Torture Princess is a grand sinner. But... The masses had no clue how much good she'd done, nor did they even try to learn. That was simply the kind of creatures they were. They listened only to what they wanted to hear and saw only what they wanted to see. Flocks of sheep were, fundamentally, stupid. And that was the way"}, {"text": "things ought to be. ...But isn't that a sin in and of itself? The ignorant had no right to cast blame, did they? Their entire way of life was fundamentally wrong, wasn't it? Then didn't that make the restructuring just a way to rectify that? \"Is that what you think? Then you're an imbecile.\" A razor-sharp voice forcefully smashed through Kaito's reverie. With a start, he came back to his senses. Before him, Elisabeth still sat with her chin in her hands. \"Your premise is flawed, to start. The masses were not the ones who decided to cast judgment on me. 'Twas I. And grand accolades are the furthest thing from my mind. Your restructuring may well be more pleasant for me, but I care naught. In fact, 'tis quite the opposite.\" Elisabeth's gaze bored down on the Grave Keeper. Her black nails glinted as she whispered. \"Any who say my sins can be forgiven shall die by my hands. 'Tis all there is to it.\" Elisabeth ran her tongue over her red lips. Then, with a sweet smile, the peerless sinner continued. \"Your cajolery has backfired on you, Grave Keeper. Your death shall come swiftly.\" That's right. Elisabeth is strong. Kaito had just been forcibly reminded of that fact. Her resolve came completely from within. He had yet to come to terms with that, nor did he fully accept it. But the way she refused to fear death was definitely admirable. Now that he thought about it rationally, Kaito, too, was opposed to the restructuring. He certainly didn't want Elisabeth to burn at the stake. But he saw no reason to endorse a plan that involved everyone in the world dying, either. Calling death \"salvation\" was nothing but base sophistry. At the same time, Kaito realized something odd. The Grave Keeper's description was mad from its very premise. Most of the people who want the restructuring to happen believe that the pious faithful will remain in the new world. At least, that was what he'd thought. But the Grave Keeper was different. The whole time, she'd clearly been working under the assumption that all humanity would perish. \"What...the hell?\" Words of doubt spilled forth from Kaito's lips. The Grave Keeper cocked her head to the side, curious as to what he was trying to say. As he looked back at the young girl, the words practically leaped from Kaito's mouth. \"You...you know that the restructuring is gonna kill everyone?\" \"Oh no, not everyone. Our revered Saint will surely remain.\" \"Still\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou know? But then...how the hell could you endorse that?\" Kaito gave voice to his genuine doubts. Believing that their piety would ultimately be rewarded with a miracle and would grant them survival was at least something he could comprehend. And as twisted as it was, looking for validation of one's devoutness and righteousness made logical sense as a desire. But if they knew full well that they, too, would be reduced to nothing... That kind of devotion is just too empty. That would mean that all their wishes and prayers had been for nothing. Not a single thing they asked of God would end up meaning a thing. Not a single person would be saved. \"Wouldn't that just make everything meaningless?\" \"Why should we seek results from prayer?\" Her voice had a strange, dry ring to it. Kaito's eyes went wide. Ignoring his shock, the young girl made a firm declaration. \"That would be blasphemy.\" Kaito had nothing to follow up with. He had no idea what to say. But then, suddenly, a smile spread across the Grave Keeper's face. To his surprise, her voice took on a gentler tone. \"Ah, I see. It rather makes sense that a man from another world would have difficulty understanding. We know full well of the truth behind our world, you see. That is why we believe. God and the Saint have been seeking this restructuring for many ages. With that being the case, then our annihilation, too, is a thing of joy.\" \"What the hell do you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"If God deems our existence a mistake, then that is what is just and proper.\" The Grave Keeper's voice was solemn. She spoke calmly, as though proselytizing to an ignorant sheep. \"The next world will be God's kingdom, a perfect, ideal land. And oh, what a marvelous thing that will be. Now is the time for us to repay the Saint for the love she so freely gave us. 'All glory to God.' 'The miracle is upon us.' 'There is no need for us here.' That is what it means to have faith.\" Kaito shuddered. The hair on Lute's tail stood up. Now Kaito finally realized. So she's one of the \"shepherds who would gladly cast themselves into the fire just to catch a glimpse of a miracle\" Jeanne was talking about. At the same time, he ruminated on what Izabella had said: that the Church's doctrine was necessary. \"Even now, I still hold that the Church's teachings are wonderful. Using faith as a way to support a life lived nobly and properly is an honorable thing. People are weak. They need something to believe in.\" This girl wasn't using faith to support herself. She was using herself to support faith. She didn't even believe that her prayers would reach anyone. She sought nothing from God. And if she was told to die, she would simply die. That was the nature of her love. Kaito parted his trembling lips. Still shaking, he asked his question. \"How can you even think like that? You're so young, but you're\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Enough from you, Kaito. Asking such a thing of the Grave Keeper is nigh comical. Now you're the one with the flawed premise.\" Sounding annoyed, Elisabeth interjected. She gestured rudely toward the Grave Keeper with her chin. When she spoke of the adorable young girl she was pointing at, her voice was tinged with loathing. \"The Grave Keeper inherits the memories and personality of every Grave Keeper before them. However, the rite of succession is too great a burden for a baby's mind to bear. As a result, the personalities blend together, and a kind of natural selection occurs. In the end, all that remains is a single common denominator: fervent piety toward God and the Saint. To put it in a few words, she's akin to zealotry personified.\" She looks sane, but I guess she really, really isn't. Kaito could see that clearly. At the same time, he was reminded once more of the Church's deep-rooted perversion. Preserving the Grave Keeper's memories and personality was no doubt a necessary step for them to take in continuing to conceal the deadly secret that was the first demon's existence. People who could maintain their faith after seeing that thing were probably rarer than rare. But that had resulted in her. You know, that stuff Izabella said is probably closer to how the Church is normally supposed to be. But instead, they'd gotten the whole world involved and had sunk deeper and deeper into their mistakes. What had gone wrong? How had things gotten to this point? No matter how hard he thought about it, no satisfying answer was forthcoming. Ever since the world had been created, or perhaps even before then, thin layers of madness had slowly been trying to engulf everything. But even with the situation as tumultuous as it was, the trigger that had initiated the collapse was abundantly clear. Everything had started when the Butcher had sold Vlad that demon meat. They really did need to talk to the Butcher directly. With that thought in mind, Kaito asked a new question. \"Where are you guys keeping the Butcher?\" The Grave Keeper completely ignored him, instead tilting her head to the side. Still surrounded by Lute's subordinates, Jeanne was sitting coolly on the floor. The Grave Keeper's gaze shifted to Jeanne's defenseless profile. Then, in a gentle voice, she called out to the golden Torture Princess. \"I've heard reports on you, you know. The other Torture Princess. The girl who proclaims herself the maiden of salvation, who rejects God's will, who would pour poisoned wine upon the Saint's lips. You're a fool of a wholly different sort than we... Although I also hear that despite that mechanical impression you give, you took quite a liking to our Izabella Vicker.\" \"So I did. She was my first love, you see.\" Jeanne's response was instant. The next moment, the eyes of everyone present save the Grave Keeper went wide. \"Huh?\" \"What?\" \"Excuse me?\" \"I beg your pardon?\" The brief comment she'd given may as well have been a bomb. Upon hearing the words first love, Kaito, Elisabeth, Hina, and even Lute reeled. Embarrassed by their reactions, they all then shut up, and an indescribable silence descended upon the room. Other than the Grave Keeper, whose smile was unchanged, they all wore truly peculiar expressions. Then Jeanne gave her continuation in the same emotionless voice as always. \"I'm sorry. That was a joke.\" \"A joke?! I thought you were being serious! Now is hardly the time to be saying such things!\" Elisabeth slammed her fist onto the ground, and it sank gently into the bear pelt. Kaito rapidly nodded his assent. Jeanne's so-called \"joke\" was tone-deaf in the extreme. However, she wasn't done talking yet. \"However, I do feel that it was something similar. But hey, beats me! I was chosen by the alchemists to save the world and raised solely for that purpose. I was a princess and a sacrifice. I was created by them, and I destroyed them. For that was my contract with them. Neither of us resented the other. However, I had little direct contact with humans, so I was concerned as how best to interact with the stray sheep until I obtained a servant. So I went to some bandits in a neighboring mountain, snatched 'em up, and learned from their example.\" \"Wait, so that's why your speech gets vulgar at random intervals?!\" One mystery had been solved, at least. Now they knew the context behind the fact that Jeanne's word choice would regularly take a turn for the incredibly coarse. But what they didn't know was why she'd chosen then to share that seemingly irrelevant piece of information with them. Ignoring Kaito's expression of bewilderment, Jeanne kept speaking. \"So that was my first time.\" \"Your first time...what?\" \"My first time meeting an 'ordinary human' like that.\" This time, Jeanne answered Kaito's question. For a moment, her rose eyes went vacant. Then she whispered in an uncharacteristically hazy voice. \"My li'l miss was foolish...but she was gallant, and she had honor.\" That simple sentence hit Kaito like a train. He gazed at her profile and ruminated. Her interactions with people had been severely limited. That was what had made Jeanne the way she was today, into the maiden of salvation. She never looked back at those she'd trampled over, nor did she spare a thought for her victims. But if a single person she perceived differently existed, then... If that's the case, then...that basically is a first love, isn't it? Kaito almost said it aloud, but he held his tongue. Pointing it out now wouldn't do them any good. Izabella was currently far away from them. She'd carried out her will and returned to the Church. And it was anyone's guess as to what had happened to her after being captured by the group of executioner-like people. No, wait. There is one person. There was a chance that the Grave Keeper knew whether or not Izabella was safe. Kaito instinctively turned to look at her. As he did, a sleazy smile spread across her youthful face. Upon seeing it, a chill ran down his spine. Frantically, he tried to ask about Izabella's well-being. But Jeanne spoke first, as though to stop him. Her voice was coolheaded to the last. \"Even so, trying to use my li'l miss as bait to negotiate with me is"}, {"text": "a waste of your time, fanatic. I'm too late, ain't I?! Jackasses like you always go by the same damn playbook!\" \"Wait, hold on, 'too late'? You mean Izabella is...?\" Kaito's face went pale. The next moment, Izabella's smiling face flashed vividly across his mind. White light had been exploding at her back, and she'd been smiling. Even with the cruel scars etched across her face, she'd still been beautiful. Izabella is... A chuckle slipped unbidden from the Grave Keeper's mouth. Kaito reflexively made to grab at her vestment's collar. Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Before he could, though, a shrill noise filled the room. As it did, the leather flap at the camp's entrance violently flapped inward. Everyone turned to look. Heaving a stately sigh, the Grave Keeper rose to her feet. Her crimson cloak trailed behind her as she silently walked to the entranceway and unfastened its leather knot. When she rolled it up, an orb flew inside, along with a mysterious, cutting wind. The orb was one of the Church's communication devices. The wings on its sides softly fell out as it alighted on the Grave Keeper's palm. Runes ran across its surface, ones far more intricate than those Kaito was familiar with. It looked like the message the Grave Keeper had just received had been encrypted. After she read it, her eyes narrowed. \"Good work out there. Now convey this to the lookout: 'It's Yah Llodl all over again.'\" The Grave Keeper gently tossed up the communication device. A fresh pair of wings sprouted from its sides. Then they flapped, and the orb took off. After watching it get swallowed up by the snowscape, the Grave Keeper returned the entrance to the way she'd found it. Turning back around, she placed a hand atop her chest. Her scarlet cloak fluttered as she gave a deep bow to those assembled. \"I'm afraid I must take my leave. It's quite unfortunate, but there are some rather troubling matters I find myself needing to attend to. While it was perhaps too short to glean much importance from, I believe that our little rendezvous was a meaningful one. Pagan hunts and inquisitions are so ineffective, and they leave such poor legacies, after all. Not even I wish to turn all the world's creatures against me. Instead, I simply pray that you all will find it in yourselves to have a change of heart, even if it's but a small one.\" The Grave Keeper's words were chosen carefully. The scariest thing, though, was the fact that the sheer compassion dripping from her voice seemed entirely heartfelt. She placed her small palms together and closed her eyes, as though she was praying. \"'You are free to act as you will. But pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand.' The blessings of God and the Saint on you all.\" Then the Grave Keeper raised her head and offered them a sweet smile. Not a single person returned it. Seemingly unhurt by that fact, though, she began walking. The beastfolk stared daggers at her as she rolled up the leather door once more. However, she stopped for a moment before heading out into the snowscape. \"But worry not. We'll be enemies from here on out, just as you wish.\" With that quiet murmur, she began walking again. The entrance flapped back to a rest. And with that, she was gone. It feels like a typhoon just passed through. Kaito surveyed the room in a daze. It looked no different than it had before, but it felt as though it had been draped in a thick film. That was just how badly the entity known as the Grave Keeper had thrown the mood into disarray. As he tried to shake off a numbing sense of fatigue, Kaito turned his thoughts to Izabella's well-being. So...what happened to her? The Grave Keeper's twisted smile flashed through his mind. He recognized that sadistic smile; he'd seen it time and time again back when he was alive. He opened his mouth to speak. But before he could put his tenacious sense of unease into words, Elisabeth stood up. \"We're leaving, Kaito. A clear target has presented itself to us.\" \"A target? You mean we're gonna tail the Grave Keeper or something?\" If they did that, they'd probably be able to find out where the Church had made their camp. But they also ran the risk of running into the Church's main force. Kaito chose to leave those concerns implicit. However, Elisabeth shook her head as she replied. \"She knows me not, and as such, she was negligent. Ever since Godd Deos's time, I've been carefully stealing secret records from the Church and breaking their cipher. As such, I was able to read that last message.\" \"Wait, seriously?\" \"Heh, seeing a code would make any mage wish to crack it. And I had my suspicions that the day such knowledge would become useful would arrive. And now it has. Rather impressive of me, if I do say so myself.\" As she sang her own praises, Elisabeth chugged down the rest of the tea that she'd been continuing to hold the whole time. Once she was finished, Hina, who was waiting on standby, took the empty bowl. \"Good work, Hina. 'Twas splendid as always. Your talents never disappoint.\" \"You're too kind, Lady Elisabeth. Your words fill me with such joy. But, um, if I may ask, what were the contents of the transmission?\" Hina asked this question in a nervous tone. Their next actions as a group hinged on the answer. Everyone swallowed as they waited for Elisabeth's reply. Its contents, however, were unexpected. \"'The cage in headquarters was opened. The lookouts were unconscious, struck in the back of the head.' In other words...\" The scene he'd seen back at Elisabeth's castle spontaneously flashed before Kaito's eyes. The Butcher had been able to unlock even the Torture Princess's own Gibbet. There was no way any man-made cage could contain him. And what would he do after he escaped the cage? Elisabeth went on, her voice echoing Kaito's thoughts exactly. \"At present, the Butcher's whereabouts are unknown. It would seem that he's fled somewhere.\" 6 Searching for Answers Now that they knew that the Butcher had escaped, they had to act fast. Leaving the warm, comfortable campsite behind them, Kaito and the others plunged once more into the world of ice and snow. The air shimmered and sparkled as it had before. The snowflakes were unchanged, too, still piled high atop the vast plain of ice. The scenery before them was radiant and beautiful, as though they'd stepped inside a snow globe. The vast, endless snowscape seemed just the same as ever. Kaito's group, on the other hand, had expanded. At the end of their procession stood Lute, clad in thick winter gear due to his inability to use magic. As the copper wolf stared straight ahead, Kaito called out to him. \"Are you sure you wanna come with us? There's no telling what's gonna happen after we catch up with the Butcher, you know.\" \"Whatever are you talking about? Sitting idly by after being insulted so would be a disgrace to my name as a warrior. And you say that this escapee of yours is not only the Apostle who summoned us to the World's End but may even know the Saint's whereabouts?! Why, how could I not pursue him?!\" Lute's ears perked up as he gave his determined reply. However, he had ordered his subordinates to wait on standby at the camp. He'd claimed that too large a group would be too conspicuous, but that was likely just a pretense. He probably intended to personally take full responsibility if things went south with the Church. Kaito had been concerned about the extent of Lute's resolve, but he hadn't stopped him. Everyone's got pride, something they refuse to back down from. Right now, it's probably for the best if I just don't say anything. With Lute having joined their ranks, Kaito had decided to leave Vlad sealed in his jewel. The jewel in question was shaking at regular intervals as though trying to express its displeasure. Kaito, however, staunchly ignored it. With Lute added and Vlad subtracted, the five of them advanced, spearheaded by Gargantua. In the end, they'd decided to head for the Church's encampment. They were aware of the risk that they'd run into the Church's main force, but the amount of information they had on the Butcher's whereabouts was fundamentally deficient. In order to get a sense of which way he'd fled, they'd decided to covertly track the Church's movements. In order to avoid getting into a fight, all Deus Ex Machinas besides Gargantua were hard at work searching for their foes. It appeared that the Grave Keeper had left on foot. Her footprints were so faint, they hardly seemed to be there at all, but Gargantua followed them unhesitatingly. At present, it was equipped with extra parts specifically for that purpose. After borrowing Jabberwocky's warped glass, it had fashioned what appeared to be a pair of eyes. They were enlarged, as though they were looking through glasses, and they swiveled and turned as Gargantua made its pointy way across the icy ground. The plan had been for Gargantua to switch off with Pantagruel once the Grave Keeper's footprints faded so it could track her by her mana. However, it didn't look like that would be necessary. Kaito and the others continued following Gargantua in silence. No matter how far they went, the scenery never changed. That, in and of itself, was unsettling. If all of it is beautiful, then it kinda feels like everything in it is dead. A chill ran down Kaito's spine, one completely unrelated to the cold. The notion that they were merely going around in circles began captivating him. Right as it did, though, Gargantua came to a sudden stop. Thrusting one leg into the ice to use as a fulcrum, the automaton spun around. It turned to face Jeanne and rattled its head up and down. It was clearly conveying something to her, as Jeanne quietly nodded back. \"Ah, I understand now. C'mon, ya lumps! Keep up!\" Jeanne and Gargantua changed course. Turning to the side, they set out perpendicularly from where they had stopped. Kaito found it rather difficult to believe that the Grave Keeper had traveled in such a bizarre manner. It would appear that the two of them had stopped following the Grave Keeper's tracks altogether. But then where are they going? Right as doubts started crossing through Kaito's mind, though, Gargantua stopped and began walking parallel to their original route. Kaito and the others followed after it. As they did, the scenery around them began gradually changing. The ground began sloping up at a much more noticeable angle than the hill they'd visited earlier. Kaito found himself on the verge of slipping a number of times. Each time, though, Hina successfully managed to support him. Constantly thanking her, Kaito laboriously made his way up the silvery hill. Especially large snowflakes began crunching under his feet, and he called ahead to Jeanne. \"So why'd we stop following the footprints and come this way instead?\" \"The number of sets of prints increased. Do you know why that is, mister?\" \"...The Grave Keeper must have met up with her subordinates. We must be near their camp.\" \"Precisely. A keen hypothesis, coming from The Fool. Furthermore, the Deus Ex Machinas share information among themselves. According to Pantagruel, this cliff is the optimal location from which to observe their camp. Also, do make sure you avoid walking in front of Gargantua. Falling to your death before we meet our first foe would be a hell of a bad joke!\" Kaito cocked his head, confused by Jeanne's warning. It sounded like there was a cliff in front of them, sure, but not"}, {"text": "even he was dumb enough to just fall over its edge. A moment later, he took it all back. Gargantua had come to an abrupt stop. Before it lay nothingness. The ground in front of its silver legs had cleanly vanished. It was like someone had carved it off with a knife, then stuck a fork in it and carried it away. No normal cliff declined so sharply. Oh man, I would totally have fallen off there. Narrowly stopping as well, Kaito broke out in an internal cold sweat. He timidly peeked over the edge. He could make out the Church's camp way down below. A number of tents were lined up in orderly, systematic intervals. Each one bore at least two flags emblazoned with white lilies and images of the Saint. Fires were lit throughout the camp, illuminating it amid the snow. They were clearly having to put much more work into maintaining their heat than the beastfolk had. They'd probably even put their camp's back to a cliff in order to stave off some of the wind chill. The speck-like people in the camp were hustling and bustling, no doubt due to the Butcher's disappearance. After he mentally recovered from the sudden appearance of the cliff's edge, though, Kaito's eyes came to rest on something else entirely. \"Hey, what's...? Oh, geez.\" There was something above the cliff. The figure had been frozen stiff with its arms spread out wide. It looked like a statue of some sort of pagan god or perhaps an inane scarecrow. It was a man dangling in the air. His body was supported by a thick stake, which pierced through his buttocks and exited his mouth. Frozen blood and feces dripped down between his legs. His eyes were open in an expression of intense agony. It looked like the stake had been driven in while he was still alive. With a second glance, Kaito confirmed the cruel truth: the man, clad in a luxurious vestment, had been impaled. Then his body had been put on public display atop the cliff. \"Who is that?\" \"...Yah Llodl.\" \"What?!\" Upon hearing Elisabeth's answer, Kaito let out a surprised yelp. After Godd Deos's death, Yah Llodl had taken advantage of the Church's changing power dynamics to join its upper echelon. And even with just the small conversation he'd had with Yah Llodl over a communication device, the man's pride had been abundantly clear. Yet, now, this was the state he was in. His failure back at the underground tomb had probably been the cause. And as far as people who could have gotten away with purging him went, only one came to Kaito's mind. After all, when she'd heard about the Butcher's escape, this was what she'd said: \"Good work out there. Now convey this to the lookout: 'It's Yah Llodl all over again.'\" \"...The Grave Keeper.\" There was no doubt in his mind that she was the one behind the grim spectacle before him. Kaito had long since gotten used to seeing torture. And loath as he was to admit it, looking at someone who'd been impaled almost had a sort of familiarity to it. Even so, seeing the corpse of someone whose arrogant laugh he'd just heard came as a blow. Elisabeth and Jeanne, on the other hand, seemed to regard Yah Llodl's death with complete disinterest. Taking their eyes off the body, they looked back toward the camp. \"Hmph, I see.\" \"Indeed. It's rather unambiguous.\" There was no reason for Lute to know who Yah Llodl was, but he still seemed to find the Torture Princesses' composure unsettling. However, he, too, realized that retreating would accomplish nothing. Because of that, he cautiously followed their lead. Kaito and Hina lined up beside them and did the same. Before long, Kaito found himself frowning. The Church's camp was even more chaotic than he'd expected. Cautious inspection made it clear that they were split into two large factions. One group of people was wearing silver armor with pelts draped over themselves to keep out the cold, and the other group was clad in scarlet, executioner-like outfits. Each one was gathered together and acting as a unit, like two herds of different beasts. \"It falls well within my expectations, but it seems they aren't a monolith, are they?\" \"Indeed, that they are not. And it's a big ol' laugh, coming from chumps who're goin' on about reconstructing the world! You're all pilin' into the same damn grave, ain'tcha?! Shepherds and sheep refusing to get along\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat a riot!\" Elisabeth narrowed her crimson eyes, and Jeanne raised her voice in scorn. Kaito immediately deduced what the two of them were talking about. The paladins and executioner-looking guys aren't exactly enemies, but could it be that they're on bad terms? The paladins looked to be forming a search party all on their own. They headed south, but their spirits seemed low, and they could hardly be described as unified. Instead of rebuking them for their sloth, though, the executioner-like group merely headed north. Neither group seemed to have any intention of working with the other. In fact, the executioners seemed to be avoiding the paladins. \"What's going on? They came all the way to the World's End, and now they aren't even gonna work together?\" \"The paladins have lost their commander. Though she was young, they put a great deal of trust and responsibility in Izabella. Trying to keep their morale up despite having her unjustly snatched away from them would be a fool's errand. And this is the World's End. Unlike the Capital, the Church can deploy their transfigured paladins freely. That scarlet bunch would likely have preferred to come here with themselves and their grotesque pawns alone.\" \"However, while the reconstruction sect holds the reins of power within the Church, their control is not absolute.\" Jeanne took the explanation over from Elisabeth and dispassionately laid out the current state of affairs within the Church. \"Refusing to take the normal paladins along would have earned the distrust of the royals and some of the notable aristocrats. Even with the attractive proposition of escaping the grand burden of having to rebuild the Capital, the reconstruction sect will fail to sway many of the less devout. And the powerful have a tendency to value gold higher than God, y'see. They both have a way of slippin' away when you really need 'em, though!\" Taking Jeanne's mocking words into account, Kaito took another look at what the people down below were doing. The streams of silver and crimson had completely split apart, serving well to illustrate the discord present among their camp. \"As a result, the normal paladins were taken along, but in name alone. The grotesque pawns are likely off searching, and the scarlet lot is no doubt going to join them and try to capture the Butcher. The paladins, on the other hand, seem to have been sent off in the opposite direction. With that in mind, it would appear that the north is far more promising. The Butcher fled quickly, though. I have my doubts as to whether they'll truly be able to catch him...\" \"Excuse me, Lady Elisabeth?\" \"Hmm? What is it, Hina? ...Oh-ho?\" As Hina repeatedly tapped on her shoulder, Elisabeth turned around. After looking in the direction Hina was indicating, she blinked repeatedly. A silly expression crossed Kaito's face, as well. At some point, something had taken a seat atop Yah Llodl's corpse's shoulder. It was a small emerald-green mass, and it was gnawing on his frozen ear. Startled, Lute reeled backward. As he pointed at the mass, a cry slipped out of his mouth. \"Y-you! You're the irreverent whelp who invaded Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast's bedchambers!\" \"Kyau!\" The response he received sounded entirely innocent. The dragon whelp began turning lively somersaults in the air. Its splendid tail, which seemed a bit too large for its body, swayed behind it. It didn't look repentant in the slightest. How long had it been there? Just as that question crossed Kaito's mind, though, a more pressing concern weighed on him. The body was put on display up here. In other words, the Church was fully aware of how well the cliff overlooked their base. It was odd, then, that they hadn't stationed any guards there. As he carefully surveyed their surroundings, Kaito gasped. \"Hey, wait, Elisabeth! Look where you're stepping!\" \"Hmm? Ah, I see. Little wonder, then, that standing here was so comfortable!\" Elisabeth nodded. Beneath her high heels was a man buried in the snow. His scarlet hood peeked out from amid the white. He appeared to be unconscious. Worried that the man might freeze to death, Kaito frantically reached out his hand. When he touched the man's skin, though, it was strangely warm. Apparently, he'd stored magic stones on his extremities to preserve his body heat. A jewel designed for communications was installed on his chest as well. In all likelihood, he was the one who'd been in charge of guarding the cliff top. But why, then, was he unconscious? Kaito cast a sidelong glance at the whelp. Its emerald scales glittered as it spun around in the air. Each time it twirled, it lashed out with its tail. A blow from that looked to be about as powerful as one from a blackjack from Kaito's old world. \"Kyoon!\" the whelp cried as it puffed out its chest. Upon seeing the vigor with which the whelp was making its claim, Kaito nodded in conviction. \"Looks like this guy's our culprit.\" \"Aye, no doubt. Excellent work, you!\" \"Dunno if that's really something you should be complimenting it for.\" \"Excuse me, Mr. Whelp, but why did you knock out the lookout and then stay here?\" \"Kyoon!\" By means of answering Hina's question, the whelp let out a loud cry. Then, with a chomp, it tore off Yah Llodl's ear. After tossing it up in the air and catching it in its mouth, it gobbled the dead flesh down. Kaito and Lute openly grimaced. Apparently done trying to cheer them up, the whelp shot into the air like a bullet. Then, without a moment's hesitation, it began flying off into the silvery atmosphere. For a second, it turned back toward Kaito and the others. It seemed to want them to follow it. Kaito was reminded of the chunk of bone-in meat that had been left behind at the castle. It looked as though, just like back then, the Butcher had predicted their movements once more and had sent the whelp to guide them. He was clearly trying to send them somewhere. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was still anyone's guess. Either way, our only real option is to follow it. Knowing that, Kaito steeled his resolve. Leaving the corpse and unconscious lookout behind them, they all took off at a run. Then, following the distant whelp, they began making their way down the pearly hill. The whelp looked like it was flying aimlessly. Its wings were comprised of thin bone and membrane, and it flapped them to fly high up into the milky-white, rainbow-tinged sky. Then it would glide for a while. It seemed to be rather enjoying its travels. However, for those trying to follow it, the wasteful movements in its flight path were the source of a great deal of stress. Kaito's displeasure was painted all across his face. \"Hey, does that thing even really know where it's going?\" \"Hmm... It does belong to the Butcher, after all.\" \"And Mr. Butcher is awfully fond of playing around. I suppose we can only hope.\" Elisabeth's shoulders slumped, and Hina smiled to try to placate her. Continuing forward through the unchanging snowscape was hard on the legs, but it was harder on the spirit. However, it quickly became clear that, despite the whelp's playful flight, their efforts hadn't been wasted. A living creature's corpse had appeared before them in the empty world. When Kaito first saw"}, {"text": "it, his immediate reaction was shock. Whatever the something was, it was made up of fragments of ice and snow. Its body was unsettlingly linear, and if he had to compare it to something, it looked somewhat like a fish. But even upon getting a closer look, it was difficult for a human to truly understand its appearance. After all, their brains refused to parse some of the optical information on it. In fact, it was hard to say definitively if living creature was really the right descriptor for it. The only thing sure about it was that it possessed a concept of \"death.\" All in total, there were four of the somethings. They were lying horizontally, their pyramid-shaped heads all caved in. \"...Hmm. This land seems free of foreign invaders, yet they appear to have been killed by something.\" Elisabeth stooped down and began inspecting the damaged sections. Kaito did the same. Once they did, a commonality emerged. All four of them seemed to have been struck by something soft. Also, there was blubber stuck to their wounds. \"With my cunning intellect, I've unraveled all the mysteries. The weapon...was a slab of meat!\" \"I'd be surprised if it was anything else. In other words, that means the Butcher definitely passed this way.\" The two of them nodded to each other. This time, the whelp's somersaults seemed to be saying, See? Now trusting its guidance, the group resumed their pursuit of the Butcher. They carefully walked among the somethings' corpses. As Kaito stood atop an unsullied patch of ice, though, a snapping sound rang out from around his feet. \"Huh?\" \"Is something the matter, Sir Kaito? Hmm?\" Lute turned around as well, and his ears perked up. The two of them started inspecting the ground at their feet for presences. The moment they did, a square chunk of ice directly below Kaito cracked and burst up into the air. Slipping along its now-slanted surface, Kaito narrowly managed to land on his feet. *** \"Ah!\" A massive slab of ice had pierced through the ground. Innumerable cracks were running along its surface. The slab then split into fine vertical segments. Its cylindrical fragments danced through the air, then recombined into a three-dimensional shape. The transformation it underwent was impressive, like a single sheet of paper being spliced into a meaningful form. Chilly air blew off its body as the completed something bent into a fishlike shape. However, it had no scales and no mouth. It swung its smooth, clear, pyramid-shaped head down onto Kaito. Drawing his sword, Lute stepped forward, intending to meet the hammer-like blow. \"Fall back, Sir Kaito! I shall repay the debt I once\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"How dare you try to strike my dear husband, you hoodluuuuuuuuuuum!\" However, Lute's noble declaration was drowned out by indignation and fury. His ears went slack, and he stopped in his tracks. Hina dashed across the ice like a cannonball. Accompanied by her vaunted halberd, she twirled freely through the air. \"Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!\" Her maid uniform fluttering, she raised her weapon aloft behind her back. Then, as she flew forward, she swung it down hard. Its blade crashed solidly into the something's side. There was the sound of glass cracking. The something's body flushed with white, then shattered. Its needle-thin fragments scattered all about. Upon mixing in with the snowflakes, they ceased to even be visible. Hina then landed with an elegant thump. After courteously straightening her maid outfit, she gave a sweet bow. \"Phew. With that, the cleaning is successfully finished. How was that, Master Kaito?\" \"Perfect as always, my dearest Hina.\" \"Eek! Oh, Master Kaito! Not in public! Why, how embarrassing!\" As she let out quiet shrieks, Hina covered her reddening face. Watching over her with affection, Kaito nodded. Lute stepped back as he commented, \"Very...very well, then,\" and a bemused expression overtook Elisabeth's face. The sole member to ignore the commotion and continue walking was Jeanne. Everyone else then hurried after her. And with that, Kaito and the others left the somethings' corpses behind and continued pursuing the Butcher as though nothing had changed. Eventually, their surroundings started to transform with increasing speed. Snow began falling from the empty sky. The massive flakes resembling delicate lacework fluttered gently through the air. Upon closer inspection, each one of them had a unique shape. In all likelihood, no two of them were alike. The strange rainbow membrane covering the milky-white sky was beginning to get thicker as well. Snowflakes tumbled lazily down from within it. It looked like silvery flower petals being spat out from inside an oil slick. Anywhere else, such a blizzard of petals would have been unimaginable. The area around Kaito's group had long since taken on an otherworldly quality to it. If someone had told them it was the afterlife, they practically would have believed it. Kaito's eyes were captivated by the landscape's untarnished, lifeless beauty. The world was hollow and empty, and it was terrifying. But at the same time, it was also endlessly fascinating. As Kaito was preoccupied by all that, the whelp abruptly stopped advancing. \"Kyau!\" With a loud cry, it gave its wings a powerful downward flap. After making a sharp nosedive, it suddenly vanished without a trace. \"Wait, where'd he go?\" Kaito looked down in a panic. The scenery, which had had a bare minimum of regularity to it, had come to a complete and total stop. At some point, a narrow, deep fissure had appeared before them. In contrast with its transparent icy walls, the ravine was filled with a pervasive darkness. The whelp must have flown down into it. It was almost like it was trying to say that its task was complete. Now convinced that something awaited them beyond the crevice, Kaito turned to look up. The fissure extended farther and farther. Little by little, it grew wider and deeper. Beside it, a new fissure stretched out its distant arm as well. They continued on like a pair of wide rivers. Eventually, they met up and converged on a colossal hole. The pit resembled a volcano's crater with its gaping maw. Suddenly, a strange conviction assailed Kaito. Let's say hypothetically that all the ice in the World's End melted. What would happen? The water probably wouldn't reach the sea. Regardless of whatever differences in height there may be, every drop of it would flow into that hole. Yet, even so, the void would remain. Even if it swallowed up everything else, nothing could ever fill that abyss. And at the same time, Kaito remembered something he'd once heard. Someone once said that the world has no end. The world is round, they proclaimed, and as such it has no terminus. Someone once said that the world has an end. It's like a waterfall, they proclaimed, one that swallows up anything and everything. Someone once said that the world has an end. For God created that place, they proclaimed, and designated it \"the World's End.\" \"...The World's End.\" Kaito mumbled that phrase once more. Unlike the world he'd come from, in this one, there was a real chance that all three stories about the World's End were true. The world was round, and it had no terminus. But it did have an End, one that God had designated. And therein lay a waterfall that swallowed up anything and everything. As those thoughts rattled around in his head, Kaito's vision wandered. Given that the whelp had disappeared, this was no doubt the \"answer\" they'd been searching for. \"Master Kaito, over there.\" \"Ah, there, huh?\" After looking to where Hina was pointing, Kaito nodded. A narrow path just barely lay between the two crevices. And someone was standing at its end. The figure was black, and it was standing alone before the pit. In a way, it looked lonely. As though it had been waiting a long, long time for someone who had never come. \"...The Butcher.\" A brief murmur escaped Elisabeth's lips. Kaito was about to break out in a run, but then he heard something. \"Ah, what an excellent job you all did finding him! Now, at long last, I've finally reached a complete understanding!\" A loud voice called out from behind him. Lodged within it was an unfathomable amount of joy. Goose bumps rose all across Kaito's flesh. Horrified from the bottom of his heart, he felt his face stiffen as he turned around to look. \"Blessings on you, and blessings on me! Everything is just as you will it!\" Standing behind him was exactly who he'd expected to find. Her snowflake-covered crimson cloak fluttered, and she was flanked on all sides by grotesque, transfigured paladins. The image of the giant men protecting an adorable little girl was almost picturesque, like a painting of a maiden surrounded by monsters. But in reality, it was the girl who was the monster, not the transformed men. It was the living symbol of zealotry, the Grave Keeper. As she looked down upon Kaito and the others, a smile dripping with affection spread across her face. 7 Her First Love \"You all were perfectly able to pursue me. Thus, the converse should be true as well, no? I find it truly, truly sorrowful, you know, that we should meet again in such a way.\" The Grave Keeper launched into a sudden monologue. Words came pouring from her mouth with no preamble or introduction. Her face was dark beneath her scarlet hood, yet her white cheeks were tinged red like those of a maiden in love. \"It was said that the rights would be granted impartially. Equally, to all races, to all peoples. Yet, that was never anything more than a sweet little white lie. The Apostle made his choice back at the very beginning, he did.\" Kaito's brows involuntarily furrowed. The Grave Keeper was clearly agitated about something, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was that had set her off. Impartial rights... Is she talking about the letter the Butcher sent out? But this thing about the Apostle making his choice back at the start...what's that about? \"It was simple once I put my mind to it. The fact that the whelp served as a guide was proof. The fact that he sought 'two' was proof. And if that is the case, then it's hardly my place to raise objections. It's only right that the number of people who receive blessings be limited. Only a few shall bear witness to her sacred awakening. For that, verily, is providence, is it not?\" The Grave Keeper's tone began gradually shifting. It started to sound like she herself was the one she was trying to convince. An indescribable sense of unease washed over Kaito. Lute's reaction seemed no different. Elisabeth and Jeanne, on the other hand, appeared wholly unfazed. It seemed that the two Torture Princesses had anticipated a showdown with the Grave Keeper. Even so, though, Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. \"...Just what exactly are you going on about?\" Kaito was taken aback. Apparently, not even Elisabeth knew the reason behind the Grave Keeper's confusion. Jeanne's expression was as blank as always, and her rose-colored gaze was steely. Instinctively, Kaito grabbed on to the jewel within his pocket. Heat emanated from the stone by means of a response. Letting Vlad out here might be a good idea. As the Kaiser would have it, Vlad was \"He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind.\" His disposition was fundamentally calm, but his nature was twisted and mad. There was a good chance that he'd be able to interpret the Grave Keeper's ramblings for them. But calling Vlad out here would raise problems of its own. Standing around the Grave Keeper was a group of gigantic, transfigured paladins. Their stiff armor was spread out over their engorged muscles like caramel. Their limbs were elongated as well, knees, elbows, and all. However, their transformations were just slight enough that they still counted as \"human.\" They were no doubt"}, {"text": "the cream of the crop, those who'd either been relatively compatible or those who'd successfully been able to take in pain. They were currently standing in a line, stock-still and with their swords pointed toward the ground like a row of statues. However, there was no telling how they'd react if he added Vlad to the mix. Odds were good that a battle would break out before Kaito even had a chance to ask Vlad to interpret. Hina was standing in front of him, protecting him with her halberd at the ready. Lute also had a firm grip on his sword's handle. Everyone present was prepared for fighting to break out at any moment. And no wonder... Now that we've come head-to-head like this, it's not like we have room to worry about power struggles or politics anymore. After all, the Apostle, which was to say, the Butcher, was within their line of sight. It was only a matter of time before they started trying to kill each other in earnest. And only the survivors would end up finding out where the Saint was resting. However, the Grave Keeper seemed to have only just caught on to the bloodlust emanating from Kaito's company. She shook her head vigorously from side to side, as though to suggest that the entire thing was preposterous. Snowflakes fluttered loosely off her scarlet cloak. She then clutched tightly at her chest as she wrung her pained words out. \"No, no, heavens, no. I, and those who share my beliefs, no longer have any intention of turning our swords on you. Now it's faith that's required of us.\" \"...Wait, you're not here to fight us?\" \"I believe in you all, you see. Even if you don't afford me the same sentiments! However, you require an ordeal. Indeed, one from another besides myself. However, that is all. That, truly, is all.\" \"...Someone other than you?\" Kaito felt an unpleasant premonition, and a chill ran down his spine. Even now, the Grave Keeper's voice was tinged with madness. Her pupils were dilated, her arms were spread wide, and spittle flew from her mouth as she talked. \"For the sake of the world, for the sake of the people, our revered Saint fell into slumber and shed tears of blood! That is what flows through the roots of the Church\u00e2\u20ac\u201dher unrewarded love, her noble self-sacrifice! In the name of faith, in the name of the world, she cast herself aside! And what could that be but the most desirable trait possible for those chosen to possess! I have sacrificed everything, discarded even my ego! Can you, the chosen ones, say the same?\" As she forcefully posed her question, the Grave Keeper held her right arm aloft. An unpleasant metallic noise followed. Upon looking at her hand, Kaito finally noticed something. Clenched within her small fist was the end of a silver chain. The noise acted as a signal, and the paladins set into motion. Relinquishing their posts at the Grave Keeper's side, they parted to the left and right like waves. Then, in unison, the transfigured paladins knelt. Then, pulled by the chain, something with four legs advanced between them. The thing was a beast draped in fine scarlet cloth. Beneath the cloth, its flesh and bones burbled as they constantly swelled and contracted back to their original shape. Each time they did, blood gushed forth, and a cry of pain rose from beneath the folds. The moment he heard it, Kaito shuddered. He recognized that voice. Th-that's not... \"And here it is! Here it is, O unworthy contractor of mine!\" The Kaiser's laughs echoed within Kaito's eardrums. At the same time, he felt someone firmly staring at him. The boy who'd once saved him was looking straight at him, his unflinching gaze boring into Kaito's skin. The dead boy, Neue, was asking Kaito a question with his eyes. Can you? he was asking. Can I what? replied Kaito silently. But even as he did, his thoughts naturally rushed to a certain fact. I've slain a lot of people. He'd drenched himself in blood, lost his left arm, and lost his status as a normal human. He'd killed foes, he'd killed demons, and he'd killed underlings. That was how he'd gotten by. But up until then, he'd never once killed someone he himself held dear. He'd gotten this far without ever needing to. But Neue's gaze was asking him a question. Can you? he was asking. The Kaiser, on the other hand, was merely laughing his almost-human laugh. \"It seems a proper trial is upon you!\" There was no way Kaito could successfully feign ignorance as to what he was being told. He was well aware. There was no doubt in his mind as to what question he was being asked. \"Please show me tragic devotion befitting the favor you've received! Show it to me, if you'd be so kind!\" As she made her loud entreaty, the Grave Keeper yanked off the scarlet cloth. The curtain to the freak show had been drawn, and the creature's full body was revealed. Kaito reflexively looked down at his feet. Then he let out a violent whisper. \"........................................................................ You fucking monster.\" The thing beneath the cloth had once been human. Its silver hair was longer than it had been before. It crept like vines, winding its tangled tips around the creature's legs. All its flesh had metamorphosized and had either swelled up like tumors or was sagging. Because of that, the scars that had once run across its skin were exaggerated, causing them to look like stitches. Its armor had been taken from it, and its spine was crooked and warped like an animal's. Its breasts rocked as they scratched against the surface of the ice. Then she slowly looked up. When she did, her gemlike, mismatched blue and purple eyes came to rest on Kaito and the others. Even now, her eyes were still beautiful. \"Ah... Ah, ah, ah, ahhhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!\" The creature let out a roar of agony. Can you? asked Neue's gaze once more. Can you kill Izabella Vicker? he was asking. Can you kill her, like all those transformed paladins you unhesitatingly decided there was no way to save? Kaito parted his trembling lips. Then he gave his confession to the phantasm whom only he could see. \"I...can't.\" Then the thing that had once been Izabella leaped. Its sharp claws and fangs loudly bore down on Kaito. There existed something that Kaito Sena had never thought about. It was something he's stubbornly ignored time and time again. For instance, there were all the people who'd been forcibly turned into underlings. For instance, there were the people whose pain had been used to pacify a demon. For instance, there were the paladins who had eaten demon flesh, either by force or by stupidity. In other words, innocent victims. Kaito had killed them, hoisting a flag of mercy all the while. Because he'd known that there was no other way to save them, he hadn't so much as hesitated. Despite its hypocrisy, the act itself had been compassionate. However, therein lay room for a question to arise. It was a question related to an instance that had yet to occur, one that Kaito had purposefully avoided thinking about. What if, hypothetically, one of the victims was someone Kaito knew well? Would it still be so easy for me to kill them, claiming that there weren't any other options? Could he, Kaito Sena, do that? Or was the reason he'd been able to avoid hesitating merely because the victims hadn't meant anything to him? ...It's the latter. Now Kaito could be sure of that. That was the plain truth of the matter. Even so, he still didn't believe that he'd been in the wrong. Someone you knew would invariably be more important to you than someone you didn't. That was just how the world worked. And at the same time, killing someone, even someone who meant nothing to you, was hard on a person. It wasn't as though Kaito was a homicidal maniac or something. In order to save someone who was constantly suffering, though, someone else necessarily had to get their hands dirty. Suffering an eternity of pain was a cruel thing indeed. Because he believed that, Kaito had drenched his hands in blood. Doesn't it make it blasphemous if I can't do the same now, then? \"I did it to you all, but I can't do the same to someone I know.\" Was he really going to face the mountain of corpses he'd piled up and say that? It would be complete and utter bullshit. And it would be deeply, deeply unforgivable. But of course, Kaito Sena already knew all that. Back in the real world, that entire train of thought had gone through his mind in the space of a blink. As he returned to his senses, Kaito channeled mana into the soles of his feet, propelling himself back on his own strength. Not a second later, Izabella's forearm shattered the icy ground before him. He landed a hairbreadth beside Hina, who had almost taken off at a run. As she breathed a sigh of relief, a heartbroken light passed through Hina's eyes. \"Master Kaito... I understand how you feel, but...\" \"Huh? ...Oh.\" It was then that Kaito first realized that his hand was outstretched and had been for some time. Grabbing his right arm with its beastly left counterpart, he forcibly wrenched it back down. Then, with trembling fingers, he stroked his cheek. I knew it was gonna end like this. Or, at least, I should have known. Kaito had left Izabella behind, knowing full well what would become of her. Even so, the scene before his eyes smashed his heart to pieces like a hammer. That was simply how cruel Izabella's transformation had been. Elisabeth said nothing. Surprisingly, Jeanne's expressionless face showed no changes. Lute, however, let out a low growl, sword in hand. He narrowed his eyes, as though digging through his memories. \"Sir Kaito, is perchance that monster someone you...? No, I, too, know her name. Izabella. Izabella the paladin... That silver hair, the color of those eyes... Could that truly be Izabella Vicker? Why, that's their commander! Why has she become such a thing?\" \"Lute, you and Izabella knew each other?\" \"She paid us a few courtesy calls regarding the assistance Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast was providing in rebuilding the Capital. Her manners were rare for a human, and she valued repaying her debts. Why, from her second visit on, she even brought souvenirs for my wife! Well, I suppose that hardly qualifies as knowing her. Yet, still...\" Then Lute stiffened his jaw, his teeth audibly grinding together. As he looked at Izabella's grotesque form, his lupine eyes flashed. Dumbfounded, he repeated himself. \"Still...\" \"It's okay, Lute. It's more than enough in my book.\" If it was someone he hadn't known, he could likely have put her down out of pity. But knowing her character, how warm her heart had once been, would have dulled anyone's blade. That was just the way things were. Sentiment had the power to radically change the weight of a murder. Even so, though, there were times when battle was inevitable. Now was one of those times. \"Ah-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah, ehhhhh, eh, aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!\" Izabella let out a maddened scream. Several of her bones had pointlessly expanded. In particular, her knees and elbows pierced through her skin. Each time she moved, blood flowed freely from her body. In spite of that, though, she leaped around with clear purpose. Her silver hair grew violently disheveled. Chunks wrapped around her limbs tore free, taking bits of scalp with them as they went. \"Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee, ha-ha-ha-ha, hyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!\" Even so, she continued laughing at the top of her voice. Recollections started flashing through Kaito's mind. Then, despite knowing that it was the most meaninglessly sentimental thing he could possibly do, he began filtering through his memories."}, {"text": "First, he thought back to what had happened in the Capital, back when the demonic mass of flesh had invaded. Izabella's straight silver hair had glistened in the moonlight. Back then, not a single scar had marred her skin. After unhesitatingly taking the Kaiser's contractor's hand in hers, she'd spoken. \"Let's take out that demon together.\" Next, he thought about the events back in the demon's world, the space where everything died. Paying no heed to the fact that the force of her mana was tearing apart her skin from inside, Izabella had shouted at him through a communication device. \"Don't give me that nonsense, Kaito Sena! Enough is enough! You should be looking for any help you can get, even if it comes from a monster! Don't you want to save the suffering people as soon as possible?\" Then there had been the events down in the underground tomb. She had been the one to deal the final blow to the gatekeeper within, a monster that the Grave Keeper had created by fusing a demon with a divine creature. Despite her trembling hands, Izabella had laid her arm horizontally over her chest. Despite her flowing tears, she'd given it a bow. \"No longer must you be bound by the chains of your tortured existence. Your efforts guarding the tomb did not go unnoticed.\" Finally, Kaito arrived at the memory of what had happened only just a little bit ago. Izabella had stood with her back to the exploding light. Even while she rejected Kaito and the others, she'd still smiled. \"That we are, I suppose. Idiots, one and all.\" The lacerations running across her pale skin had twisted unattractively. Yet, even so, Izabella Vicker was beautiful. She had truly been beautiful. I... I can... As he tried to finish thinking through his answer, though, Kaito found himself interrupted. Crimson flower petals had begun gently fluttering around him. Startled, Kaito felt his eyes go wide. At some point, crimson had become interspersed with the silver snowflakes dancing through the air. A violent wind broke out, and petals and feathers flew through the air as though trying to blot out the milky sky. Astonished as he was, Kaito was reminded once more of a certain truth. Sentiment had the power to radically change the weight of a murder. That was only natural. But there's someone I know who's fully willing to trample their own thoughts and feelings underfoot. She was someone who paid no heed to the wails of others, no matter how grief-stricken or forlorn they might be. And she had the power to utterly destroy her own feelings and sentimentality. The hefty sins she bore on her back did nothing to dull the resonance of her loud laughter. Now she was standing proud and tall amid the whirlpool of crimson petals and black feathers. She was the proud wolf. She was the lowly sow. She was the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. And she was holding Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal aloft. \"How pitiful you are, Izabella. Yet, this, too, is the fruit of your resolve and dedication. Thus, I lend you no compassion or scorn. I shall simply kill you. And I shan't ask for your gratitude. Death is a fate we all wish to avoid. Even if it is the sole avenue to respite, that sentiment is one that every living creature shares.\" Elisabeth's voice was cold and firm. She was arrogant, and at the same time, she knew full well what it meant to take a life. Her black hair fluttered as she began advancing, passing by Kaito in silence. When she did, she didn't spare him so much as a glance. She said nothing to anyone else, either. When she spoke, it was to Izabella alone. \"Resent me to your heart's content. 'Tis your right to do so.\" Unhesitatingly, she looked into those blue and purple eyes. Her gaze didn't waver for a moment. Just like she'd done for Marianne and the children who'd been fused to the mass of flesh, she gazed at the one she intended to kill. At the same time, Kaito felt as though he'd been struck by lightning. What am...what the hell am I doing? \"Go now to your rest.\" \"Elisabeth, wait!\" The shout escaped Kaito's lips half-unbidden. Elisabeth whirled to face him, clearly annoyed. Izabella stooped over, then let out a growl. Keeping a careful eye on her movements, Elisabeth heaved a sigh. \"What, are you going to insist that we can save her or some such nonsense? Idiocy taken to extremes can border on sin, you know.\" \"No, that's not it! I just need you to hold on for a minute.\" Kaito tried to take a step forward. When he did, though, he realized something. Even though his thoughts were clear and level, his knees were on the verge of unceremoniously giving way. Hina quickly rushed over to his side. She gently took his hand in hers to comfort him. \"Master Kaito, your hand... I understand what it is you're thinking. What a truly kind man you are. If you wish to do this, even though your legs tremble so, then I shall accompany you.\" \"Thanks, Hina. Every step I take forward is thanks to your help.\" Kaito returned Hina's soft squeeze. Then, with her by his side, he stepped before Elisabeth. Awkward as his demeanor was, the Torture Princess didn't laugh at him. She simply waited for him to speak. As he gazed at her, he ruminated on something. Back at the entrance to the underground tomb, when he and Elisabeth had been crossing blades, what was it he'd been thinking about? Why had he fought so hard to avoid being killed by the Torture Princess? It wasn't fear of death. It was mindless obsession. That's right. It wasn't because I didn't want to die. It was something way more important than that. Like hell I'm gonna let Elisabeth kill me. Like hell I'm gonna let her kill anyone else she cares about. That was what had been going through his mind. Isn't that right, Kaito Sena?! The number of people whom one could choose to save at all costs was highly limited. Kaito was well aware of that fact. Back before he was reincarnated, he hadn't had a single person who was precious to him. That was precisely why he'd decided to fight to the bitter end to protect the ones he'd found in this life. But this demon-ridden world was harsh and cruel. His experiences in his past life had helped him learn one thing quickly: Due to his powerlessness, his arms could reach only a handful of people. Because of that, he'd chosen to put Elisabeth Le Fanu ahead of the whole world. He'd decided to put his entire existence on the line to save that dreadful, horrible, peerless sinner. What, then, could he possibly have to tremble about? \"Indeed\u00e2\u20ac\u201done who forgets their greatest wish is naught but a fool masquerading as a saint.\" The Kaiser had told him to trample over everyone who stood in his path. Kaito ground his teeth. Even if Izabella's smile had been beautiful. Even if she'd been radiant as she foolishly strode straight forward. That was something he couldn't allow the Torture Princess to bear. \"I'll be the one to kill Izabella Vicker.\" And with that, Kaito made his declaration. He squeezed Hina's hand in gratitude. Then, after tapping the back of her hand to set her mind at ease, he let go of it and strode alone toward Izabella. The Torture Princess narrowed her crimson eyes. Hina closed her eyes, then opened them. Lute hung his head downward. Kaito Sena raised his hand high and made to snap his fingers. Then, right before he could, a massive silver fist came crashing into him. \"Hmm?\" \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Master Kaitoooooooooooo!\" Elisabeth arched an eyebrow, Lute was dumbstruck, and Hina let out a cry. As for Kaito himself, it took a couple of violent revolutions of his body before the fact that he'd been punched set in. He then descended in a cartoonish tailspin. A moment before he crashed to the ground, though, Hina successfully slid into position to catch him. \"A-a-a-a-are you all right, Master Kaito? I had no idea you would go popping and whizzing through the air like that, my beloved. Oh heavens, what would I have done if I hadn't caught you?\" \"H-Hina... Ow, ow, what happened to me?\" \"Why, it was her.\" Confused as she was, Hina's tone when she answered Kaito's question was filled with unmistakable reproach. At the other end of her pointed gaze, a single individual was walking forward. Her honey-blond hair danced luxuriously. It was the golden girl, her outfit as risqu\u00c3\u00a9 as ever. Behind her was a steel giant. Deus Ex Machina had merged back together, and it was the one who'd punched Kaito. Her rose eyes flickered as Jeanne de Rais looked down on Kaito Sena. When she spoke, her voice was cold. \"As the one who chose Izabella Vicker as my evangelist, getting to the bottom of her transfiguration is my duty. Sorry for butting in just when you worked up your resolve, but I'm gonna need you to back down now. This one's mine.\" Then Jeanne turned to face Izabella and looked down on her transformed, monstrous form. After slightly narrowing her eyes, Jeanne raised an arm. The steel giant squared off in response. Spiderweb cracks splintered in the ice beneath its feet. Her voice dispassionate, Jeanne went on. \"Granting her death will be my responsibility. Arrogantly, selfishly, and self-righteously shall I lower the curtain on her life... No, my apologies. Allow me to correct myself, that I may speak the untarnished truth. Granting her death will be my privilege.\" Jeanne spoke with imposing dignity. Izabella offered no reply. Blood and drool dribbled from her lips, and she receded backward, as though on high guard. Jeanne watched over her calmly. Then, eventually, the corners of her lips curled up into something resembling a smile. \"It seems the stories were true... First loves just ain't meant to be.\" The next moment, Izabella dashed forward like a lion. When she did, a steel fist crashed hard into her side. Kaito watched over the state of the battle, still swaddled in Hina's arms. Lute opened his mouth in bewilderment, and Elisabeth crossed her arms. However, the affair before them could barely even be described as a battle. To be more precise, it was a beatdown. That was just how powerful Deus Ex Machina was after returning to one body. \"I suspected as much. You didn't need to consume something like that to attain power, li'l miss.\" Jeanne began talking to Izabella. While she did, the steel giant continued mercilessly swinging its fists. Even if they tore or were sliced, Izabella's limbs and torso would quickly regenerate. Because of that fact, the steel giant narrowed down its attack to blunt strikes. Its fist carved a straight arc through the air. Its offensive options may have been limited, but its movements surpassed the perception of man and beast alike. Unable to avoid the strike, Izabella was dashed hard against the cold ground. The subsequent blow crushed her body. Her bones writhed, trying to return to their original positions. As they did, her flesh loudly burst. The regeneration had been too much for her, and her ribs had popped out through her back like springs. Lute's lupine snout scrunched up. Unable to take it anymore, he averted his eyes. Kaito, Hina, and Elisabeth were silent as they watched the one-sided beatdown. \"Gah... Ahhh... Argh... Geh...\" Izabella violently retched. Blood and countless chunks of flesh spilled out onto the ice. For the first time, Izabella looked afraid. She dragged her broken legs along as she tried to put distance between herself and Jeanne. Jeanne gracefully approached the fleeing Izabella, steel giant in tow. Then, with an almost terrifying calmness, she continued talking. \"Divided as they were"}, {"text": "from the titan, miss, you once managed to reach me through Bandersnatch and Gargantua. And as you were before, you would have remained composed even in the face of Deus Ex Machina's parts combined. So what's this sorry shit? I told you not to go, didn't I?\" \"Graaaaaaaaaah, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!\" Jeanne received a low, terrified roar in reply. Her words didn't seem to have reached Izabella. Jeanne's rose eyes narrowed just a hair. Izabella's entire body undulated. Her flesh was rapidly expanding. Muscle fibers began wrapping around her still-exposed ribs. When they were finished, they'd formed sets of winglike, fleshy protrusions. Her body's damage was forcibly being compensated for, but it was impossible to completely negate the wounds from the blows she'd received. Izabella drew back even farther. Even while she was retreating, her movements took on a frailer quality to them. Jeanne gazed expressionlessly at the veritable wounded animal before her. When she whispered next, her voice sounded truly young. \"...I told you.\" \"Gah, ah, ahhh, grahhhhhhhhhhhhh, gyah!\" Izabella recklessly leaped at the giant only to be brushed away like a flea for her troubles. The arc she painted through the air on her way to the icy ground was almost comical. Bones and flesh writhed beneath her skin once more. However, her regeneration was growing more and more chaotic. Strange convulsions ran all across her body. Izabella managed to lift herself off the ground, enduring no small amount of pain as she did. She looked ready to leap again. Jeanne spoke coolly, directing her words at Izabella's trembling back. \"I think that's enough, little lady. Just submit to your pitiful, tragic rest.\" \"Gah, ah... Gaaaaaaaah!\" Izabella let out a meaningless moan. Jeanne opened her mouth. Before she could say anything, though, she showed a rare moment of hesitation. After closing her mouth and opening it again, the whisper seemed to practically spill unbidden from her lips. \"You are a leader, though perhaps only in name, no?\" When it did, Izabella stopped in her tracks. Her silver hair violently shook as she suddenly turned to look over her shoulder. When she did, she focused her blue and purple eyes on Jeanne, just as she had once before. \"Ms....Izabella?\" \"Izabella...\" Kaito and Hina both reflexively called out her name. She gave no reply. However, the light of reason had faintly made its way back into her eyes. It was fleeting, though, and ephemeral. She was on the verge of being ruled by nothing more than her base animalistic instincts of pain and starvation and the fear of death. Her face morphed unattractively back and forth. From senseless beast to human, from human to beast. Once her internal battle had finished, Izabella's trembling legs set into motion. She sat down in place. Her silver hair gently sagged as she bowed her head and went motionless. It was as though she was asking that they cut off her head and be done with it. \"Impossible... How can this be? How can she retain her sanity even after being transfigured so?\" Elisabeth's voice was filled with disbelief. Her words echoed Kaito's sentiments as well. Jeanne remained silent. Her rose eyes, though, opened wide in what could only be described as bafflement. She seldom showed anywhere close to that much emotion. The next moment, her eyes rapidly set into motion. She cast her gaze away from Izabella, focusing it on the Grave Keeper with such intensity that sparks seemed likely to start flying out. The scarlet-clad girl, for her part, replied to the hostile stare with a warm smile. Seemingly having come to understand something by that, Jeanne nodded. \"I see. So shit was weird from the start, huh?\" That's right... Now that I think about it, the signs were there. As Jeanne spoke, Kaito realized something. All the transformed people they'd seen had had their eyes engorged, congested with blood and sometimes even ruptured. Yet, Izabella's eyes had been just as beautiful as ever. Coming from someone who knew what she'd looked like originally, Kaito felt the state of her transformation had seemed near-absolute. In truth, though, the degree to which she'd been transformed was probably comparatively lighter. In all likelihood, the paladins on the verge of death had had their skin melting off beneath their armor. Kaito tumbled out of Hina's arms. He unconsciously covered his mouth. Was it because Izabella resisted? Or...did the Church do that intentionally? Either way, she must not have eaten much of the demon meat. But in the end, what difference did that make? The fact that she was beyond saving remained unchanged. That was what the rational part of his brain determined. At the same time, however, a wave of discomfort ran over him. She...should be, but... There's something off about Jeanne. There could be little doubt that the golden Torture Princess was even more rational than Kaito was. At the moment, though, she had completely laid off the attack. She merely blinked, her rose eyes flashing. \"...This falls outside my expectations. But not yours, I suppose?\" Jeanne continued staring at the Grave Keeper as she murmured. The young girl offered no reply, instead just continuing to smile her perfectly unnatural smile. Her gaze was affectionate, so much so that it evoked the image of a saint. It was an expression one would hardly expect to come from the one who'd birthed this hellish situation. Jeanne turned back toward Izabella once more. Her whispered voice had a rare tone of bewilderment to it. \"It seems that I do have the power to save you, little lady.\" \"What?!\" Kaito couldn't stop himself from letting out a shout. As he did, Deus Ex Machina moved. Despite its considerable mass, it gave off no noise or presence as it advanced. And then the giant ruthlessly crushed Izabella. \"W-wait, you, you just said you could save her! You said you can save her, didn't you?\" \"Yes, I can save her. And this is a necessary step in doing so.\" After returning to his senses, Kaito shouted out yet again, to which Jeanne replied coolly. However, it certainly didn't seem that way to him. Deus Ex Machina slowly lifted its fist. Unsurprisingly, Izabella's body was almost completely crushed. She was just barely breathing, but now it was even harder to imagine her ever getting back to normal. \"Allow me to reiterate myself. This is sufficient. The bits I smashed weren't necessary, see?\" \"Unnecessary?\" \"Now, all I have to do is remove them.\" Kaito asked his question in an uneasy tone, but Jeanne replied with conviction. His reaction was one of blank shock. If Jeanne did that, Izabella would definitely die. After all, she would end up losing over half her body. But Jeanne unconcernedly laid out a means by which to preserve Izabella's life. \"Then we can do our best to supplement the places where the demon meat set its roots in with parts from Deus Ex Machina.\" \"Wait, is that even possible?\" \"It is. They're weapons designed for combat, but they can alter their forms as they please. They can even act as human organs. However, in doing so, we would lose access to a powerful weapon.\" Kaito's eyes went wide in comprehension. Unlike Elisabeth, who summoned her torture devices each time, Jeanne used Deus Ex Machina as a more conventional weapon. Whether or not someone could mold the mana drifting around in higher dimensions into a form suitable for combat depended heavily on their inherent nature, after all. Deus Ex Machina was designed to circumvent that restriction. If we lose it, the strength at our disposal will invariably suffer. But... Kaito looked over at Izabella's crushed body. Then he turned his gaze to the Grave Keeper, who was looking at Jeanne like a shepherd watching over a lost lamb. Kaito suddenly recalled the inscrutable declarations she'd made. \"For the sake of the world, for the sake of the people, our revered Saint fell into slumber and shed tears of blood! That is what flows through the roots of the Church\u00e2\u20ac\u201dher unrewarded love, her noble self-sacrifice! In the name of faith, in the name of the world, she cast herself aside! And what could that be but the most desirable trait possible for those chosen to possess! I have sacrificed everything, discarded even my ego! Can you, the chosen ones, say the same? \"Please, show me tragic devotion befitting the favor you've received! Show it to me, if you'd be so kind!\" Is this what she was talking about? It would appear that the Grave Keeper was asking them to demonstrate their devotion by sacrificing Deus Ex Machina to save Izabella. However, there were still mysteries left to solve. For example, the Grave Keeper had said that she no longer had any intention of fighting them. In other words, she shouldn't have had any reason to want to whittle away the Torture Princess's strength. If that was the case, then, why was she doing it? What was the Grave Keeper's goal? As that question rattled around in Kaito's head, though, he was suddenly interrupted. \"What to do; what to do?\" A distracted murmur echoed out. Kaito's eyes went wide. Of all the things she could be doing, Jeanne was standing before Izabella's crushed frame with her arms casually folded. Her words and demeanor made no sense to Kaito. In his mind, there was only one logical path to take. His voice grew rough as he pointed at Izabella's dying body. \"What the hell are you talking about?! What is there to think about? You can save her, can't you?!\" \"Indeed. I can save her.\" \"You said she was your first love, didn't you?!\" Kaito's scream was so forceful, he risked damaging his throat. As far as he was concerned, the things Jeanne was saying were unforgivable. She had had nothing, and now she'd finally found someone precious to her. Choosing to cast her aside was a choice he refused to get behind. He refused to approve of it. Hell, he didn't even want to try to understand it. There's no way\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnot that! A beast-like growl slipped from Kaito's mouth, to which Jeanne replied with an unfalteringly calm gaze. When she spoke, her voice was just as calm. \"Allow me to ask you a question, then, mister. Is that deed truly more worthy than bringing about salvation?\" The moment she did, an answer burst forth from Kaito's brain, one that ran in stark contrast to his emotions. It wasn't. There was no person so valuable that saving them was more important than the entire world. That fact was the same as it had ever been. There were no exceptions. All he had to do was look over his shoulder at the corpses he'd piled up. Giving special treatment to a single person would be wrong. And right now, the world's fate hung in the balance. Now was no time to complain or nitpick. They simply needed to do what needed to be done. That was the only correct answer. You should know that, Kaito Sena. Yeah, I know. I know all too well. THAT'S WHY I DON'T KNOW, GODDAMMIT! \"Screw you. Shut up.\" Kaito violently repudiated the correct answer he'd arrived at. Jeanne blinked. Kaito's reply had hardly constituted an answer. Yet, in a way, it had conveyed everything. His composure fracturing, Kaito racked his brain. Jeanne, Elisabeth, they're all the same. All they can come up with are correct answers. Elisabeth, the raven-haired Torture Princess, showed no signs of bearing regrets, nor did she ever try to cast aside her sins. But what about Jeanne? If she did bear regrets, what would she be left with after the world was saved? If she won't have anything left, then... ...then at that point, what had she really even saved? That instant, a shout exploded from Kaito's lungs. \"Don't listen to me!\" \"...Pardon?\" \"Don't listen to anyone! Think about it yourself! Think about it yourself, all on your own! Don't let anyone else"}, {"text": "decide for you what is and isn't more precious than the world! You have to choose; you have to make the decision! Dammit, you, you're not thinking at all!\" \"You're saying rather strange things, mister. What are you suggesting it is that I'm not thinking about?\" \"You can't seriously tell me you paid a single thought to whether you'd regret it or not!\" Upon hearing Kaito's accusation, Jeanne cocked her head to the side. It was faint, but her lack of expression started crumbling a little. She blinked as she replied, her voice filled with utter astonishment. \"Whether I would regret it or not? That don't matter for shit.\" \"Like hell it doesn't! And the moment you couldn't immediately say that you wouldn't proves it, goddammit! You're the one who brought up first love, so don't you dare pretend you're some robot who doesn't know what emotions\u00e2\u20ac\u201dOh, right, this world doesn't have robots... Anyway, don't talk like you're pretending you don't have feelings! Dammit, how can you be so...how can you be such a...?\" Kaito was even more dumbfounded than Jeanne was. Unable to find the words he was looking for, he stomped his foot on the ground. Then he took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. The words he finally found were equal parts earnest and ill-fitting. \"How can you be such an idiot?\" \"I see. How nonsensical. However, this does mark the first time anyone has ever asked me that.\" Jeanne's whisper was quiet and subdued. She looked back over at Izabella. The convulsions running across her body were growing weaker and weaker. Yet, Jeanne refused to move, as though she were frozen solid. The heavy silence persisted. Kaito was on the verge of wringing more words out of himself. Before he could, though, Jeanne hesitatingly opened her mouth, then closed it again. After repeating that process a few times, she finally managed to get the words out. \"What do you think, miss, Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu?\" The question had an almost desperate ring to it. Likely expecting words of rebuke, Jeanne elaborated on her inquiry to the black Torture Princess, the woman cut from the same cloth as herself. \"You consider all equally. You bear heavy sins and will someday burn at the stake for them. You refuse to betray those you've killed, and you obstinately continue your life as an arrogant, honest sinner. If it were you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Hell if I know. Silence. I'm tired of listening to you.\" The reply came in three curt remarks. Furthermore, it came from a location that nobody had expected. Everyone present turned to look. Lute, in particular, gave a heavy gasp. Elisabeth Le Fanu was positioned in midair. Facing her target, she was holding her sword aloft. On the other end of her sword stood the Grave Keeper, whose scarlet robe fluttered as she looked up at the Torture Princess aiming for her. Everyone felt as though time had frozen over. The sinner and the zealot exchanged a meaningful stare. The Grave Keeper could have easily given orders to the paladins, who were still kneeling to the side. However, she persisted in her silence. The crimson blade drew toward the pale neck, almost as if the two were destined to meet. The moment before the sword reached its target, the Grave Keeper spoke as though in prayer. \"'You are free to act as you will. But pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand.'\" Her quiet, hopeful smile had never left her face. As the Grave Keeper spoke to her killer, her expression was steeped in heartfelt affection. \"Hallelujah.\" And with that, Elisabeth's blade sliced through her young neck. Blood surged. The Grave Keeper's round little head went flying through the air. It then rolled along the ground, eventually coming to a stop still draped in its scarlet hood. A pool of blood quietly gathered. The Grave Keeper had been killed before their very eyes, and she hadn't so much as put up a fight. The paladins didn't move. The way they refrained from counterattacking implied that they'd been given orders not to beforehand. Instead, they stood up in unison and raised their arms horizontally over their chests. Turning to face the Grave Keeper's corpse, they bowed. Their postures seemed to be ones of mourning. Suddenly, Kaito arrived at a hypothesis. The Grave Keeper's escorts seemed to have had a relatively high compatibility with the demon meat. Maybe that was because they'd willingly chosen to consume the meat and carefully tuned their portions. No matter what kind of person they are, anyone with a strong will will inevitably find admirers. Even if that person harbored nothing but madness. Just so long as their conviction was unshakable. \"Tch, how ghastly. 'Tis my first victory to ever be so irksome.\" Elisabeth landed on the ground unopposed. She clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. A violent wave of confusion washed over Kaito. The Grave Keeper had died, and she hadn't even tried to defend herself. And she'd probably even told the paladins not to retaliate. But why? He had no idea what she'd been trying to accomplish. Should we really be playing along with the Grave Keeper's scheme like this? Plagued by his misgivings, Kaito turned to look back at Jeanne. She still hadn't made her decision. Instead, she was looking at Elisabeth in supplication. Elisabeth dispelled her sword and began walking. It didn't look as though she intended to give Jeanne any replies past the three she already had. The black Torture Princess passed by the golden Torture Princess. Suddenly, though, Elisabeth came to a stop. Still facing forward, she gave a quiet murmur. \"'Twere it I, I would ask no one. And if any dared tell me what to do, I'd lend them no ear.\" *** \"Yet, ask you did. I obtained power by killing people as they wailed and screamed. You obtained power by killing the willing. One part the same, one part different\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnot that I was informed, at any rate. In truth, I find it unpleasant that such a woman would declare herself Torture Princess. That is what I say to you, Jeanne de Rais, the saint, the whore, and the maiden of salvation.\" Jeanne didn't respond. Only Elisabeth's eyes moved as she gazed at her in profile. When Elisabeth spoke next, her voice was cold beyond belief. \"Do as you please. 'Twere it I, I would kill her. But you are not I. And the burden of your choice shall be yours alone to shoulder. But bear no conceits\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsaving the world and destroying it are but mere matters of personal selfishness.\" \"...It would seem both my options are cruel. But damn, this one's a doozy.\" Jeanne's voice was quiet and subdued. The ebony Torture Princess resumed walking, leaving her behind. Elisabeth left Kaito and the others behind as well as she headed toward the Butcher. Kaito hurriedly grabbed Hina by the hand and followed behind. After looking around restlessly, Lute joined them, too. As they ran, Kaito cast a fleeting glance backward. Only Jeanne and Izabella remained atop the ice. Alone, the golden Torture Princess gazed down upon the dying woman. She gazed down upon the person who, by all rights, she should let die. She gazed down upon the first woman she'd ever loved. \"I'll...\" Jeanne's whisper came out hoarse. Then her head flopped to the side. For the first time, her expressionless visage shattered. With a perplexed look on her face, she let out a childlike whisper. \"...I...will?\" And then Jeanne de Rais, the saint, the whore, and the man-made maiden of salvation, made her choice. 8 The Butcher's Story Kaito and the others ran atop the narrow pathway that sat between the two fissures. Bottomless abysses lay on either side. One wrong step and they would be swallowed up by the unknowable darkness. They dashed quickly but carefully. The dark blob in the distance slowly but surely grew closer, eventually revealing the silhouette of a familiar back. In a way, it really did look lonely. It feels kinda like he's waiting for someone who'll never come. As he quickened his pace even further, Kaito felt a strange pressure coming from ahead. It was like a wind was blowing up from the bottom of the pit. However, the air around him didn't seem to be moving an inch. Now that he thought about it, the snow had stopped falling as well. The atmosphere was frozen over and tense. It felt as though the whole world were holding its breath. I guess this really is the moment that the world was waiting for. However, he didn't know what it was waiting for in particular. He didn't know what would happen, or what would become clear, once they reached the Saint's Apostle, either. In fact, he didn't even have proof that they'd be able to find out where the Saint really was. Even so, he kept on running. Eventually, as he closed in on the figure's back, he called out to it. \"Butcher!\" \"Why, if it isn't Mr. Dim-Witted Servant, Madam Elisabeth, and Ms. Lovely Maid! And the rest of you fine people, you're all here!\" The Butcher did a little hop. His reply was no different from normal, as though he'd been out on a stroll and had just happened to bump into them. It was not a response anyone had expected. Perplexed, Kaito came to a stop. Everyone else did the same. Hina's expression was just as confused as his, and Lute scrunched up his snout and made no efforts to hide his wariness. Elisabeth frowned in displeasure. Jeanne, bringing up the rear, wore a serene expression on her face. Not looking at the Butcher, her gaze was solidly fixed on the woman she was cradling in her arms. It was Izabella, with more than 70 percent of her body supplemented with machine parts. She was adrift in a defenseless slumber. The way Jeanne was carrying Izabella reminded Kaito of a statue from his old world called the Piet\u00c3 that he'd once caught a glimpse of on television. As the Butcher looked at her, he let out a surprised cry. \"Ah, so that's what you chose! Goodness gracious, what a surprise! I had a hunch, somehow or other, yet it's a surprise all the same!\" \"You little...\" \"Humans really are intriguing creatures, I must say. They have wisdom surpassing any beast, yet at times they find themselves driven by their emotions despite knowing full well how illogical they're being. I can't say I hate that contradiction, mind you!\" \"You knew this was gonna happen, just like the Grave Keeper did, then?\" Kaito's voice was full of quiet rage, indicating his revulsion and fury at having been toyed with by the two of them. However, the Butcher's demeanor didn't change. His response was clear and prompt. \"Oh no, I just heard bits and pieces of information from my little whelp. So I figured, this is what would happen if the golden, Deus Ex Machina\u00e2\u20ac\u201cwielding Torture Princess butted heads with the Grave Keeper, that's all. She was quite the devout believer, after all, and she had a rather solid head on her shoulders. But, me oh my, I'm just glad that that delightful woman is all right!\" \"You don't get to say that!\" \"I'm being entirely sincere! Back when I was trapped in the Gibbet, she was kind enough to show me concern. Wishing death on her was the furthest thing from my mind!\" \"Skip the nonsense, Butcher.\" A cold voice interrupted Kaito and the Butcher's exchange. Slipping adroitly through the group's ranks, Elisabeth took her place at its head. She then went on, marking the Butcher as an enemy with her gaze. \"You referred to yourself as the enemy of the world. And even had you not, this entire affair began when you sold Vlad that demon meat. Was"}, {"text": "this nonsense about restructuring your desire as well? Every creature in this world may well die thanks to you. So you can skip the nonsensical rejoicing over a single woman's survival.\" \"Hmm, I must say, calling it my 'desire' is really quite off the mark. But I suppose you are right.\" \"Yet, at the same time, you invited us here. To what end?\" The Butcher offered no answer. Instead, he began thinking to himself and turning about idly in place. As he did, his usual cross-marked sack dangled from his shoulder. Then he began humming a strange tune. \"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho, my meats are the finest meats around! Filled with love and bravery, they'll never let you down! Eat them and your courage will increase one millionfold! As always, I'm your friendly neighborhood Butcher! Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!\" *** Kaito shuddered in spite of himself. The Butcher was acting the same as always. Given their current situation, only madness could account for that. And at the same time, a sort of melancholy struck him as well. It was the kind of pathos one would feel toward a clown atop a stage, the kind of pity one felt toward those who had no choice but to play the part of the comic. Could it be that none of us has ever known the Butcher for who he really is? \"To the contrary, Mr. Dim-Witted Servant!\" Kaito's gaze had apparently been enough to convey his sentiment, as the Butcher hopped up and down in protest. When he finally landed, he thrust his finger straight toward Kaito. \"I'm overfond of tall tales, it's true, but never once have I told a lie! Thank you very much! Okay, well, there's a small chance that I might have exaggerated a bit from time to time, and I might have told a lie here and there, but... Ahem. But the kind, adorable, lovable Butcher you've all come to know and love is the real deal! It merely...wasn't all there was to me.\" \"Truth, lies, they make little difference. The point where such things mattered has long since passed.\" Elisabeth offered no reaction to the gloomier words the Butcher had ended his speech with. She stepped forward, as though to demonstrate how fed up she was. Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal glittered in her hand. \"Now, I've but one question for you. Where is the Saint?\" With each step she took forward, the Butcher took one back. The heel of his foot struck a hard, frozen snowflake. It slid backward a smidgen, then was soundlessly swallowed up by the darkness. The Butcher had nowhere left to run. Elisabeth thrust Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal toward him, then continued pressing him for answers. \"Talk. We've come to kill her. All the way here to the World's End.\" \"And how well you've done to make it here. Ah, the efficiency of your questions...how very like you, Madam Elisabeth.\" \"You'd do well to understand this, Butcher: The time for buffoonery is over.\" Elisabeth's calm retort shut the Butcher down. His glib remarks came to a complete stop. Tilting his head a smidgen to the side, the Butcher let out a docile murmur. \"...It's over, is it?\" \"We are those who know what goes on behind the stage. Never again can we return to the audience. Not even you would keep performing to no end, I suspect. Isn't it about time to put an end to this farce?\" Elisabeth laid out her question dispassionately. But deep in her voice was a faint hint of sympathy, a fact that caused Kaito no small amount of shock. Hearing Elisabeth show sentiment toward an enemy was a rarity among rarities. Maybe...maybe Elisabeth appreciates where he's coming from. Like a faithful jester, the Butcher had continued playing out his role. But perhaps he wasn't the only one who'd chosen to become something instead of just being someone. As he stood before the Torture Princess, the Butcher gently scratched his chin. \"I see, I see. Time to close up shop, is it? Yes, well, I suppose it is.\" \"It is, isn't it? And in following, enough playing around. Tell us what your duty was.\" \"In that case, allow me to start by sharing a serious little anecdote with you.\" \"Very well. Speak.\" Still training her sword on him, Elisabeth jerked her chin. The Butcher nodded, then gave a bow. Then, as though he were laying his heart bare, he began narrating. \"Did you know, Madam Elisabeth? Fairy tales are always born from the smallest of things.\" \"More of your tall tales, even now?\" \"Destiny is much the same way, you see... The very shortest of memories can come to define a man's whole life.\" Although his story seemed to have little to do with their current situation, the Butcher persisted in telling it. Serious to the last, he spoke his truth. His voice sounded strangely old and hoarse, and his tone was firm and inflexible. Although he should have already known it, Kaito realized something all over again. The Butcher is the Saint's Apostle. In other words, he'd been alive since before the world had even finished forming. In a sense, he was literally the oldest person in existence. He'd lived for far too long for the word lifetime to even begin to cover it. In spite of that, though, the age of the memory he was laying out hadn't worn it away in the slightest. \"Madam Elisabeth, do you have memories of your mother?\" Elisabeth replied with silence. Kaito suddenly thought back on the facts he knew. Elisabeth's parents had died in an \"unfortunate accident.\" Right before it, though, there had been sightings of a massive black dog. The Butcher peeked around behind Elisabeth. His gaze landed on Kaito and Hina. \"Mr. Dim-Witted Servant and Ms. Lovely Maid, what about...? No, I suppose not. My apologies. Whether or not one has such memories varies from person to person. It's neither a good thing nor a bad one. But I...I have them. Not that she could truly be called my mother, that is.\" \"You mean...?\" \"The moment I attained consciousness in her arms, the very first things I saw... Over the course of my long, long life, not once have I ever forgotten that memory. Not once could I forget that memory.\" The Butcher's voice was calm and quiet. Kaito sucked in his breath. The person who created him was the Saint. When he spoke about her, his tone remained light, but his voice grew weighty. Contained within it were hatred; grief; a vast, untarnished amount of love; and a frightening amount of passion and emotion. The scant few decades of a human's life could never even come close to attaining such sentiment, nor were they sufficient in understanding such a feeling. The only thing capable of swallowing up the Butcher's emotions was the crystal-clear air. At long last, Kaito realized something\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhy the snow had stopped and why the wind wasn't blowing. The world is waiting for the Apostle to tell his story. \"In the end, I was but a single seed of evil. A pawn without even a name to his name. And I've understood that fact for a long, long time.\" The Butcher took a deep breath, then exhaled. He clutched at his tattered clothes. Then he went on, forcing the words out of his throat. \"But I saw that smile... I saw that smile.\" Just what was he saying about that expression he'd seen? He spoke with alarming speed as he elaborated on his answer. \"It was the smile of one who had, for the first time, obtained a companion in a desolate, lonely world. It was the desperate smile of one whose absolute solitude had been broken. In that moment, she greeted me with unmistakable love. That smile was more than enough to prove that to me. And...through her tears, she spoke...\" Then, just for a moment, the Butcher trailed off. When he spoke again, it was in a voice steeped with nostalgia for a time long gone by, or perhaps one filled with the exhaustion of countless ages. \"'Thank you for being born unto me,' she said. That was all. And that was enough.\" In his entire monologue, not once had he explained why he'd sold the demon meat. At the same time, though, it was more than sufficient as a confession of motive. Because he'd heard those words, the Butcher had carried out the Saint's mad wish. Despite knowing that it would destroy the world, he had taken the demon meat, and he had sold it. Kaito narrowed his eyes. The Saint's words to the Butcher had been a blessing, one filled with joy and gratitude. At the end of the day, though, he'd spent his whole life bound by them, and they'd turned him into the entire world's enemy. In that sense, weren't they more like a curse, then? Kaito was about to say as much aloud, but he stopped himself. The Butcher didn't need to be told that. He knew. Yet, even so, those few words of hers had given his whole life meaning. If they hadn't, he would have stopped walking down this path long ago. He had ascended past the point where regrets were still relevant. Suddenly, the Butcher took a small breath. Then he set down the white bag on his back. When he did, it made a small sound. Having cast aside the goods he'd carried around for so long, he spoke in a whimsical voice. \"I had fun, Madam Elisabeth, Mr. Dim-Witted Servant, Ms. Lovely Maid, really, truly, and deeply. The living cannot live without finding enjoyment in their days. And when I watched you all fight back, my, how radiant you looked. Yet... Yet, knowing full well how mad it is, there is a request I need to fulfill.\" For that shall be the evidence of my existence, the sole proof of my love for her. As Kaito listened to the Butcher's cryptic declaration, a certain quote resounded within his chest. It's a nonsensical little fairy tale, and one that's gone on for a very, very long time. Was the story a tragedy or a comedy? Kaito and the others had no way of knowing. And how is the Butcher planning on bringing it to an end? What was the mad request he was trying to fulfill? Elisabeth shifted her sword vertically a hair. She asked her next question in a voice fully devoid of emotion. \"So? Where is this dear Saint of yours?\" \"Madam Elisabeth, it brought me such joy when you saw fit to voice how delicious something was. Mr. Dim-Witted Servant... No, Mr. Kaito. The fact that you, a mere human, made it this far on conviction alone is something to be proud of. Ms. Lovely Maid...Ms. Hina. Thank you for preparing my meats so exquisitely. And congratulations on your wedding.\" The Butcher's voice was light as he obstinately ignored Elisabeth's question. Her irritation was about to show on her face, but at the last moment, the corners of Elisabeth's mouth froze. Kaito and Hina rapidly went pale as well. Lute looked around restlessly. Jeanne offered no response. Of all the people present, those who knew the Butcher well were the only ones who realized. Kaito and Hina took off at a dash. Elisabeth reached out with her sword-free hand. \"Butcher, no!\" \"The time has come to close up shop. This marks my final task as a merchant: delivering meat.\" The Butcher didn't, in fact, stop, instead taking off at a dash himself. The way he ran wasn't forward but backward. Yet, nothing lay there except darkness. \"I said so, did I not? The fairy tale must come to an end.\" Kaito's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. Just as he'd thought, the last thing the Butcher had said had been his final testament. \"Tch!\" Elisabeth snapped her fingers. Having seen that her arm wouldn't reach far enough, she summoned forth a vortex of crimson"}, {"text": "petals and darkness from the air. Her aim was unsteady, perhaps due to her agitation. However, the chains just barely managed to wrap around the Butcher's arm. Kaito breathed a sigh of relief. The next moment, though, blood billowed forth. \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"And finally, thank you so much for your many years of patronage.\" The Butcher's clawed left arm remained bound by the chains. It, and it alone, dangled in the air. The Butcher had drawn a knife from the many folds of his cloak, then severed his own arm. His body fell, as though it were being sucked in. Ribbons of blood followed him down as the abyss consumed him. In the end, all that remained was that one arm. Elisabeth stopped at the edge of the cliff. Hina came to an abrupt halt, too. Kaito, on the other hand, didn't. His momentum practically carried him over and into the abyss. Then, with his arm still outstretched, he got ready to leap into the vast darkness. Elisabeth and Hina frantically wrapped their arms around him. They nearly ended up slipping as well, but the two of them narrowly managed to maintain their footing. They both cried out in unison. \"Get back, you dullard!\" \"Master Kaito, please step back!\" \"...This isn't right.\" The words tumbled from Kaito's mouth. As he scooted backward little by little, he tried to get his jumbled thoughts in order. Not even he knew what he was trying to say. He didn't know what it was he found so wrong, so abhorrent. But then, all of a sudden, he realized what it was that was filling him with such sorrow and vexation. \"Thank you for being born unto me,\" she said. No doubt it had been a happy, joyful thing. Until he met Hina, Kaito had never had anyone tell him that, either. But in the end, the Butcher had died imprisoned by his role as a seed of evil. He'd abandoned everything he'd enjoyed, canceled out all the memories he'd collected, and swallowed up the pain of cutting away the feelings of those who'd shouted at him not to die as well as his own arm. Could the words that had bound him really be described as love? Hadn't the Butcher just died after being used up without ever truly being loved by a parent? He hadn't even been able to live for his own sake. And the Butcher would never get another chance at life. \"This isn't right, goddammit!\" Kaito screamed from the depths of his soul. Tears began spilling out from the corners of his eyes. No matter how many times he'd lost his humanity, no matter how many times he'd tasted the pain of death, Kaito hadn't shed a single tear. But for the Butcher's sake, he cried. He let out animalistic wails. But he received no response. Hina gently stroked his back. Elisabeth said nothing. She merely snapped her fingers. The silver chain transformed into petals, then vanished. The Butcher's arm descended, accompanied by crimson. When it did, Kaito felt a faint pressure in his eardrums. He looked up with a start. Then he heard it. *** A roar reverberated up from the depths of the pit, one that tore the heavens and cracked the earth. The World's End quaked at the terrible cry. Following the vibration of the atmosphere, cracks began running along the surface of the ice. Spiderweb-like white patterns began polluting the silvery ground. As they did, the darkness of the abyss inverted. Something ominous was glowing at the bottom. Upon seeing it, Kaito was struck speechless. A massive golden eyeball was floating amid the blackness. And it was staring straight at Kaito and the others. They were peering into the abyss, and it was gazing back at them. Eventually, Kaito realized just what it was he was looking at. There's a monster down at the bottom. It was a colossal creature, one that defied all reason and providence. The monster then shifted its body, and its eye disappeared from sight. In its place, a giant jaw jutted up from the pit. As it did, Kaito understood what meat the Butcher had meant to deliver and to whom. When he fell, he wasn't carrying his bag. In other words, the Butcher himself was the meat. The Butcher had delivered his own flesh to the gigantic, presumably draconic creature. \"It awakened by consuming the Apostle? What in the blazes is it?\" Elisabeth murmured, her voice low. As she did, a massive pair of wings extended up from the pit to the sky. They were like massive, fleshy flower buds reaching for the heavens. Then, like a flower blooming, the wings unfurled. Rejecting all constraints of gravity and volume, the dragon softly flapped them and took off into the sky. When it did, its entire monstrous body came into view. Compared to its wings and body, its limbs were comparatively stubby. It also had no scales, which was unusual for a dragon. Its pale, pinkish flesh was fully exposed. Between that and its round shape, it called a human fetus to mind. The thin red membrane swimming in the air behind its neck made it look like it was on fire. Jeanne narrowed her eyes. As she regarded the strange dragon, she said in almost a whisper: \"Why, if it isn't the Legend Dragon, the supreme flesh drake... According to the literature, the male was hunted by a group spearheaded by the merchant of legend. That must be the female, then. Who'da thunk it'd survived by staying out here. Now, this, this is a fairy tale.\" \"Man... Looks like those tall tales of yours were true after all.\" Kaito muttered in disbelief. He thought back to all the stories the Butcher had told seemingly half in jest. One of those stories had been about the battle against the Legend Dragon. Although he'd dressed them up as tall tales, the Butcher had shared no small number of his memories with them. At that moment, though, harsh winds began to blow and knocked Kaito out of his reverie. The Legend Dragon had begun softly bending her crooked wings again. In open defiance of her own mass, she was floating gently in the air like a balloon. She cast a vast shadow atop the icy ground as she drifted. The way she did made her look almost like a floating island. It made for a grand spectacle, one that surpassed the realm of human comprehension. The way her reddish flesh pulsated also made it look as though she were the beating heart of the very world. Kaito found himself once more in the harsh grip of bewilderment. What reason did the Butcher have to want to wake up the Legend Dragon? He probably was planning to have the Legend Dragon destroy the world, and in doing so spur on the restructuring. Massive as she was, though, she was as docile as a whale. She showed no signs of wanting to attack her surroundings. And considering their descriptor, the reason the merchants had hunted down the male probably hadn't been to exterminate a threat but to harvest his flesh. And the Legend Dragon just kept drifting along. Then she slowly began turning her massive body over. Eventually, her chest entered Kaito's frame of vision. \"Wh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" As it did, he let out a dumbfounded noise. He finally understood why the Butcher had woken her up. A hard crystal had been forcibly embedded in her soft flesh. And in the Legend Dragon's chest, encased in the red crystal, something was sleeping. A naked woman was floating within. She looked as though she'd been buried within a coffin suspended in midair. She was horribly defenseless, frozen upside down and submerged naked in the bloodred liquid. Its red crisply offset her white skin. Hina held down her hair, which was being blown about by the wind. She blinked and whispered in puzzlement: \"Is that...the Saint?\" \"Man... I guess it makes sense why no one could find her.\" With that, Kaito nodded. The Saint had been hidden away in the belly of a sleeping dragon at the bottom of an abyss in a pit at the World's End. There was no way any ordinary search party could have turned her up. Kaito had no words; he merely looked up at the drifting dragon. The stone in his pocket containing Vlad squirmed, but he ignored it. He didn't have time to worry about Vlad right now. The Saint they'd been seeking was floating right before their eyes. However, Kaito didn't have the first clue as to what to do. So what are we supposed to do with her? The being before them was simply too far removed from mankind's sense of scale. Kaito gazed up at the shadow-casting giant and the woman lodged in its chest in bewilderment. And the Legend Dragon continued to drift. However, it was then that the calm, peaceful atmosphere came to a violent end. A low, merciless voice rang out. \"Reenactment of the Plain of Skewers: Impaled Victim.\" Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab! Innumerable crimson petals scattered through the air, and countless stakes fired out from them. The silence was shattered, and blood flew through the air. Easily over a thousand iron stakes had buried themselves in the Legend Dragon's body. The air violently trembled. Kaito was certain that the Legend Dragon had let out a scream, but he couldn't hear it. It must have been at a frequency that human ears were unable to perceive. The Legend Dragon contorted her body through the air in anguish. Stakes fell out from her trembling flesh in succession. They roared through the sky as they toppled to the ground and pierced the frozen earth. At the same time, massive amounts of blood gushed forth from the Legend Dragon's wounds. The fresh blood pooled wide atop the ground like a lake. However, a few of the humongous drops twitched, then halted in the air. Several orbs of blood hovered in place. \"Huh?\" \"Hmph.\" The next moment, the bloody spheres shot toward Elisabeth. The path was narrow\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe had nowhere to run. At this rate, Kaito and the others would get taken down as well. But Elisabeth was the very image of composure. As she swung Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal, darkness and crimson flower petals spread out over the chasm. When they vanished, they left behind a web of chains that covered the hole. Elisabeth cracked her neck in displeasure. \"I first thought of this as I watched the Butcher fall. I must say, I'm disappointed it didn't occur to me sooner. Ho!\" Elisabeth took an acrobatic leap and landed atop the chains. Then, despite her high heels, she effortlessly dashed across their delicate iron loops. Seemingly uninterested in harming anyone except their foe, the dragon's bloody spheres took off in pursuit. The countless crimson orbs snapped at her heels like a pack of beasts. Elisabeth weaved a graceful, nimble dance atop the chains. As they grazed her afterimages, the blood pellets fell down. When they came into contact with the chains, they burst into steam and then vanished into the pit. The Legend Dragon lurched unsteadily as she let out a groan. Many of the stakes were still embedded in her flesh. In her current state, she was nothing more than a target. Kaito thought back on the story he'd just been told. The male Legend Dragon was once hunted down by a group of merchants. If that was the case, then there was no reason why the Torture Princess shouldn't be able to kill the female. Grabbing a chain, Elisabeth hoisted herself upside down. After avoiding the blood that had been aiming for her foot, she arched her back and made a soft landing. Then she mercilessly snapped her fingers once more. \"Arachnophobia.\" A new swirl of crimson and black appeared high in the sky. Two iron claws shot out of it. Then, like the hands of"}, {"text": "a long-fingernailed woman, they each split into four and reached for the Legend Dragon. When they did, they snatched her massive wings up by their bases, much like an innocent child would to a small animal. Their pointed tips dug into her draconic flesh as they lifted her high into the air. Another violent tremor ran through the air, the echoes of an inaudible scream. Blood gushed forth and melted the icy ground. The claws froze in the air, almost as though they'd heard the scream. They were finished moving. But the Legend Dragon's weight caused her to begin sagging. Each time she did, her wings tore from their bases where the claws remained lodged. She gradually started falling faster and faster. Then the Legend Dragon fell, her wings shredded to pieces. When her fleshy body impacted the ground, its weight caused the earth to quake. Tremors ran through the World's End. This, of course, caused the skinny path Kaito and the others were standing atop to shake. If not for the fact that they'd immediately grabbed on to the chains stretched out atop it, they very well could have toppled into the abyss. Lute collapsed onto the chains, then frantically crawled back to the path. Kaito broke out in a cold sweat and wiped it away with his fist. \"Looks...looks like we made it.\" \"'Twill only get worse from here, fool! Make haste!\" Elisabeth's angry voice rose up to meet him. Kaito blinked in astonishment. As he did, he heard a faint popping noise. A chill ran down his spine before he even understood what it signified. The next moment, he discovered that his ominous premonition had been on the mark. Fatal cracks had begun loudly winding across their narrow walkway. Kaito looked up in shock. At some point, Elisabeth had finished making her way across the chains and had reached the side of the cliff opposite them. She was waving her arms atop the solid ground and shouting. \"Hurry! At this rate, you'll be caught up when it collapses!\" \"Oh, now you tell me all of a sudden!\" \"It was hardly sudden, mister. That much weight comes crashin' down, even you should be able to put two and two together.\" \"Pardon me, my beloved Master Kaito! But I have no intentions of giving you up to that abyss!\" Jeanne was cradling Izabella in her arms and had already begun running. Kaito, on the other hand, had gotten a late start, so Hina scooped him up. That moment, the ground at her feet shattered. As she carried him bridal-style, Kaito turned to look behind them. The path had started to crumble. The ice sounded like a mirror as it shattered. The fragments glittered as they descended into the darkness. Kaito succumbed to his primal fear and gulped. Hina shot forward, accelerating like a bullet. Lute had originally been behind her, which meant that he was now in front as they ran for dear life. However, due to the weight of his winter gear, his footsteps were sluggish. Hina caught up with him in the blink of an eye. After thinking for a moment, she shifted Kaito to under her arm. \"Master Kaito, this may be somewhat uncomfortable, but I ask that you bear with me! And, Mr. Lute, pardon me!\" \"Oh my!\" Hina reached her free arm out and snatched Lute up by his burly back. Surprised by her strength, Lute let out a little yelp. Then he reflexively flattened his ears and tucked in his tail. The walkway continued loudly crumbling. If they slowed down even a little, the abyss would swallow them up. \"Ha!\" Hina kicked off hard against the ground. The hem of her maid uniform flared out, and the glimmering ice beneath her feet shattered. She skidded as she landed, scattering snowflakes in her wake. The two adult men in her arms screamed. However, their screams were drowned out by a loud clattering noise. Kaito and Lute cautiously looked backward. The thin path between the two crevices had vanished without a trace. Now that the obstruction was gone, the two ravines had joined together like a single vast river. Beyond it was the pit with the chains stretched over the parts of it still visible. Lute shook his entire body, and the fur on his cheeks stood up straight. \"Th-that was a rather close shave... To think that Ms. Hina would end up having to carry me. Good gracious, how embarrassing. I do thank you, though. Never shall I forget this debt I owe you.\" \"Th-thanks, Hina... Seems like you're always saving my ass, doesn't it? Now...\" Kaito stared hard, trying to make out what was happening on the other side of the pit. The Legend Dragon was over there, writhing in a lake of her own blood. Eventually, the fierce convulsions running through her body stopped. The red gem in her chest continued glowing unabated. The pale woman was still sleeping inside, like an insect trapped in amber. In a daze, Kaito thought back to what Jeanne had once told him. \"Our salvation lies in murdering Diablo, murdering God, and, yes, murdering a human.\" \"Is it...is it time?\" For now, the Saint had fallen to a place where they could kill her. As he stood atop the World's End, Kaito Sena thought to himself. The end was finally upon them. All they had to do was kill the Saint, just like they'd originally planned. Ever since he'd heard the Butcher's lonely soliloquy, every positive thought he'd had about the Saint had vanished. The very fact that the person who'd destroyed the world and built it anew still lived was unnatural. Now, mankind would lose the Saint, and the world would avoid destruction. And they would all live happily ever after. The fairy tale would finally end. Will it, though? \"Now, then, I aim to proceed! Feel free to stay there, you lot; you'd be hindrances at best!\" \"Please wait. I, too, shall come... Or rather, allow me to join you, Torture Princess!\" Elisabeth called out from the opposite cliffside, and Jeanne replied. Despite her expressionless visage, though, she seemed troubled as she cast her gaze down at the woman in her arms. Izabella was sleeping like a baby. Jeanne gently stroked her mostly metal cheek. Then she whispered quietly. \"My dear little lady.\" Then, lifting her head, Jeanne looked at Lute. He'd gotten down from Hina's arm and was currently sitting cross-legged on the ground. Jeanne slowly approached him. He quickly stood up, his fur standing on end to illustrate his wariness. Jeanne stopped directly in front of him, then quietly held out Izabella. Lute seemed bewildered. However, his fur settled down, and he took Izabella from her. Jeanne softly brushed Izabella's silver hair from her face. Then she gave Lute her quiet request. \"Of the three of you, your arms seem the thickest and most comfortable, mister. I leave her in your hands. Please do not let her go. She is very precious to me. Not that she herself knows, mind you. Hell, she'd probably find it a bother! But hey, that's first love for ya, am I right?\" \"Precious...you say. I understand. Then on my name as Lute, I shall protect her to the last! Hmm?\" Being a devoted husband himself, Lute must have been moved by Jeanne's words. His ears and tail sprang up as he acquiesced. At the very end, though, it seemed like he remembered the fact that Jeanne had severely wounded him not long ago. Lute hmmed to himself and scrunched up his snout. As he did, Jeanne faced him and bowed deeply. \"You have my sincere thanks.\" Kaito and Hina felt a slight shock. It was the first time they'd ever seen the golden Torture Princess act so admirably. Lute's voice got caught in his throat for a moment before he replied with a docile nod. \"Think nothing of it. I may bear resentment toward you, but that has nothing to do with Madam Izabella. And grudge or not, I can hardly forsake another's beloved. If you would entrust her to me, then I will see to it that she remains safe.\" \"Again, you have my gratitude. Thanks a million, li'l pupper.\" \"Learn when to stop talking, will you?!\" As Lute shouted angrily at her, Jeanne turned around and broke into a run. Hurrying toward Elisabeth, she dashed alongside the rim of the hole. Her radiant honey-blond splendor gradually grew distant. Kaito remained where he stood. If he went, he'd probably just be in the way. All that was left was for the two of them to lower the curtain. The Kaiser was silent, seemingly having lost interest in the way things were proceeding. The stone in Kaito's pocket was flaring up as usual, but now wasn't a great time to have a conversation with Vlad. Kaito's gaze was fixed firmly on the woman within the red jewel. She was still far away, but thanks to the Legend Dragon's collapse, she was now a good deal closer. She looked utterly defenseless. All they had to do was kill her, and the nightmarish turmoil regarding the world's restructuring would finally come to an end. Will it, though? However, doubt still welled up unbidden in Kaito's mind. All of a sudden, he noticed that his heart was palpitating strangely. Sweat was dripping from his entire body. Discomfited, he lost track of his thoughts. Then he pressed down against his forehead. \"Master Kaito? My dear Master Kaito, whatever is the matter? Your face is ever so pale.\" \"No, no... I'm fine. It's nothing... I think it's nothing.\" Hina worriedly stroked his brow. As he felt the soft sensation of her fingertips, Kaito replied. Deep in his mind, though, his childish self was asking his rational self an innocent question. Will it really, really, really, though? No, you're right. Something's off. But what? Kaito couldn't really put his finger on it. But his discomfort raged on, beating incessantly against the inside of his skull. He found himself lost in the strange sensation. It wasn't that he wanted to stop them from killing the Saint. At the moment, it was the correct choice to make. But something was off. Will this really, really, really bring everything to a close? Do I really believe that? You're a big dumb-dumb! his inner child crowed. Think about it carefully, the rational part of his brain murmured. And now that he considered it, there were a number of questions that he and the others had more or less ignored. Why did the Grave Keeper bring Izabella to us like that? Why did she give Elisabeth her blessings, then offer no resistance and practically kill herself off? Why did the Butcher invite us here? Why did he specifically wait for us to arrive before waking up the Legend Dragon? Then, upon noticing another fact he'd overlooked, Kaito went pale. The various races had each received a letter, and in the letter had been a certain phrase. \"The beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. If you wish to reject those words, make for the World's End.\" But we were the only ones the Butcher didn't send it to. Perhaps that fact signified something truly terrible. And at the same time, a question he had failed to consider up until then crossed Kaito's mind. The Butcher had claimed that the whole uproar about restructuring hadn't been his desire. The Apostle and the fanatics had simply been trying to grant the Saint's wish. But had anyone ever said that the restructuring itself was what the Saint had been wishing for? That fundamental problem now pierced through Kaito's brain. He frantically dug through his memories. That's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit was the Grave Keeper! She'd said that \"God and the Saint have been seeking this restructuring for many ages.\" But was the restructuring itself really her true desire? Wasn't it also a possibility that the reconstructing"}, {"text": "was simply a natural part of the process involved in granting her true wish? If that was the case, though, then what did the Saint actually wish for? \"Ah!\" At that moment, Kaito's thoughts were forcefully interrupted. An incredible amount of heat was coming off the stone in his pocket. He was about to click his tongue in annoyance, but then he realized something. Vlad's never been this insistent about wanting to come out before. So what could it be that Vlad wanted to tell him? Kaito hurriedly ran mana through the stone. Azure petals and black darkness fluttered up through the air. When they vanished, they left behind a man in aristocratic attire. Unlike usual, he didn't move to strike a dramatic pose. Vlad's limbs dangled loose as he turned to face Kaito. Upon getting a look at Vlad's crimson eyes, Kaito gulped. Fierce madness and burning thoughts were swirling within Vlad's gaze. \"...Why?\" \"Um...\" \"Why did you so obstinately refuse to let me out until now, my dear successor?\" \"M-my bad. I had no idea you actually had something you wanted to tell me.\" \"Well, what's done is done. And perhaps it's fine. I've yet to get all my thoughts in order.\" Vlad ignored Kaito's apology and began mumbling to himself. He clutched at his raven locks like a man possessed. As he ruined his normally impeccable hairdo, he started laying out his thoughts. \"If one is lost, they need but retrace their steps. Where did the malaise originate? Right, from the Grave Keeper's words and deeds. It seems that we've all been dancing atop the Saint's palm. Since when, though? The golden Torture Princess was created to stave off the restructuring. Was that part of her design? Or was it not?\" Another chill ran down Kaito's spine. That wasn't something he had even considered. There were those who'd worked to bring about the restructuring and those who'd worked to prevent it. What had the Saint thought of each of the groups? \"When the alchemists created their golden Torture Princess, they were aware of the black Torture Princess and used her as a reference. However, there was no need for there to be two of them. The alchemists could just as easily have gone to the ebony Torture Princess and sought out her aid. They hadn't expected her to exist, and they chose not to rely on her. They had their pride, after all; it was the sole end their clan had been living toward. Instead, they tried to have their golden Torture Princess take the black Torture Princess on as a follower, and in doing so make it so their creation was the primary force to prevent the restructuring. But what if, say, she anticipated their pride?\" \"If the Saint predicted that another Torture Princess would be created... Then what?\" \"Then there would be 'two.' The Grave Keeper even said it! What we need to pay attention to is the resulting number!\" Vlad shouted like a madman. Hina reacted to his menacing demeanor by positioning herself in front of Kaito. Kaito, shocked, ruminated on what the Grave Keeper had told him. \"The fact that the whelp served as a guide was proof. The fact that he sought 'two' was proof.\" \"In the end, those who sought to prevent the restructuring and those who sought to bring it about arrived at the same method\u00e2\u20ac\u201d'finding the Saint.' And the Butcher said that the black Torture Princess's resistance was unexpected. Up until she arrived, he probably was simply aiming for the world's restructuring. But if his objective changed upon the arrival of the black Torture Princess and the creation of the golden Torture Princess that accompanied it, if it took on a form closer to that of the Saint's true desire... Oh, oh, that's it!\" \"What is?\" \"The 'significance of the two.'\" Vlad's eyes widened, and his words served as the trigger that set Kaito's thoughts into overdrive. Why had the Butcher, and the Saint, needed two people? What was the meaning behind that number? What will happen when she assembles those two unbelievably powerful women? What will she be able to do? Kaito spun around. Elisabeth and Jeanne had just reached the crystal. The two of them smoothly raised their arms, and gold and crimson flower petals began swirling. As he gazed at their elegant backs, Vlad spoke in a hoarse voice. \"The two Torture Princesses. God and Diablo.\" Kaito didn't fully understand what those words signified, but their ominous nature was all too clear. Vlad's murmur had an almost prophetic ring to it. Dull as he was, Kaito could understand that much. Something irreparably wrong was happening, here and now. And once it occurred, it could never be undone. It was something he had to stop at all costs. \"Stop, stop, run, get away from there! Elisabeeeeeeeeth!\" Kaito screamed, driven by impulse alone. His voice tore violently through the still, quiet air. Elisabeth's black hair fluttered as she turned. Her beautiful crimson eyes landed on Kaito. Her expression was annoyed, confused, and a little bit listless. It was the same face as it had always been, yet, for some reason, it seared itself into Kaito's eyes. And then, suddenly, something grabbed her wrist from behind. Kaito was sure of what he'd seen. Two white arms had extended out from the red crystal. Fingers so pale that they seemed almost dead wrapped tightly around the ebony and golden Torture Princesses' wrists. Elisabeth's and Jeanne's eyes opened wide. At some point, the surface of the crystal had turned soft and blurry and begun vibrating. After the arms came out, they were followed by a head. The woman slid out from within the crystal as though it were birthing her. Then she toppled awkwardly to the ground. She shook her head, spraying red droplets around her. Kaito immediately realized: They were the tears that had been running down her cheeks. The Saint then lifted her head. The whisper that came from her lips had a strangely sweet echo to it, and it traveled like a wave, reaching all the way to Kaito. \"Ahhh...you've finally come.\" My new Saints. *** It was a declaration pregnant with unfathomable madness and a terrifying degree of volition. In the next instant, crimson and gold flower petals began pouring out from her palms. The two hues swallowed up the Torture Princesses. Elisabeth tried to summon a torture device, but petals rushed at her hands and lips, sealing them off. Jeanne's eyes began wandering. She was searching for Deus Ex Machina. Right now, though, it was serving as parts of Izabella's body. No longer could it come to its master's aid. \"I see. This falls outside my expectations.\" As she murmured, Jeanne gave a faint laugh. Those proved to be her final words. The crimson and gold petals completely engulfed the two Torture Princesses. Even so, the naked woman refused to release their wrists. Red, capillary-vessel-like tubes tore as she wrenched even the tips of her toes free from the crystal. Now fully free, she looked up and parted her lips. Her rows of startlingly white, well-formed teeth came into view. \"Ha-ha... Ah-ha-ha-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!\" The Saint began laughing uproariously. The sound of her mad laughs tore through the air. As he shuddered, Kaito got ready to level an attack at her. However, he stopped. He couldn't sense any power coming from the cackling woman. She's just...a normal woman. She had already transferred the things that had made her into the Suffering Saint. She'd transferred them into the two Torture Princesses. The next moment, Kaito heard a voice deep in his eardrum. Hina pressed down on her ears, and Lute gave a small yelp. It was being conveyed in every imaginable language, in the words of men, of demi-humans, of beastfolk, of animals, of fish, of bugs, even in languages from other worlds. It was transmitted to every living creature in a mysterious form they could all comprehend. The voice belonged to one who'd been sleeping far, far away, deep in the bowels beneath the Capital. \"Good morning.\" Kaito understood on instinct alone. Freed from its contractor's order, the first demon had vanished from its cradle. And when it had, it had transferred into the body of its new contractor: Elisabeth Le Fanu. 9 In the Midst of Demise His voice solemn, Vlad began speaking. It was no fairy tale. The entire situation had been a farce. \"It all began when the Butcher sold me the demon meat entrusted to him by the Saint.\" With that, the man responsible for part of the world's reconstruction had set the ball in motion. By eating the demon meat and collecting the pain of others, Vlad had been able to summon the Kaiser. Then he'd gathered up other people who wanted to summon demons and guided them on their ways. And the demon army fourteen strong had arisen. At that point, the Butcher's goal had simply been to have the mighty band of demons overrun the world, then to wake up the Saint once the world was in a state where she could wield the power of restructuring. The reason he'd picked Vlad was likely because Vlad had both the power and the inclination to unify the demons. But then someone had appeared, someone who opposed his dreadful plot. The woman who'd eaten demon meat, tortured her people, and obtained the power to fight back. The Torture Princess, peerless sinner that she was\u00e2\u20ac\u201dElisabeth Le Fanu. Under the orders of the Church, she had begun hunting the fourteen demons. After hearing that Vlad had been captured, the Butcher had made his way to Elisabeth's side, then taken stock of the situation. At around that time, another faction had made their play as well: the alchemist clan that had hidden themselves away long ago. Knowing that the first demon would appear, they devoted many generations to working toward preventing the world from being reconstructed. Upon seeing the fourteen demons run rampant, they realized that the time was upon them and used the ebony Torture Princess as a reference to create the golden one. However, the fact that their pride and obstinacy led them to entrust matters to their own masterpiece instead of giving the raven-haired Torture Princess their support proved to be a fatal blunder. Once the Butcher learned of the two Torture Princesses, he changed his plan in order to take advantage of the alchemists' goal and use it against them. After inviting the Torture Princesses to the World's End, he sacrificed himself to bring them face-to-face with the Saint. The Grave Keeper, having sensed the Apostle's plan, got to work as well, and the two Torture Princesses were left with no way to avoid being captured. And then, finally, the Saint used them as exceptional vessels, transferring the contracts with God and Diablo she bored into their bodies. \"What, then, was the Saint's true wish?\" The Butcher had originally been following the Saint's orders and trying to bring about the world's restructuring. At the last minute, though, his objective changed into transferring the contracts binding the Saint over to them. But those contracts were too much for the Torture Princesses to withstand. Within the next ten days or so, the world wouldn't even be reconstructed; it would simply meet its demise. \"Given all that, we can deduce that the Saint's objective wasn't the restructuring itself. In all likelihood, she merely needed the world to sustain fatal damage from the demons before she could wield God's power. Only at the time of restructuring could she awaken with the ability to use both God's and Diablo's powers as she pleased. And that would also be the only time she could abandon their strength.\" If she abandoned her contracts during the restructuring, when the world was still a blank canvas, everything would undoubtedly perish. But in exchange, she would attain a brief moment of freedom. But by transferring her contracts to the Torture Princesses,"}, {"text": "she would stretch that moment out into nearly two weeks. In short, that was all there was to it. \"She cared little for her own survival, nor for the fate of the world. She merely wanted to set down her burden, even if but for a moment. There was nothing more to it, I'd wager.\" She intended to cast aside all the blame and responsibility she'd once shouldered. Back when she'd been carrying out the original restructuring atop the blank canvas of the world, loathing toward all of creation and fear of her own deathlessness must have swelled inside her and eventually turned into madness. That was why she'd set up a time bomb in the new world she'd created. \"The Butcher worked ceaselessly toward bringing about that promised day, deftly manipulating us all the while.\" While Vlad laid out his theory, Kaito didn't offer a single interjection. His head was nestled in Hina's lap, and the rest of his body was lying atop the solemn stone floor. They had already left the World's End. Now they were back at Elisabeth's castle. Hina, Lute, and Izabella were resting in the castle's owner's empty bedroom. Lute, still cradling Izabella in his arms, didn't stir. He seemed absentminded. The Kaiser had yet to show his form. Vlad was floating in front of the three of them. His legs were crossed gracefully, and he was silent, his lecture now complete. Kaito remained on his side, not saying anything. Beads of cold sweat were welling up on his forehead. His teeth were clenched tight as he tried to endure the waves of pain coursing through his body. Every few minutes, he lapsed into violent coughs and spat up blood. As Hina wiped the blood away so it wouldn't flow back into his trachea, she stroked his brow. \"Please, Master Kaito, get ahold of yourself. Oh, whatever am I to do...?\" \"Are you quite all right, my dear successor? Or did perhaps my explanation go to waste?\" \"...Don't worry...about that... I heard...it all\u00e2\u20ac\u201dGah!\" Kaito let out another pained cry. Hina helplessly mopped the sweat off his forehead. Kaito tried to suppress the pain gushing from within him so he could think Vlad's explanation over. As he did, another thought faintly drifted to the forefront of his mind. It was what he'd been thinking about as Jeanne wavered over her choice. Elisabeth, the black Torture Princess, showed no signs of bearing regrets, nor did she ever try to cast aside her sins. But what about Jeanne? If she did bear regrets, what would she be left with after the world was saved? If she won't have anything left, then... ...then at that point, what had she really even saved? This was no doubt an example of someone who'd erred in their choice, just like he'd said. The Saint had carried out restructuring while unable to cast aside her regrets. And because of that, she'd dragged the whole world in and crumbled it. No person could become the Suffering Saint out of a sense of duty and obligation alone. But... She doesn't deserve my sympathy. Screw sympathy, and screw her, goddammit! Spitting up another mouthful of blood, Kaito scratched at the stone floor. His fingernails split as he roared within his head. *** There was, of course, no way that his scathing, soundless scream could reach her. The World's End was distant. However, a different voice rose up as though in reply. The cliff-top castle was surrounded by trees and far from any human settlements. Yet, in spite of that, screams and laughter filled the air around it. However, it wasn't humans that the voices were coming from. The world outside had become a living hell. Demonic underlings laughed as they soared past the window. One monkey-like underling peeked inside. Kaito's eyes were still closed as he snapped his fingers. His blade swung precisely, cleaving off the underling's wings. It let out a loud scream as it began tumbling down. In the space of an instant, Kaito forgot all about it. Elisabeth... As he continued coughing up blood, his thoughts turned to the events that had just occurred. The gut-wrenching spectacle played out once more before his eyes. First, the petals engulfing Elisabeth and Jeanne all vanished. The two of them suddenly found themselves free. And at a glance, their bodies seemed the same as ever. Their faces contorted in confusion. Then, though, without warning, the horrible transformation began. \"...Rgh!\" \"What's the matter, miss? I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dOw!\" A single strand of dark-red blood had begun running down Elisabeth's shoulder, and the same had happened to Jeanne's arm. It was like they'd each been stabbed with a sharp needle. But no one had attacked them. Their skin had been impaled by something hard and pointy yet, at the same time, also soft from within. A black feather peeked out from Elisabeth's skin, and a white feather did the same from Jeanne's. It was immediately clear that something was wrong. After all, feathers had just sprouted from human flesh. \"This is...\" \"...Impossible.\" The two of them exchanged a glance. But they didn't have time to leisurely discuss the phenomenon assailing them. Accompanied by a loud popping noise, another feather protruded out from each of them. It was as though the two of them were down pillows, and their stuffing was bursting through their cloth. Feathers began tearing out from within them, one after another. Streaks of red blood once more made their way across the Torture Princesses' bodies. Kaito was struck with an ominous premonition. A moment later, that premonition came to pass. Pop! Pop! Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop! Pop! Just hearing it was enough to evoke the image of goose bumps rising up in succession. The patterns of erosion resembled vegetation budding. Feathers began sprouting from all over their bodies, like carelessly strewn seeds indiscriminately tearing apart the earth. They flew out from their cheeks, their backs, their eyes, their lips, and even their gums. Elisabeth's and Jeanne's bodies wordlessly writhed. They were clearly in incredible pain. In the blink of an eye, the two Torture Princesses had come to resemble newborn chicks. Elisabeth and Jeanne were being forcibly turned into something foreign. The moment that fact hit him, Kaito recovered from his state of shock. The same seemed to be true of Hina. Letting out loud cries, the two of them dashed forward. \"Elisabeth!\" \"Lady Elisabeth!\" \"Stay awaaaaaaaaaaaay!\" When they did, they were met with a bestial roar. As she rebuked them, Elisabeth coughed up blood. Kaito and Hina reflexively froze in place. The next moment, the countless feathers sprouting from the Torture Princesses extended with explosive force, each one of the black and white quills growing to massive proportions. Then the two sets merged together, and they formed a pair of contrasting wings. However, the wings slumped to the ground, unable to support their own weight. They writhed there grotesquely. Eventually, they gave up on trying to fly. Instead, the two damp wings pushed off against the ground like a set of arms. At their center, Elisabeth and Jeanne rose into the air. Then, supported by the inverted wings, they hung there, suspended. As they did, crimson and gold flower petals began gently descending. They spread out through the air, as though they had come to replace the no-longer-falling snow. As he gazed upon the cruelly beautiful spectacle, Kaito's eyes widened. The petals were pouring out from within the Torture Princesses' lips. Several of the thin red and gold sheets wound together, taking on the shape of full flowers and decorating Elisabeth and Jeanne. Then thorny briars wound around their bodies like snakes, binding their masters' bodies and refusing to let them go. Finally, the thorns wrapped around their heads like crowns. The two of them hung in the air, crucified. They looked almost noble. And at the same time, they looked like sinners, kings who lorded over all of creation. The Saint still hadn't stopped laughing. With her maddened fit as a backdrop, Kaito was reminded of what the Grave Keeper had said. \"Hallelujah.\" So this transformation's what she was alluding to? As he watched the changes the two Torture Princesses were going through, Kaito came to understand just how outstanding of a vessel the Saint had been. The fact that she'd been able to put Diablo to sleep, shelter God within her body, and still maintain her human form was nothing short of a miracle. In truth, her ability to keep the two of them from running amok was a feat so impressive, no words could do it justice. But now, she'd given up on doing so, and the result was the scene before them. Whether he wanted to or not, Kaito immediately understood. What he was looking at was calamity incarnate. Those two pillars of black and crimson, white and gold, would bring about an end to everything. There's no way... The world can't just be ending before my eyes...can it? For the first time in over a decade, Kaito was struck by an urge to scream and cry at his own powerlessness. The despair of it all made him want to just topple to his knees, tremble, and start wailing. Terror that no living creature could overcome seized him and refused to let go. But Kaito gritted his teeth and forced down all those emotions. He took a step forward. When he did, Hina called out in a panic. \"Master Kaito, you mustn't! It's dangerous!\" \"I know that. But I can't just watch this happen.\" Wallowing in terror and despair would accomplish nothing. Even in the face of his all-encompassing demise, he refused to stand by powerlessly and grieve. After all... ...Just who is it in the middle of all that? Kaito looked up high in the sky. A single woman was hanging there, her eyes closed. The person who'd saved him, the girl who had laughed so innocently, was being crucified. She wasn't the Saint. In the beginning, she hadn't even been the Torture Princess. She was Elisabeth Le Fanu. The woman Kaito Sena admired most. \"Elisabeth!\" Kaito screamed her name. Then, after shaking off the trepidation running through his body, he dashed toward the pillar. Because Kaito knew something. Screw terror. Despair? And the end of the world? So what? The thought of losing you is way scarier than any of that. Kaito Sena had sworn that, until the day he died, he would stay by Elisabeth Le Fanu's side. And he had no intention of breaking that promise. Kaito finally arrived at the base of Elisabeth's pillar. He reached out to grab one of the briars winding around her wing. His skin tore, and pain shot through his body. It felt like he was clutching at barbed wire. But he didn't let go. Lifting his feet up onto the briar, he began trying to climb the wing. His beastly hand and his human both ran red as he tried to get closer to the captured woman. \"Elisabeth! ...Rgh!\" Suddenly, the feathers and thorns proliferated, nearly swallowing Kaito up. At the last moment, though, someone yanked him backward by the nape of his neck and saved him. Kaito was about to call out Hina's name. But he was mistaken. When he turned around, he found someone wholly unexpected there. \"...Kaiser?\" \"Your foe may be the eminent Diablo, but so long as you are my contractor, I forbid you from allowing yourself to be unceremoniously consumed, O unworthy master of mine! To think, though, that it would come to this... I'd stayed on the sidelines, thinking the situation trifling, but this, truly, is proof that I was a fool! Ah, how vexing!\" As he bayed, the Kaiser flung Kaito into the air. Then the supreme hound vanished. Hina, who'd rushed up close, barely managed to catch Kaito. Large tears were welling up in her emerald eyes. Because she'd understood how he felt, she'd been too slow to stop him. She"}, {"text": "squeezed him tight with all her might. \"Master Kaito, I know how you feel! I...I, too, desperately don't want to let Elisabeth go! But please, you have to endure it. You're so wounded...\" \"Hina... I'm sorry. I just...\" As he rubbed Hina's back, Kaito took another look at their surroundings. At some point, Vlad had moved over to where the two pillars stood. His arms were spread wide, and his eyes were glittering as he gazed at the Torture Princesses' transformations. \"It's magnificent... It's the peak of beauty, the apex of ugliness... Truly, 'magnificent' is the only way to describe it.\" His face was as innocent as a child watching a meteor shower. However, his expression suddenly took a more serious turn. As he began rapidly coming back to his senses, Vlad started thinking. \"...Still, though... Hmm...\" While he did, the Torture Princesses continued transforming. Their engorged wings and briars slipped down under the icy ground, eroding it away. The milky-white sky quickly grew muddied as well. The rainbow film froze over into a leaden gray. The God and Diablo pillars spread out their arms, ever wider, ever farther. \"Is this...the end?\" Hearing a trembling voice, Kaito looked down. Lute was cowering on the ground, his tail completely curled up. However, he was holding Izabella firmly. Humans' sensory perception was weak, so the visceral despair Lute felt was probably many times greater than theirs. Words tumbled weakly from Lute's mouth as he stared at the growing horrors before them. \"At this rate... At this rate, everything will come to an end. How can we stand up to such a thing?\" Lute's right. Kaito agreed with him. God and Diablo were both taboo entities, beings that mankind wasn't meant to come in contact with. Both of them transformed the land into a place wholly uninhabitable by living creatures, as though it were only natural for them to do so. Eventually, the very world would crumble, unable to bear the strain. The two pillars grew at a steady pace. However, they suddenly quavered, and the transformation came to a temporary halt. The briars writhed, and a trembling arm thrust its way out from each pillar. The Torture Princesses had forced their bodies to move. Their eyes still closed, they tore at what bound them, their own skin and all. Then they raised their arms high, and their soundless voices rang out. Begone from this place. Make haste. Please run, Fools. At the same time, they also snapped their fingers. Black darkness and white light flashed, and crimson and gold flower petals started raining down. They then formed a cylindrical wall with Kaito and the others at its center. A teleportation circle was being etched in the ice. *** On impulse, Kaito tried to dive out of it. He needed to remain by Elisabeth's side. However, he found himself unable to move. One of Lute's arms and both of Hina's were holding him back. Normally, when Kaito's violent emotions reached a certain threshold, he would return to a sound state of mind. However, the situation was so abnormal that that function of his was broken. He raged like a wounded beast and screamed. \"Let go of me! Elisabeth is\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI can't just leave her alone like that!\" \"I understand your loyalty and affection for your master, I truly do! But even if you hate me for it, I won't let you go! What do you hope to accomplish by staying here? Think of your wife!\" \"But\u00e2\u20ac\u201d!\" \"...Master Kaito, please listen to me.\" Suddenly, Hina whispered, her voice gentle and calm. She wasn't crying anymore. Her beautiful, clear emerald eyes were fixed on Kaito alone. \"If that is your answer, Master Kaito, if you say that that is your sole wish, then I will release you.\" \"Ms. Hina?\" \"But if you do, then I will remain here as well.\" Hina made her declaration calmly. Then she gently unbound her arms to tell Kaito that the choice was his. Kaito gulped. Hina took a step back, then smiled at him. \"It would be my pleasure to remain with my dear Lady Elisabeth and die alongside you, my beloved.\" There was no reproach in her eyes and no anger. Only pure, unadulterated love. If Kaito wanted to stay behind, then she would no doubt die at his side without a single word of regret. And because of that, Kaito stopped. Because of that, he was able to stop. Then he deliberately took a long, deep breath. The strained energy that had built up in his body dissipated. He went limp, then collapsed backward. When he did, Hina made sure to catch him. As he lay in her arms, he let out a weak murmur. \"...I'm sorry. I'm good now. God, I'm supposed to be your husband, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"It's no matter. Anything you hold precious is just as precious to me.\" Hina gently stroked Kaito's head. As he clung to her warmth to maintain his sanity, Kaito's thoughts turned. Right now, there's nothing we can do here. We need to get a fresh start. At this rate, the world really would end. The leisurely time for the various races to stay on guard of one another and probe for advantages was over. Right now, they needed every person possible to pool their power together so they could come up with a countermeasure. And that was why Kaito and the others needed to leave. The world needed people who had witnessed the horrible truth. Right now, information was of the essence. As those thoughts swirled around in his head, Kaito looked up through the interweaving light and petals. At the far end of his vision sat Elisabeth's tragic figure, her eyes closed. \"Wh...?\" Even so, part of him still wanted to run to her. Hina seemed to have sensed something as she released him from her arms. Kaito tottered a few steps forward. Then he extended his bloodstained hand to the edge of the teleportation circle and let out a fitful shout. \"Don't go... Don't go, Elisabeth!\" The hell do I mean, \"Don't go\"?! We're the ones leaving! As he shouted to Elisabeth, he shouted at himself internally. He was the one fleeing, not her. Even knowing that, though, he couldn't stop the nonsensical words from pouring out of his throat. \"You're the one who called me, Elisabeth! You're the one who called me to this world! You ordered me to become your servant, didn't you? And you're gonna go anyway? You're gonna go off all on your own anyway?!\" Blood dripped down his fist. Tears dripped down his cheek. Weeping with all his might, he screamed again. \"Please, Elisabeth, don't leave me! I don't want you to go!\" Kaito reached out his hand as he pleaded with the person he could no longer reach. \"Please don't leave me,\" he implored her like a child. \"Not now that I've finally met you,\" he cried. \"I'd rather watch the world get destroyed than lose you!\" Then, at the far end of his vision, Elisabeth opened her eyes. \"...Huh?\" For a second, Kaito doubted his sight, thinking it nothing more than a fanciful delusion. But it was true. Her crimson eyes were assuredly focused on him. Her lips silently moved. What poured out from them was blood. In what no doubt caused her a great deal of pain, she contorted her lips into a smile. And when she did, she whispered. \"............You utter fool.\" It was a heartrending, nostalgic voice. Elisabeth then reached out her trembling arm, as though trying to grasp Kaito's palm in reply. Briars wound around it, trying to stop her. But Elisabeth resisted them. She extended her hand straight forward. But Kaito's palm was too distant. After displaying another abrupt smile, Elisabeth lowered her arm. Instead, she now snapped her fingers once more. Her fingers broke. Their skin tore, and their bones fractured. Yet, even so, her whispers had a strange warmth to them. \"You don't want this; you don't want that, eh? Well, if you despise being alone so badly, then I shall grant it to you. 'Tis my loss, O peerless fool. I give unto you my everything. Do with it as you please.\" Crimson petals flitted through the air, then coalesced into a sphere. It soared away from Diablo's pillar and floated gently through the sky. Then, all at once, the petals rushed between Kaito's lips. His mouth filled with the sharp stink of rust and the taste of flesh. Understanding intuitively what it was, Kaito widened his eyes. He looked up at Elisabeth. Her voice unimaginably kind, she went on. \"Drink them down or spit them all up, the choice is yours to make. But do try to live on, Kaito. And when you do, save the world. Your strength is equal to the task, as is your needless determination. You are the greatest fool this world has to offer\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand you are my dim-witted servant, my pride and joy.\" Her voice sounded almost like someone trying to cheer up a dejected child. Kaito stared straight at Elisabeth. Then, with a gulp, he swallowed the petals down. The moment he did, he clutched at his chest, and his knees crumpled. He began violently heaving up blood. \"Master Kaito!\" \"S-Sir Kaito!\" \"Geh... Urgh, ugh, gah, geh, blegh!\" As he heard Hina and Lute cry out, Kaito collapsed in pain. Despite that, though, he looked up. He was weeping and coughing up blood, but he looked straight at Elisabeth. He lifted his trembling arm. Then he stuck his thumb up to say, Don't worry. I received it. Both of their faces were haggard, but they exchanged a smile. Elisabeth, having used all her strength, closed her eyes back up. In truth, she'd probably hit her limit long ago. She quickly lost consciousness. Jeanne's eyes were still closed as well. However, the teleportation circle activated automatically. Kaito and the others had their vision covered by compound walls of crimson and gold, darkness and light. In the final moment before the world faded away, though, Kaito witnessed something. The pillars had begun undergoing even more radical change. A flock of black birds took off from Diablo's. To be more specific, they weren't birds at all. They had a variety of shapes and forms, but every one of them was an underling. Amid the growing tempest of pain raging within his body, a thought crossed Kaito's mind. Oh man... The world's gonna become hell, isn't it? And the way things were going, everything was going to end. \"We need to inform Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast of what we've learned.\" Back in Elisabeth's castle, Lute gave a quiet murmur. Odds were good that his subordinates had made it back safely and given their report on the chaotic situation, but Lute was the only one of them who'd seen the pillars up close. He needed to go give an accurate report. It was now clear that he hadn't just been in a daze\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe, too, had been thinking hard. \"If things continue on like this, the world really will cease to exist. I can't simply sit quietly and wait for it to meet its end. We'll need to get in contact with the demi-humans...the humans, even, too, and come up with a plan together.\" Lute squeezed Izabella tight. She was still asleep, blissfully unaware of what was going on. He gazed at her mechanically supplemented face, then whispered so as not to wake her. \"And as for Ms. Izabella Vicker, I was thinking of leaving her in my wife's care. The two of them are on good terms, and as her body is right now, Ms. Izabella might be in need of my wife's skills as a healer. I can promise you that no harm will come to her under my wife's watch. Does that sound reasonable?\" \"Yeah, that sounds good. It would probably give Jeanne some peace of\u00e2\u20ac\u201dGeh!\" While he was replying, Kaito heaved up even more blood. Lute's eyes"}, {"text": "went wide with alarm. The amount of red liquid spilled out atop the stone floor was far from normal. Can humans really survive after losing that much blood? Lute found himself bewildered. He'd been told that Kaito had a homunculus body, but even so, he still needed blood to maintain his existence. Now, though, Kaito was down on his hands and knees, and Hina was rubbing his back. Lute called out worriedly to the back of Kaito's head. \"Sir Kaito, what's the matter? Ever since we returned from the World's End, you've been coughing up blood incessantly. Are you certain you're all right?\" \"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine... I'm fine. I'm getting used to it. I'll get better at it soon.\" \"Better at what?\" wondered Lute. But before he could ask, strange noises drowned him out. Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Scraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw! One of the noises was high-pitched, and the rest were monstrous. Upon inspection, it was a group of underlings chasing around one of the Church's communication devices. All of them, the white orb and the winged, boar-headed underlings alike, were charging toward the castle. Lute frantically leaped away from the window. As he did, their assailants all flew into the bedroom. After carefully setting Izabella down on the floor, Lute drew his sword. Kaito was in no state to fight, and Hina no doubt wanted to stay by her master's side. Lute steeled himself to face the group of foes on his own. The time has come for me to repay the debts I've incurred! As that thought raced through his mind, Kaito, who was still down on the floor, weakly raised his arm. Then he snapped his wounded fingers. \"La (become).\" And with that, ten blades appeared in midair. Dozens of silver flashes filled the air. Each of the blades had silently traveled across the room several times. The underlings were sliced to ribbons. Their diced-up flesh toppled to the ground, and their organs all spilled out. Faced with that overwhelming display of power, Lute found himself at a loss for words. Still holding his sword at the ready, he stared at Kaito in astonishment. Kaito himself hadn't even watched his foes die. He was down on his hands and knees, coughing up blood once more. Lute was overcome with shock. Hina was at a loss for words, too. Only Vlad laughed. That was just how abnormal Kaito's deed had been. As he was normally, it would have been wholly beyond him. Without power on par with the Torture Princess's, carrying out that kind of unilateral slaughter would be impossible. \"Sir Kaito, what in the world\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Over here... C'mon, over here. Good boy.\" Kaito raised his bloodstained, beastly arm, and the rescued communication device obeyed his summons and landed on his palm. Its feathers then tumbled off, revealing its glossy surface and the unencrypted runes thereon. Historically, Kaito hadn't been able to read them. Now, though, he nodded casually and rose to his feet. \"Perfect. It was a message from the Church... Looks like Vyade Ula Forstlast is already putting stuff into motion off the reports your men gave her. And the demi-humans who were at the World's End went home and started mobilizing, too. Underlings are sprouting up all over. And because of the initial info the returnees brought back, the Church is getting bombarded with reproach and mistrust. The message was about a summit the three races are planning on holding together. Looks like things are moving fast, which is good. Sounds like at least someone over there knows what they're doing.\" Kaito laughed. When he did, though, blood came gushing from his mouth. His black uniform was stained a wet crimson. As blood dripped all over his body, he righted his posture. Then he chucked the communication device to the side. The violence of that action seemed strangely reminiscent of Elisabeth. \"The funny thing is, the sender was La Christoph. Which is weird, 'cause there's no way the Church hasn't written off Elisabeth as a traitor. For him to send her a message, man, he must have had some pretty strong thoughts about Izabella getting locked up. Hell, he even sent us coordinates. And hey, if we've got an invitation, it'd be rude not to go, right?\" \"Go? Where to?\" \"The summit, where else? Time to crash a party. I'll handle the teleportation circle.\" That was just one more thing he casually mentioned that he wasn't supposed to be able to do. The soles of his shoes loudly clapped as he began walking. The long hem of his uniform flowed out behind him. At some point, its inside had been dyed scarlet. Then, his voice the very picture of composure, Kaito made his bold statement. \"We're going to a conference about how to keep everyone alive. Let's walk in with our heads held high, 'kay?\" 10 The Mad King's Decree Mankind's royal castle had gotten caught up when the demonic mass of flesh had attacked the castle, and it was currently still destroyed. In fact, the Capital as a whole had sustained serious damages, and the plans to rebuild it hadn't even been fully formed yet. Even so, if one was to compare the relative strengths of humanity, the beastfolk, and the demi-humans, humanity firmly held the edge in both land ownership and military might at their disposal. Normally, out of consideration for that fact, the Church's headquarters would be offered up as an alternative. At the moment, though, mistrust of the Church was surging within the beastfolk and demi-human ranks. As a result, both races had vetoed humanity's proposal. As a compromise, the Three Kings' palace was chosen as the meeting place. At Kaito's suggestion, Vlad had temporarily hidden his form, and the other three of them headed for the palace. Using the coordinates that the communication device had left for them, they carried out their teleportation. Azure flower petals rose up, formed a cylindrical wall, then collapsed. Lute squinted as he looked up at the palace's familiar form, and Kaito let out a cry of admiration. \"Damn, that's impressive.\" \"That it is. We strive to live in harmony with nature, and the greatest manifestation of that belief is the Three Kings' palace\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe World Tree.\" Lute puffed up with pride as he spoke. While he was too polite to say it out loud, he no doubt considered the Three Kings' palace to be far grander than humanity's royal castle. It was a colossal tree, towering before their eyes. It was ancient, and the tree in its entirety was releasing sacred energy. Because of that, the underlings would have a difficult time getting near. Its gnarled branches blotted out the sky, their cracked bark so stiff, it was hard to imagine anyone living within it. In truth, though, cavities and tunnels ran freely throughout the World Tree's interior. It almost resembled an ant nest. Not only beastfolk but humans, too, were able to move about comfortably within its confines. The Three Kings lived in its lowest layer, beside the lake that seeped out from the World Tree's base. Having received word from Vyade, the gatekeeper led Lute and the others inside. Under normal circumstances, only beastfolk who'd gone through special screening were allowed to stay within the World Tree. At the moment, though, it was crowded with people from every race. Those who hadn't been allowed in the meeting chamber could be seen all over the place. Several beastfolk and demi-human soldiers were enjoying their rare reunion and exchanging ardent handshakes. A group of exhausted paladins were keeled over atop chairs of mushroom. There were people wearing executioner-like outfits, too, staring forcefully at their surroundings. The demi-humans in front of them were meeting their gazes head-on. \"Yeesh, looks like everyone brought more people than they know what to do with. And they say three's a crowd.\" Despite the tension in the air, Kaito strode forward as casually as if he was going for a stroll. With every step he took, the unrest around him grew stronger. Even battle-hardened soldiers receded in shock as he passed by them. The wariness and animosity they felt toward him were all too clear. Who in the world is that? What are they? they all wondered. That spoke to just how abnormal Kaito Sena currently was. Not only was he covered in blood, but he was clad in determination so thick, it was visible. And yet, in spite of all that, he was utterly calm. Some of the people around him even recognized Kaito as the Kaiser's contractor. But not one of them could work up the courage to cry out and stop him. Behind him, Lute trembled in concern. He's clearly no ordinary human... I mean, he was always the Kaiser's contractor, but now... Just how did he change so absolutely? As he gazed at Kaito's imposing stature, Lute narrowed his eyes. He seems almost like...the Torture Princess herself. Knowing nothing of Lute's doubts, though, Kaito just kept casually walking. Suddenly, some of the onlookers called to Lute. \"Captain! Thank goodness you're all right!\" \"Why, it's you all!\" It was the subordinates he'd parted from at the World's End. After the rejoicing over their successful reunion, Lute learned a few new things. For example, the Three Kings weren't planning on attending the meeting. They'd said that they had no intentions of leaving their rooms upon the coast of the lake by the World Tree's base. They seemed determined to continue their policy of not reigning or governing. Just like always, they were leaving the meeting in the imperial family's hands. \"I see. It's not that I don't understand how the Three Kings feel, but...\" \"Yeah, it doesn't fill me with confidence.\" As Lute mumbled beside him, Kaito spoke assuredly. In truth, Lute felt the same way. And the entirety of Vyade Ula Forstlast's private army no doubt shared the same misgivings. After all, there were loud voices among the imperial family who sought to expand their borders. The meeting had probably already taken a hairy turn. On their way to the meeting site, Lute and the others took a small detour and dropped by the hospital ward. After flying off from the World's End, the underlings had laid waste to everything in their path. The damage the humans had suffered had been especially severe, but the beastfolk imperial family's villas had come under attack as well. Because of that, all of Vyade's medical staff had taken refuge in the World Tree. Lute rushed into the room his men had pointed out to him. When he did, the space he found himself in was filled with flowers whose aroma served as a disinfectant. A large number of beds were systematically lined up, and an alarming number of them were occupied. Vyade's personal army had been away, so her court ladies and gardeners had suffered serious injuries. Lute ground his teeth as he lamented his absence. One after another, however, the wounded sat up and called out to him warmly. \"Sir Lute, congratulations on your safe return.\" \"Quick, someone, someone call her over!\" He frantically called out for a particular healer. However, the goatwoman with her mouth covered by a sanitary cloth prioritized treating the page before her. After reaching a stopping point, she stood up, then calmly walked over to him. Her voice sounded disaffected, but anyone who knew Lute's wife could make out the notes of affection in her tone. \"I was sure you'd be all right, but to see you so thoroughly uninjured is rather pleasant, Lute. It looks like I married a good one... I suppose your return can hardly be considered flawless, though.\" \"Of course, Ain, I would never dream of worrying you by getting injured. But I...I've seen things. I need to go give my report to Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast. While I'm doing that, could I ask you to look after Ms. Izabella?\" \"Izabella? Ms. Izabella Vicker? I am rather fond of her, true, but wouldn't the Church's"}, {"text": "healers be better equipped to\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? Oh, goodness.\" Lute had silently held out Izabella to her. As she gazed at Izabella's half-mechanized body, Lute's wife, Ain, immediately sensed just how complicated the situation was. She nodded, then turned around. Her voice was as matter-of-fact as her steps were quick. \"She looks to have burned through a great deal of her stamina. Let her rest here. There you go, gently.\" Lute followed her orders and set Izabella down on a bed in a quarantined section of the ward for the severely injured. Now they wouldn't have to worry about anyone seeing her mechanized body. Ain then quickly got to work inspecting Izabella all over. After checking her esophagus and making sure it was functioning properly, she poured a decoction down her throat. Then she started applying ointment to the places where metal and skin joined together. After a little while, Izabella's breathing grew steady. With a kindly look on her face, Ain stroked her mechanized cheek. Then, though, she suddenly whirled around and stared straight at Kaito. \"That should put Ms. Izabella at ease for now, but...you don't seem quite well, either, do you?\" \"Who, me? I mean, I guess I'm covered in blood, but I'm not really injured anywhere. Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine.\" \"It isn't a matter of being injured or not. You seem like yourself right now, yet, at the same time, you seem like someone else.\" Lute gasped a little. He, too, had thought the same thing, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to ask Kaito about it. Ain's gaze stayed firmly fixed on Kaito. Not flinching, she probed even deeper. \"I can't quite put it into words, but...I find that fact rather alarming, no?\" A heavy silence descended upon them for a moment. Kaito blinked. Hina looked down but said nothing. The tension caused Lute's tail to puff up. A few seconds later, though, Kaito burst into laughter. \"Ha-ha-ha, you and me both. Man, Lute, you found yourself a good wife.\" \"Errr, yes, I'm more than aware... Ow, Ain, don't step on my feet!\" \"Now is hardly the time for that kind of talk, dear. And as for you, you're certain you're all right?\" \"Yeah... I mean, you're right. But I'm fine... I'm still me, after all.\" Sir Kaito is dodging the question. Lute could feel it. Perhaps Kaito realized it, too, as he gave an awkward smile. Upon seeing it, Lute felt a slight tinge of relief. That good-natured expression was undoubtedly Kaito Sena's. Suddenly, a thought crossed Lute's mind. Perhaps... Perhaps I ought to make sure to remember that smile. It would be best if he made sure to remember it, no matter what happened. He didn't quite know why, but Lute was certain of that. After leaving the temporary infirmary behind them, Lute and the others began making their way toward the meeting hall once more. Eventually, after traveling down a long, wide hallway, they reached its sole set of double doors. The doors were made from a part of the World Tree itself, and flowers associated with the Three Kings and the various members of the imperial family were delicately carved into its surface. Two muscular lionmen stood in front of its gorgeous design. Upon seeing Lute, the doorkeepers saluted. As they did, they crossed their spears and firmly barred the door. One of them called out briskly to Lute. \"Excellent work, Captain Lute. Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast told us of your expedition. However, the conference has already begun. We cannot allow any to enter, no matter who they may be. You can give your report after the meeting is complete. Until then, you can make yourself at home in the antechamber.\" \"What, it started already? Hey, perfect!\" Before Lute could reply, though, Kaito poked his head out from behind him. When they saw his bloodstained figure, the lionfolk gatekeepers' expressions contorted in bald suspicion. \"Wait, who is\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"La (take a nap).\" Kaito snapped his fingers. When he did, a pair of small blades quietly appeared behind the two gatekeepers, then slammed into the backs of their necks. Concussed, the two of them toppled wordlessly to the ground. As he rushed over and caught one of them in his arms, Lute directed a quiet shout Kaito's way. \"Sir Kaito, what do you think you're doing?! There's no need for such violence!\" \"Don't worry. I controlled it well, if I do say so myself. They'll be up before you know it.\" His voice calm, Kaito reached toward the doors. As he did, Lute suddenly noticed the other collapsed figures throughout the corridor. Evidently, Kaito had dealt with all the patrolling guards in the same manner. All in that one moment? As Lute tried to come to terms with that fact, he suddenly heard the sound of meat sizzling. Panicking, he looked back toward the doors. When he did, he discovered that smoke had billowed up from Kaito's hand as he'd grabbed its handle. Despite the fact that his own flesh was burning, though, Kaito wore a thin smile on his face. \"Damn, that's a decent barrier they've got going on. But still, for it to be able to burn me... I must be more wounded than I thought, huh?\" In the blink of an eye, Kaito's hand had been hideously burned. Its flesh was seared and its skin was peeling off. Yet, he still held on tight. Hina made no move to stop him. Sizzling blood and bodily fluids ran down the door's handle. Around it, azure petals and darkness raged like a storm. Then the sound of something splitting rang out. When it did, the door exploded open from within. The gazes of everyone present\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhuman, beastfolk, demi-human royalty, aristocrats, and clergymen alike\u00e2\u20ac\u201dall fell onto Kaito. \"'Scuse the interruption. Here I am, the Torture Princess's representative.\" Kaito, for his part, replied with a savage, villainous smile. Practically everyone present was utterly dumbfounded. Vyade Ula Forstlast and La Christoph merely nodded, though, as if they'd seen this coming. In the next moment, a number of swords were noisily unsheathed and pointed Kaito's way. The guards had all drawn their weapons at once. Their response was prompt, as one would expect. At the same time, one of the Church's high priests called out. \"Such insolence! What business could the Kaiser's contractor possibly have with us?!\" The guards' murderous stares bore down on Kaito. As they did, a shrill noise filled the air. One after another, the guards' sword blades and spearheads went spinning into the air. Hina's halberd was magically enhanced and glowing blue, and she'd used it to lop them off. After fully swinging it, she stooped down low like an animal. Then she calmly looked up. The guards were frozen in surprise. She turned her jeweled emerald gaze on them. \"You people have no idea. No idea what he gained. No idea what he lost. Such insolence.\" Her voice was quiet and cold. Faced with her stern demeanor, everyone else gasped in fear. As they did, Kaito loudly clapped his hands together. After getting everyone's attention, he spread his arms out wide. \"Now, if you would all be kind enough to settle down. La Christoph sent me a message about this meeting, and Vyade knows me as well. Furthermore, I serve the Torture Princess, the strongest weapon at the Church's disposal. I feel like that qualifies me to be here. I'm not gonna leave, but I'm also not gonna get in your way. Feel free to carry on.\" Kaito casually rattled off the names of the authority figures he was acquainted with. Lute's face went pale, and just as he'd suspected, accusatory glances rained down on the parties in question. However, the third imperial princess of the forest and the astoundingly resolute saint replied nonchalantly. \"I ordered Lute to inform me of what happened at the World's End. The events that took place there were the root of all evil, the reason we find ourselves gathered here today. If he deems Kaito Sena a necessary witness, then I stand by his decision.\" \"It's true. I did, in fact, send for the Torture Princess. After the uproar at the plaza, it became evident that she and Izabella Vicker discovered something down in the depths of the royal tomb. Afterward, the Grave Keeper mobilized the paladins and set off for the World's End. They should be able to clear up the suspicions the demi-humans have leveled at us, and as such have an obligation to testify.\" Their responses were met with a number of angry bellows. Despite the turmoil, though, Kaito flippantly snapped his fingers. Azure petals and black darkness swirled. This time, it was the mages who stood at the ready, but all he did was create a chair. It was the exact same extravagant chair as the one Vlad had summoned in the past. Kaito took a seat. Then he haughtily placed his arms atop the armrests and crossed his legs. When he spoke, his voice was utterly devoid of fear. \"Go ahead, carry on. The world's gonna get destroyed if you don't hurry, right?\" Kaito's words had a certain truth to them. Furthermore, the sole present saint had endorsed his attendance. And in any case, it wasn't as though they had any way to expel someone powerful enough to destroy the barrier. The room gradually settled down. Then, reluctantly, they resumed the meeting. And thus, the Kaiser's contractor, the enemy of humanity, was added to the discussion that would determine the fate of the world. \"It's true, we have no time. Those two pillars sprouted up at the World's End, and the underlings coming from the black one are destroying everything in their path. At this rate, all our people will perish. Given the current situation, the chances that the restructuring the Church is so fixated on will actually take place seem rather low.\" \"...What, that's as far as you guys have gotten?\" Upon hearing the beastfolk official's speech, Kaito muttered to himself. Apparently, the Church was still placing their faith in the restructuring. But when he thought about it, he realized that he and his group were the only ones to have talked with the Apostle or seen the Saint's madness firsthand. It was no wonder that there were those who viewed the appearances of the two pillars as a divine miracle and a sign that the restructuring was imminent. Consequently, the meeting had reached an impasse. The discord between humanity and their Church and the other two races was only getting worse. Even now, the high priest was objecting to the official's proclamation. \"You people don't share our faith, so you may find it difficult to understand. But we know that the promised day spoken of in legend is at hand. The devout faithful will be welcomed into the new world. You all may lack that qualification, but I'd ask you to kindly avoid gnashing your teeth and referring to it as the end.\" \"I see. Then let's suppose that the current situation is, in fact, part of the restructuring you all are so keen on. Can we then take it that this is what you wanted, that you were the ones who brought this about?\" The next individual spoke in a thorny tone. Kaito turned to look at its source. It was a foxwoman with silken red fur and a beguiling smile spread across her face. Upon hearing her antagonistic response, Vyade called out to reprove her. \"Dear sister, shouldn't we be less concerned with carrying out investigations and more with coordinating our strategies?\" \"Be quiet, would you, Vyade? What do you think we stand to accomplish if we don't know who's to blame? And we have such a convenient intruder, too. Perhaps it's high time I divulge a piece of information I've been keeping.\" The woman's voice dripped with honey. She was likely the first imperial princess, the one who was focused on expanding the"}, {"text": "beastfolk territories. The men's clothing that she wore suited her well. She leaned back in her chair, then crossed her legs in the same manner Kaito had. \"We've already heard from the demi-humans about the horribly transfigured paladin corpses they discovered. As it so happens, they weren't the only ones who did.\" \"...What are you getting at?\" \"Immediately after the underlings started appearing and Vyade gave her report, I dispatched several elite members of my private army to the World's End. Over two-thirds of them died, but their results were more than satisfactory. They brought back the corpses of several transformed paladins, as well as a cackling woman. I don't know much about the woman, but it's interesting, isn't it? It all reeks of the Church's involvement.\" *** The members on the Church's side were visibly shocked. But it wasn't because the first imperial princess had called them out. As far as they were concerned, the restructuring was already under way. Having their wrongdoings pointed out would hardly affect them at this point. But the captured woman, on the other hand, was a different story altogether. If she really was the Saint, then it meant that the Church had had their most revered person stolen away by the enemy. But that wasn't how the first imperial princess interpreted their distress. Her smile deepened triumphantly as she went on. \"If this situation, if the appearance of the two pillars, is the result of you people seeking restructuring...then how exactly do you intend to make reparations?\" \"My sister is right. It feels like compensation is in order. You know, as a show of good faith.\" A youthful voice called out in assent. It belonged to a young man with a panther's head. He was probably the third imperial prince. His radiant sapphire gaze turned on the members of the Church. A stuffy voice piped up from his right. \"That can wait. We can figure out where the onus for reparations lies after the situation has been settled. Right now, we need to focus on how to stop the underlings from harming our people. The Church has several saints at their disposal. Depending on how they have them act, we ought to consider lessening their punishment.\" \"Oh man, aren't we feeling generous to the people who got us into this mess.\" \"The pureblooded among my people number few, and one of their crucial sectors has sustained damages. Our primary concern is quickly coming up with a defense strategy for it.\" \"...So he's just hung up on his pureblood nonsense.\" The bespectacled lizard-headed demi-human's words drove Kaito to mutter to himself again. Lute mirrored his exasperation. None of the other demi-human representatives seemed to have complaints, but surely there were other things they should be more concerned with defending. Amid the quarreling, the human king was merely trembling in his chair. Just as Kaito had heard, the man was decidedly young. The king's face was freckled and stiffened from nerves. His advisers, who all looked to have close ties to the Church, were practically glued to his sides. La Christoph, who was sitting a little way off to the side, was the next to speak. \"We're currently conducting an investigation into the abuse of power by some of our members. And it's impossible to say definitively whether or not the current phenomenon is an aspect of restructuring or not. I believe that a pragmatic strategy would be for us saints to act as a shield and serve as a front line to defend all three races. I would ask that you all please lend us your strength.\" \"...That's as far as you guys have gotten, too?\" Kaito heaved a heavy sigh. As he'd suspected, the Church hadn't completely abandoned the possibility that restructuring would occur. But while they were deliberating, people were dying all over the place. The world was coming to an end, filling to the brim with pain and screams. However, it seemed like that fact had yet to sink in with anyone present. \"Lute, you were there when the two pillars arose at the World's End. What information do you have for us?\" Vyade finally called out to Lute. He responded by giving a flustered salute. Her decision had been a good one. Right now, what they needed more than anything was accurate information. It was essential that they understand that they were atop a collapsing cliff, that the pot they were perched in had already reached a boil. \"Allow me to first say this\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthere is no chance that restructuring will occur.\" Lute was firm in his statement. The room buzzed with frenzied murmurs. The Church members' faces were blotted red with rage. But Lute ignored all the criticism being leveled his way. He calmly relayed a description of the events he and the others had witnessed. \"First, regarding what Sir Kaito and his group discovered beneath the royal tombs...\" One by one, he laid out the insane truths. The hall steadily grew quiet as a different type of tension filled the air. \"...Then the Saint transferred her contracts with God and Diablo over to the Torture Princesses. Her objective was...\" ...to abandon the role she'd been burdened with. The moment those words left his mouth, the sound of the round table being violently struck echoed through the room. The Church's people had angrily risen to their feet. \"Hold your tongue! We will not sit here and listen to these vile insults! What merit does the testimony of a man who accompanied the Torture Princess and the Kaiser's contractor have anyway?!\" \"If you can't show off your power, you're just weak. If you fight without information, you're just a fool, and if you whine pointlessly, you're just incompetent. And hey, if your life has no value, you're no better than a pig. So which one are you? Incompetent or a pig?\" A well-projected voice served to cut off the clergyman's angry tirade. Kaito's sounded almost listless. One of the high priests was about to raise his voice in objection, but at the last minute, he froze. Kaito's eyes were cold and hard. He gave the man a quiet warning. \"Now, listen until he's done.\" \"Errr, well, I have more bad news, unfortunately. The damage from the underlings isn't the only threat. Within ten days or so, the two pillars will collapse. God and Diablo will both be released, and the world will be destroyed.\" \"Yes, and that will herald the start of recon\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Seven days.\" Kaito interrupted the priest once again. Every eye in the room turned toward him. Once they had, he nimbly raised a finger and matter-of-factly made his proclamation. \"The Diablo pillar will only last seven days. That's as long as Elisabeth's mana will take her.\" \"But, Sir Kaito, Vlad... Sir Vlad said it would last ten days or so.\" \"Sure, if Elisabeth was at peak form. But not now.\" Kaito gently shook his head. His expression was calm as he shared a piece of information that only he knew. \"Because Diablo has infiltrated her body, she can't die. But while she still had her freedom, she expelled one of her internal organs. As a result, her body can't generate new mana anymore.\" Confused looks filled the room. Saying that Elisabeth had expelled one of her organs was a ridiculous claim. Hina alone squeezed the hem of her maid uniform. Everyone else turned toward Lute, wondering what organ Kaito was talking about. Kaito gave his chest a quick thump. Then he revealed the bizarre truth. \"Right now, Elisabeth's heart is inside me.\" It took a good ten seconds for Lute to fully comprehend what Kaito had uttered. So this is what he meant when he said he was \"getting used to it\" and would \"get better at it soon.\" Blood carried great significance to dark mages. Their mana originated from their hearts, then traveled to the rest of their body through their blood. And due to the roots the demon meat had spread throughout Elisabeth's organs, hers was a reactor with power beyond compare. And apparently, it was now in Kaito's body. Lute was struck speechless. If that was the case... In other words... Right now, Sir Kaito is... ...the Kaiser's immortal contractor and the inheritor of the Torture Princess's mana. Few would be able to fully understand the overwhelming nature of that truth. However, the color drained from the faces of several of the mages present. Caring little for whether or not his words caused shock or were even understood, Kaito went on. \"And because I inherited her heart, a new connection sprang up between Elisabeth and me. Diablo stole away her consciousness and is using her body to birth underlings\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut all pain and injuries they're causing are being delivered straight to me.\" \"...What?\" Lute let out a dumbfounded yelp. Kaito grinned. As he did, crimson blood dripped down from the corner of his lips. \"But it's not like I can just go passing out now. I have it more or less under control, but it hurts like a bitch.\" Lute could imagine. Right now, the underlings were transforming the world into a living hell. Their acts of brutality spanned the entirety of civilization. If all the pain they were causing was being transferred to a single person... There's no way they could maintain their sanity! That's madness! How can he withstand it?! \"I guess forcing me to get used to pain is the one thing I gotta thank my old man for, huh?\" A carefree smile spread across Kaito's face. The expression hardly suited the moment, and the room's occupants froze upon seeing it. Every second, pain was being sent to his body. And all of it was passing through the Kaiser and being converted into mana. The silence was tinged with fear. Kaito himself shrugged, then gave his chin a light jerk. \"So? Carry on. If you don't, the world's gonna get destroyed. You do know that, right?\" \"T-true, it will... No, it won't! Our stance remains unchanged. Even if what you say is true, and the Saint did set down her burden, then the new Saint who bears God within her will carry out restructuring all the same! We have faith in that! We have to...we have to believe in that.\" \"Very well, then. If humanity wishes to sacrifice themselves for their faith, then far be it from us to stop them.\" A husky, feral voice spoke up. The first imperial princess of the beastfolk licked her lips. Sharp claws glittered atop her fingers as she tapped on the round table's surface. \"Your proposal for a unified line of defense among the three races is hereby rejected. And while we're at it, let's annul the peace treaty, too. And while we focus our own defenses, we'll move in on the human territories, too. We have a right to revenge, after all. And the Saint is already in our grasp. This way, we can mount a resistance against the pillars and wipe out humanity, just the way you want it.\" \"Sister, you're making a terrible decision! Declaring war at a time like this? You may excel at battle, sister, and even with the recent loss of your elite troops, your army is no doubt still strong. But do you truly believe that you can accomplish both those things without suffering crippling losses? Your ambitions will leave the forest barren. How can you not see that?\" \"Be quiet, Vyade! Who do you think you're taking that tone with?! We've remained silent for too long. Letting this opportunity pass us by would mar our pride as beastfolk!\" The first imperial princess's indignation shut Vyade right up. Her approval among the people served as her sole weapon. The actual authority she wielded was comparatively slim. Now was not the time to descend into bickering. The demi-human delegation looked at one another, then stood. The bespectacled, aged green lizard spoke solemnly. \"Very well. Humanity did bring this upon us."}, {"text": "We will stand with our old friends and form a united front alongside them. If you all wish to resign yourselves to destruction, then your fate is in your own hands. But the disorder within your Church seems to run deep. I doubt you have the power to successfully protect your people. It appears that this is the end for you.\" The hostility of the other two races bore down upon the humans. It was true; the Church had been to blame for the current situation. This could all be seen as a natural result of that. However, the humans lacked the resolution to admit fault and try to change the way things were going. La Christoph didn't have that authority. Two of the advisers turned to the king and whispered. \"Your Majesty, now is the time to make your decision. Once the restructuring occurs, we will all be saved. But first, we must destroy the pagans. Perhaps we should have done so sooner. We must begin the third king's holy war anew. You must demonstrate your faith in God, for the sake of the people.\" \"Please, Your Majesty, give the order to deploy all the saints.\" *** The king was clearly baffled. The decisions he was being asked to make were far beyond what he was mentally equipped to handle. He was young, and death and responsibility clearly scared him. The Church obviously wanted to get things under way before any of the influential aristocrats who'd missed the meeting could get a say. \"All you have to do is nod,\" the king's advisers whispered enticingly. While all of that was going on, Lute's gaze turned to a certain someone. Kaito was calmly watching over the proceedings. His eyes were strangely serene, and they were picking up everything that was happening. Kaito heaved a deep, deep sigh. Then, out of the blue, he snapped his fingers. \"La (become).\" When he did, over a hundred blades manifested in midair. Azure flower petals and darkness had danced luxuriously through the air, and executioner's ax-shaped blades had lined up within them. Everyone present had steel pointed right at their neck. Anyone with any amount of combat experience couldn't help but immediately realize what was happening. It was a dangerous stunt, one that would normally be carried out with hundreds of soldiers. As he stared in wonderment, a thought passed through Lute's head. Normally, a coup isn't something one carries out on their own. That was just common sense. Right now, though, that common sense had been overturned. A voice rang through the hall, one tinged with disappointment. \"Enough of this nonsense\u00e2\u20ac\u201dclearly you guys are all useless.\" Kaito Sena slowly rose from his chair. The hem of his black uniform flared out behind him as he began walking. The way his tunic was dyed scarlet on the inside really was reminiscent of the Torture Princess's dress. It was at that point that Lute realized something. Almost like proof of his explosive development as a mage, Kaito's beastly left arm had returned to that of a human. Kaito casually leaped atop the round table. Lute elected not to follow him. A beautiful automaton, on the other hand, unfalteringly took her place by Kaito's side. \"Oh? What's this? You've finally decided to seize your crown, O unworthy master of mine?\" Humanlike laughter accompanied the horrible black dog's appearance. Seemingly thinking that he might as well, Kaito snapped his fingers. Azure petals and darkness scattered throughout the room, and Vlad Le Fanu's phantasm made a graceful appearance from within them. \"Why, hello, hello. I see that my dear successor has assembled quite the notable audience.\" Placing a hand atop his chest, Vlad gave an elegant, courteous bow to the members of the conference. The three of them now in tow, Kaito stopped at the center of the table. Azure petals and black darkness swirled up once more. A jet-black long sword dropped from within them. The engraving carved upon its beautiful blade flashed. When it did, its meaning was seared into the eyes of all present. All things are pardoned unto me. But I am ruled by none. Then the azure glow abruptly faded. Flower petals still fluttering through the air, Kaito lorded over his surroundings. \"All I wanna do is save the woman I admire. And I don't want to let any more innocent people become victims. That's all. I have no desire to dominate, no lust for glory. And I certainly don't intend on ruling or getting involved with politics at all. I don't give a shit about who's in charge after this. But right now? Right now, I'm taking charge of the world.\" Kaito Sena, the Torture Princess's servant, lorded over the assembled nobles of all races. Blood dripped from his mouth. He lifted his sword, then pointed it at his newfound hostages. \"Humanity, beastfolk, and demi-humans are all equal. Every living creature is ignorant, every living creature is like a stupid animal, and every living creature is precious. So I'll promise you this. I'm gonna keep you all alive. I'm gonna save the world. And that's why...\" *** Then the boy who had once died meaninglessly in another world made his grand declaration. \"...Just for now, I'm king. So obey me.\" In that moment, as the world crumbled, the Mad King was born. And as he was, the desperate battle to survive in the world of the two pillars began. Afterword Before I realized it, it was fall. And this is the fifth volume. Hallelujah. Thank you all so much for buying the fifth volume of Torture Princess. I feel like out of the whole series, this volume was the most harrowing for Kaito. How did you all enjoy it? As I was writing it, the thought gosh, this is getting intense crossed my mind a number of times, and during the editing process, I realized, gosh, this really is intense. All I did was follow my plot outline, so I wonder why that could have been. I'm planning on keeping the hits coming in Volume 6, so I hope you will all look forward to it. By the way, this volume is scheduled for release at the same time as the first volume of Ms. Hina Yamato's manga adaptation of Torture Princess, which, as an author, is something I find extremely moving. If you purchase them together, you'll also get a side story I wrote with illustrations by Hina Yamato and Saki Ukai, so please go check it out. Both of them are brilliant artists, and their work is magnificent. The manga version wouldn't have been possible without the love and care of Hina Yamato and everyone else involved in the adaptation put into it, but it also wouldn't have been possible without the support of all you readers, so I ask that you kindly continue enjoying both the manga version of Torture Princess and the original novels. As a side note, the official Twitter account (@goumonhime) is active, so if you'd like, please give it a follow. If you would be so kind. Now, suddenly, we find ourselves in the acknowledgments section, so I'd like to thank Saki Ukai for the beautiful-as-always illustrations made for this volume; my editor O, who gave me all sorts of useful advice; Hina Yamato and everyone else involved in the wonderful manga adaptation; and my beloved family, particularly my older sister. Thank you all so very, very much. And above all else, I would like to offer another round of thanks to my readers. Thank you all so much for reading my story up through its fifth volume. The only way I can think of to really repay you is to write the most interesting stories I possibly can, so I plan to keep working as hard as I can. I pray we will meet again. The Mad King has been born. Will the world end, or will it not? What will become of him and her? Records of a Civil Official This is a record of our defeat. And at the same time, it is also a record of how we are yet biding our time. The two pillars, God and Diablo, that rose up at the World's End brought destruction down upon us all. The first wave of underlings released from the Diablo pillar spread far and wide, sowing slaughter and mayhem in their wake. But it is believed the second wave and those that'll come thereafter will be the real threats. Although the residents of the Capital have survived countless demon attacks, the following waves of underlings boasted such numbers that the people stood no chance. Normally, that would have been sufficient to mark this world's doom. Normally, that is. However, at that very moment, the joint meeting among the humans, demi-humans, and beastfolk bore fruit. When the various races' representatives received word of a second wave, they set aside their grudges and established a united front. An army was formed with the saints at its center, and they were able to shoot down over half the underlings before they landed on human soil. However, victory is far from ours. At present, we're suffering countless minor defeats due to our fatigue and eroded military strength. Does victory await us beyond our present hardships? Or are we perhaps fated to lose? And if so, what will the ensuing destruction and rebuilding be like? We don't even know what form the end will take. After all, our enemies are none other than God and Diablo. The battle we have undertaken is an act of sacrilege, the likes of which have never before occurred, perhaps not even in the world before ours. The beliefs we have held for countless ages are crumbling away, and our spiritual foundations have been shattered. After casting the Creators aside, will life be able to persist as it has in the past? At this rate, nothing about our futures is certain. Everything described above details the brutal nature of the situation we find ourselves in. From here, I will be recording my personal ramblings. However, that is precisely why I hope you will remember them. Even if everything perishes, even if everything comes to an end, even if these records are annihilated in the rebuilding, I hope someone, somewhere, remembers us. Our foolish resistance, our futile struggle\u00e2\u20ac\u201dall of it is proof that we lived. Even if there is no possible way to know that, please\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dI beg of you. Perhaps I've gotten too sentimental. Allow me to change the subject\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe fact that the three races joined together and formed a united defensive front came as a great shock to me. Rumor has it that the Church was involved in the erection of the two pillars. Because of that, I was certain that the first imperial princess of the beastfolk would rise up against humanity. Could it be that something happened at the meeting, something that a lowly public official such as myself could never even begin to imagine? A calamitous act of tyranny, one that threatens to destroy everything? Or perhaps something resembling a miracle? 1 A Pact with the Imperial Princess The location was the joint meeting among the three races, which would shape the fate of the world. Standing atop the pure-white round table, Kaito Sena lorded over his surroundings. His hundreds of swords were leveled at the noses of those who had assembled here to represent their races. The blades glinted keenly as Kaito carefully kept them suspended in the air with a thought. He'd created each and every one of them with magic. In his hand, he held but a single jet-black long sword, and he pointed it at the members of the assembly. He slowly opened his mouth to speak. \"Humanity, beastfolk, and demi-humans are all equal. Every living creature is ignorant, every living creature is like a stupid animal, and every living creature is precious. So I'll promise you this. I'm gonna keep you"}, {"text": "all alive. I'm gonna save the world. And that's why...\" Then the boy who had died meaninglessly in another world made his grand declaration. \"...just for now, I'm king. So obey me.\" There was no reply. Some people stared at him in surprise, some people trembled in fear, and some people calmly stared at his blades. While their expressions were varied, their faces all bore the shade of a common mutual understanding. Kaito could no doubt tell what they were thinking: The moment we oppose him, the blades will end us; if we give the wrong answer, he'll split open our noses, pierce our brains, and dump our gray matter on the floor; I can tell from the quiet passion and determination in that insurrectionist boy's face that he'll do it. Everyone present was highly capable, and together, they formed the nucleus of society. It made perfect sense that none of them would be stupid enough to mistake his proclamation for a joke. Kaito himself also realized, in a detached sense, that \"he would do it.\" Once you kill someone, they can't come back. Getting a second chance like I did is an anomaly. But right now, I have to make sure they comply. I'm from another world, so I'm probably the only person who can act without being weighed down worrying about who will have what rights. Or who will have to make which concessions after we deal with the current situation... Right now, the world was like a sinking ship. But the grudges the various races held against one another were too deep for any one of them to be able to take the helm. To prevent them from being totally annihilated, an outsider needed to steer the ship to shore. And in order to do that, some people might need to be cast overboard. Kaito recognized that much, and he'd made his peace with it. Right now, killing a hundred to save a thousand, or perhaps killing a thousand to save ten times that, was the only option. It was a stupid, arrogant choice to make. And it resembled the method she had once used. \"What would you do in this situation, Elisabeth?\" Kaito posed his question in a quiet, subdued voice. He received no reply. But that was to be expected. At the moment, the ebony Torture Princess was bound to the Diablo pillar. Kaito let out a masochistic laugh. However, a loud thumping noise rang out and interrupted his moment of sentimentality. Without turning around, Kaito snapped his fingers. Someone else had leaped atop the round table, and the blades went flying toward them. The sound of the weapons whizzing through the air was followed by the sharp ringing of swords meeting. From the corner of his vision, Kaito could make out sparks flying from where metal had clashed with metal. Each of his blades had been sent flying off in a different direction entirely. One of them had gone spinning toward a high priest from the Church, who screamed. Right before tragedy could occur, however, Kaito transformed the blade back into azure petals. The woman who'd repelled Kaito's attack had her vision obscured by the dancing flower petals, but she paid that no heed and charged instead. As she rushed toward him, Kaito got a better look at her and narrowed his eyes. Her red hair looked like waves of billowing flame as it fluttered through the air. \"Yeah, I figured you'd attack,\" Kaito murmured. The rebellious foe who'd jumped onto the table was a fox beastwoman clad in dignified, masculine clothing: the first imperial princess. Over the course of the meeting, she had not only shamelessly attacked the Church for their actions but had even declared war against all humanity. She thrust her sword forward as she ran, then released a superb strike. For a moment, Kaito could vividly imagine the edge of her blade being driven into his chest. Once again, the ringing sound of swords meeting echoed throughout the room. \"Yeesh, that was close. You've got a hell of a sword arm.\" Using Nameless, the jet-black long sword in his right hand, Kaito had blocked the first imperial princess's blow. As he did, he snapped the fingers on his left hand and summoned blades all around her position. In response, the first imperial princess sprang off the table, spinning diagonally through the air with characteristic beastfolk flexibility. After narrowly weaving her way through the slashes, she landed unharmed, then twirled to swat away the blades that had pursued her. An instrumental noise rang out, and azure flower petals cascaded down. Amid the storm of blossoms, the first imperial princess spoke in a curt tone. \"Ha, what a joke. You can drop the forced compliments, human. You haven't called in a single one of your subordinates, and you're blatantly pulling your punches. Do you really think me so simple a vixen as to rejoice at your hollow words?\" She thrust forward again. Kaito tilted his head back on instinct alone, losing a chunk of his faded-brown hair for his troubles. \"How dare you cut Master Kaito's precious hair!\" Hina, Kaito's automaton bride, dashed across the table, halberd in hand. However, Kaito called her off with a glance. Hina somehow managed to stop herself, although she cracked the table's surface in the process. \"Good heavens, what a restless bunch they are. I must say, though, cracking the table with one's feet alone is quite impressive.\" \"I agree that for a mere human, the boy never seems to know when to shut up. None of them respect the value of silence.\" Off to the side, Vlad and the Kaiser continued observing, as though they were mere spectators at a show. That was precisely why Kaito had frowned when he'd heard the first imperial princess's rebuke. \"I mean...see for yourself. Even if I told them to help, only one of them ever actually does what I say.\" \"Be that as it may. If you were fighting for real, my head would've been parted from my body long ago.\" \"You're giving me a lot of credit, aren't you? You could just put away the sword, then.\" \"Hmph. I fail to understand your intentions, but you don't look eager to bare your fangs any time soon. So I thought I'd kill you while you rested on your laurels\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat's the plan anyway. What do you make of it?\" \"Seems like a pretty reasonable strategy.\" \"Wearing away at my patience appears to be a hobby of yours. Now I'm determined to kill you.\" \"Okay, in all honesty, I feel like you could tone down the aggression a little.\" \"I don't want to hear that from someone who came in and seized control by force! What a thoroughly infuriating human you are!\" The first imperial princess laughed as she swung her sword again. Over the course of their conversation, the two of them had exchanged several blows. Everyone else present still had blades pressed against their noses, and they were all watching the exchange, flabbergasted. It was a completely understandable reaction, and Kaito nodded. As he did, he deployed a set of blades in a fan formation, then shot them at the first imperial princess. She slashed each and every one of them away. As azure flower petals rained down on them, the two of them continued pacing atop the round table. They looked almost like a pair of dancers, caught up in the mood of a festival. Right now, this princess is probably the only one who'd go against me head-on, huh. Kaito's thoughts raced as he and his foe restlessly circled each other and traded places. He began working through his shock, all the while intentionally angling himself so that it would be difficult for the other beastfolk to aid the first imperial princess once they'd come to their senses. He hadn't expected anyone to respond to him with anything except rejection or surrender. And the fact that they'd been able to have a conversation midbattle made the situation all the stranger. After gauging the onlookers' reactions, though, Kaito realized his current exchange was critical. Based on their expressions now and what they said a minute ago, my guess is that the second imperial princess of the beastfolk, Vyade Ula Forstlast, and the representative from the Church's saints, La Christoph, think of me as a way to avoid interracial conflict and are leaning toward obeying my decree... As for the demi-humans, they're fence-sitting like always. The young human king no longer seemed to possess the willpower to resist much of anything. Thanks to the Church's meddling, the aristocrats who would normally serve as his advisers had been excluded from the meeting. That meant if Kaito pressed him, he'd undoubtedly cave. All he had to do was convince the first imperial princess, and the situation would rapidly tilt in his favor. Bearing that in mind, Kaito spoke again. \"Tell me, do you honestly believe you'll be able to go up against humanity and wipe out all of Diablo's underlings at the same time? No, never mind, you definitely do. And you're strong enough to be able to say it confidently, too.\" \"Self-absorbed, aren't we? Small wonder your subordinates have such little trust in you.\" \"All right, let me give you a warning, then. You're looking at this way too optimistically.\" Clang. Nameless and the first imperial princess's blade met each other again a hair away from Kaito's right cheek. After retreating a step, Kaito snapped his fingers and sent a blade flying toward her wrist. She drew a knife from behind her back with her free hand and batted it away. Kaito nodded. He'd expected her to block it. \"The curtain has only just risen on the end-time. The underlings won't stop\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey'll just keep coming and coming, with more of them spawning each wave. In order to prevent the apocalypse, you'll need to defeat them all, then topple the God and Diablo pillars. If the three races mobilized as one, you still wouldn't have the manpower to pull it off.\" \"...Go on.\" \"Even with the demi-humans on your side, choosing to fight while turning your back on a hostile race is a terrible move. The risks outweigh the rewards. But you already know that, right? You certainly don't look stupid enough not to have realized that by now.\" \"I understand full well how harsh an ordeal it will be. But now is our only chance. It has to be now.\" \"What do you mean, 'It has to be now'?\" After repelling another fierce blow from the first imperial princess, Kaito came to an abrupt stop. He had been pushed to the very edge of the round table. There was nowhere left behind him to stand. A bear beastman seized the opportunity to aim his bow at Kaito's back. But Kaito just sent a blade to silently sever its bowstring. The beastfolk stared, aghast, at his now-useless weapon. As Kaito traded places with the first imperial princess once more, the hem of his black outfit waved in the air as though nothing had happened. The two of them faced the center of the table as they resumed their dance. The first imperial princess murmured in a melodic voice: \"Let's think about what will happen after we get through this crisis. Even now, the beastfolk and demi-humans combined can't compare with humanity's numbers. If we assume the underlings will attack all three races in kind, then after Diablo's threat has passed, when we take the respective damages into account, the gap in power between humanity and the rest of ours will likely only grow. Even though they were the ones who brought this calamity upon us in the first place. Territory, population, resources... If we ever want to overtake them, then it has to be now, while their saints are preoccupied with defeating the underlings and the mistrust toward the Church has caused them internal strife. If we pass up this"}, {"text": "final opportunity, then things will undoubtedly come to a head once more. After all, humanity has shown they cannot be trusted.\" \"Ah, I get it. You're worried that someday, humanity will decide to exclude the other two races.\" Kaito nodded. The first imperial princess threw concealed knives at him and leveled countless thrusts his way, all the while confirming his assessment. \"They will. It may not happen for decades, or even centuries, but what kind of ruler would I be if I didn't consider the future of my people? Humanity is fundamentally xenophobic, and they consider themselves special, whether they realize it or not. They will bring about another tragedy, mark my words.\" Kaito repelled her sword again and again. Clear, ringing noises filled the air, and he came to realize a certain fact. The first imperial princess hadn't been appointed by mistake. The Three Kings of the Forest, the ones who'd appointed the imperial family, had known exactly what they were doing. Unlike the second imperial princess, Vyade the Wise Wolf, she was belligerent, but she, too, had the makings of a ruler. In order for the beastfolk to survive, they needed both moderates and extremists. The only problem was that if they followed her lead and acted against humanity while they could, then the world would be destroyed. Is she just misjudging her own strength? No...if anything, it's that her imagination is lacking. Realizing that, Kaito frowned. After all, the beastfolk had never seen what Diablo and the demons were capable of. Some of their people had been massacred by paladins who'd consumed demon meat, but they'd managed to avoid ever being attacked by a full-fledged demon. And the hellscapes that demons created were beyond what any normal person could imagine. As a result, the first imperial princess had no way of knowing the horrors that awaited them. However, Kaito couldn't bring himself to blame her for her ignorance. For one thing, not even the Church, the people who'd caused their predicament, fully grasped the true situation. It was nigh impossible for the living to comprehend just what it meant for the world to be approaching its demise. But right now, Kaito needed to impress that impossibility on everyone present. Every living being needed to know. For their own sakes. Nobody's gonna come save us. He couldn't leave them with any leeway to consider what would come afterward. \"If things go on like this, we'll all die.\" Kaito's declaration was simple and to the point. The first imperial princess opened her mouth, then closed it again. The sharp certainty of his words must have sparked something in her. Her sword was pressing against his Nameless, and she put her strength into it, then leaped backward. After putting some distance between herself and Kaito, she shot another piercing gaze his way. Kaito looked straight back into her golden eyes. He opened his mouth once more. But the moment he did, it came without warning. *** It came with a thump. Kaito's heart pounded violently, and he vomited up a large amount of blood. The pure-white round table was painted a vivid shade of red. A stir spread through the present dignitaries. However, nobody made to stand up. The sole person who was quick to react was Hina. \"Master Kaito!\" When she dashed across the table this time, she didn't stop. The hem of her maid outfit fluttered as she rushed to Kaito's side. She knelt in the pool of blood without hesitation. \"...Hi...na...\" \"My dear Master Kaito, are you all right? Oh, how it pains my heart to see you so. If only I could take your place... Here, try to calm your breathing.\" Hina's clothes and feet were stained wet and red. But she rubbed Kaito's back, paying that fact little heed. The dignitaries remained in their seats. The rebel was coughing up blood. Now was their chance, yet nobody moved. To the contrary, their faces were all frozen. Even the people with no magical training were stiffening up. As he looked out over them, Kaito's thoughts took a self-deprecating turn. Am I...really that abnormal? At the same time, though, he understood. His mana was both causing the very air to shake ominously and also exploding in volume. Anyone watching his bizarre development would find it warped. \"Hmm. I take it the second bugle has blown, then?\" \"The garbage has been released, like a swarm of locusts.\" An unpleasant grin spread across Vlad's face as he propped his chin up with his finger. The Kaiser's tone was curt and displeased. La Christoph was facing straight ahead, and he spoke with a calmness rarely found in saints. \"Is it here?\" \"Yeah. It is.\" The question was concise, and Kaito replied in kind. He pressed his cheek softly against Hina's and rose to his feet. The first imperial princess cocked her head in confusion. Before her eyes, Kaito thrust out his hand. Then he ran mana through the pool of blood that had accumulated in the table's depression. \"La (reflect).\" With a whoosh, the crimson surface began glowing. Light knit together in the air, forming an image. Even using one of the Church's communication devices, projecting a clear picture of events that were taking place far away was difficult. As he was now, though, Kaito could do it like it was second nature. The image expanded out over the round table, revealing what was happening at the World's End in real time. Several people let out cries of terror. The sky in the image was stained jet-black. Normally, the sky at the World's End was empty, with nothing there but oily, rainbow-colored lights drifting amid a smooth, gray backdrop. Now, though, it was sullied by an endless night. And to make things even more unbelievable, the blackness was growing endlessly blacker. Its true identity was a massive swarm of freshly released underlings. The tiny shadows had gathered together and, in doing so, had dyed the sky black. It was like looking at ruin incarnate. The throng was communicating a single malevolent will. The world shall end. For that is what decided. \"The second wave.\" Upon hearing Kaito's declaration, the first imperial princess gazed at the image in wonderment, wordlessly glaring at the countless figures. Then suddenly, she closed her eyes. Her voice sounded parched, yet it came across clear and crisp. \"You say there will be even more?\" \"The third wave will come tomorrow at sunset, and the fourth wave should be released the day after, at around noon.\" Kaito's reply was dispassionate. Because he'd received Elisabeth's heart, he was connected to her and Diablo's pillar as a result. Thanks to that, he had a clear grasp on how the doomsday needle was moving. He spoke with complete confidence, something that lent additional persuasion to an already powerful proclamation. The first imperial princess nodded, then clicked her tongue again. Kaito could easily tell what was going through her mind. The beastfolk excel at single combat, I bet. They don't have any saints at their disposal, and they're not great at magic. There's no way they can show off their true strength against that insane number of underlings. From the beastfolk's perspective, humanity had ceased to be their friendly neighbors and were now nothing more than a fearsome threat. But without their help, it was unlikely they'd be able to wipe out all the underlings. At the same time, Kaito saw something in the first imperial princess's expression. Good. She realizes it, too. Kaito had already known. Once the second wave hit, even humanity's help wouldn't be enough to mount a complete defense. After all, the whole reason the Church had entrusted the subjugation of the fourteen demons to the Torture Princess, a peerless sinner, was because they themselves lacked the power to do so. Their supply of saints was limited, and even then, not only did the saints lack mobility, but they also suffered considerable exhaustion from each shot they fired. Furthermore, thanks to the repeated demon battles and the hasty actions of the reconstruction sect, the Church had lost many of their best paladins. In short, the tools they could fight Diablo with were extremely lacking. At the end of the day, whether the beastfolk chose to fight against humanity or alongside them, the result would be the same. Every living creature would die. However, even so, there remained one way to fight back against the end. For a monster existed in this world. The first imperial princess cast a stern gaze toward Kaito. As she appraised him with her eyes, she asked him a question. \"...Can you kill them?\" \"Damn right I can.\" Kaito wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth as he gave his answer. There was one thing that he was confident of. The Torture Princess isn't around for humanity to rely on anymore. Which means... At the moment, there existed no one more suited to subjugate demons than Kaito Sena. The truth was, his mana was increasing violently because of the pain the underlings were causing. That perverse fact, combined with his immortal body, meant wiping out the underlings was no mere pipe dream. The first imperial princess took stock of the ominous trembling in the air. Then she clicked her tongue a third time. \"Tch.\" Clink. After that she mixed in a sharper noise. Of all things, she'd sheathed her sword. Her subordinates let out agitated cries. Her back turned to them, she proudly introduced herself. \"My name is Valisisa Ula Forstlast.\" Kaito nodded. In that moment, by him learning her name\u00e2\u20ac\u201done other than the first imperial princess, that is\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe'd become more familiar to him. Valisisa accompanied her self-introduction with a graceful bow. \"I'll admit I acted somewhat hastily. The world after this will be ours, but for now, it seems we must leave it in your hands. We beastfolk value results. Show us who you are, Mad King.\" The assembled congregation gasped. Somebody tried to raise an objection, but Vyade Ula Forstlast rose from her seat and silently cut them off. Following her sister's lead, she, too, gave a courteous bow. Upon seeing that, the first imperial prince of the beastfolk twitched the tip of his panther nose. He hurriedly corrected his posture. At that very moment, a mere human had earned the backing of both Valisisa Ula Forstlast, the first imperial princess, and Vyade Ula Forstlast, the second imperial princess. Given the first imperial princess's statement, it was only natural that the beastfolk came under Kaito's command. The demi-humans nodded and gave their assent. In contrast to her obedient words, though, Valisisa's next remark was tinged with naked bloodlust. \"However, if you fail, I will personally take your head.\" \"Oh yeah. If that happens, then I don't deserve to live. No complaints here.\" When Kaito returned her threat, there was no fervor in his voice. He meant every word he'd said. The two of them stared at each other a moment longer. Valisisa took a few steps forward. Then she wordlessly drew her weapon. Kaito naturally followed her lead and brandished Nameless in kind. A loud, sharp ringing sound filled the air as they struck their swords against each other. In place of a handshake, the Mad King and the first imperial princess of the beastfolk had crossed their blades. And on that note, with the boy from another world at its center\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe unified three-race defensive front began to move. 2 On the Northernmost Shore Off in the distance, crows were cawing. Their voices, tinged with melancholy, stirred up a certain nostalgia. The owners of these voices circled about the gray sky with their black wings spread wide. In truth, they weren't actually crows. They weren't even birds at all. Their cries, beaks, and black wings did resemble those of crows, but the creatures turning through the sky did not have craniums. Their soft brain matter was fully exposed, some of it having even broken down. And their bodies"}, {"text": "were infested with flies. By all rights, they should have been dead. Yet the horrific figures didn't even seem to be in pain. Their very existences had clearly diverged from the evolutionary tree of life. Though, all things considered, that made perfect sense. After all, they were Diablo's underlings. Croak, cRoak, crOak, croAk, croaK. Only their voices were melancholy. The underlings themselves, each of their large bodies about the size of a small pig, were swirling calmly. Then they gently swooped down toward the chilly beach. An underling grazed the surface of a leather tent, one of the many that had been systematically set up just beyond the waves' reach. Together, the tents formed an impressive encampment. It was filled with flags from all three races, flapping in the sea breeze. A coat of arms adorned with a white lily. A coat of arms featuring plants and beasts. A coat of arms sporting a dark-red lizard. The three flags lined up together served as proof that the three races' armies were working as one. The cream of the crop had been chosen from within those armies, and they were the ones stationed on the coastline serving as the first line of defense. The battle-hardened veterans present had been given the coordinates, but not even they could comprehend the route the underlings had taken from the World's End. However, the vast majority of the fiends had been aiming for this nameless northern beach. Technically, the deserted land wasn't just any old beach. It was the northernmost tip of the human territories, wedged between the beastfolk and demi-human lands. Back when formal boundary lines were first being drawn up, the area was discovered to be a piece of private property that existed in the buffer zone between the two races' domains. That was where the beach's inane, tangled history began. An investigation found that a human doctor had gotten lost and mistakenly stumbled upon a beastfolk town that no longer existed today. After they cured an epidemic, the town's mayor at the time bestowed the beach on them as thanks. Following that, though, disputes around tradition and obligations grew fierce and messy. There remained some lingering resentment in the wake of the peace treaty, so it was finally decided the land would be left as is. As far as rights to the ocean surrounding it went, that was a whole other headache. So out of consideration for the other two races, the humans more or less left the ocean abandoned. From the naked beach, the underlings could easily spread out to invade the demi-human and beastfolk lands, and they could surge south toward the human territories as well. The defensive front's goal was to stop the underlings before it got to that point. They had already successfully driven back the second and third waves. The underlings left over from those two waves were soaring in at regular intervals, and the soldiers were currently working to shoot them down. However, they'd just finished taking down a large flock, so they were in a temporary cease-fire. The soldiers manning the coastline were keeping a watchful eye on the survivors soaring overhead. Because the battle had died down, people were hurriedly trying to move the wounded. The wounded were being carried to medical tents based on the severity of their injuries. And within the tents, there were strange people mixed in with the others. A girl so young that she hardly looked suited for the battlefield had been tossed down respectfully yet forcefully onto one of the beds. At first glance, she seemed uninjured. However, she was repeatedly coughing up frothy blood. She was swaddled in scarlet cloth, and her legs were bound with countless metal bands. The unrefined restraints were designed to stop her from squirming and opening up the laceration that ran all the way from her thighs to her ankles. White, humanlike teeth were neatly lined up on the inside of the slit. It was grotesque in a way that defied common sense. Anyone who looked like that could only be a demon's contractor or someone with a strong link to God. The girl was the latter\u00e2\u20ac\u201done of the Church's saints. She had connected to God too much, and the burden had caused her to hit her limit. And she wasn't the only one. Several other saints had already been put to sleep in the first-aid station. They'd been flailing about like fish and been administered a powerful, dangerous anesthetic as a result. Bit by bit, the fighters the army had who were effective against the underlings had been whittled away. But the crow cries still hadn't completely died down yet. This desperate situation was well befitting of the end-time. \"...They're still coming?\" One of the soldiers murmured in a voice thick with tension and fatigue. Part of the sky had been forcefully stained black, as though a storm had arisen. The horrible creatures kept appearing, like flies drawn to carrion. The underlings were blotting out the horizon. Compared with the second and third waves, their numbers were negligible. But for an army exhausted by nonstop battles, it was more than enough to induce despair. The soldiers looked up at the flock with heavy eyes. Suddenly, a powerful noise echoed through the air to encourage them. The moist sand sank. The saints lined up along the water's edge had each released the shackles from their bodies. Standing in their center was La Christoph. He had solemnly spread his arms wide, as though to part his own long, black hair. He was a tall man, and his shoulders were broad. However, one part of the physique he had been blessed with was horribly transfigured. His chest area and the white robe over it were both incised. His flesh had been pared away, and his rib cage lay bare. Yet no blood spilled forth. The heart and lungs his ribs were supposed to be protecting were completely gone. In their place, a huge number of white, feathered creatures were packed within him. La Christoph, the Modest Birdkeeper, spoke in a strangely smooth voice. \"We gather and wait.\" \"We gather and wait.\" His dignified voice was met with a metallic chorus. The saints had begun cladding themselves in light. The soldiers unconsciously straightened their postures. Even now that God had become their enemy, seeing the saints lined up evoked a sense of nobility and sacredness. However, their figures were repulsive, even unsettling. After all, most of the saints' bodies had been transfigured in some capacity. Their forms were myriad\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthere were people with their eyes transformed into rainbow spheres, people with tattoos winding across their skin, and people with fish swimming around in their transparent abdomens. And even among those without any external abnormalities, some of them were laughing without end, others were reciting scripture with their mouths closed, and yet others were in similar states as La Mules had been. But while it was unclear how they were maintaining a joint sense of purpose, all of them were obeying La Christoph's orders. Following his lead, they shut their mouths tight. It was a strange sight to behold, one that resembled some kind of ceremony. The beach was overtaken by a solemn silence. However, that silence was irreverently broken by the underlings' shrill cries. The moment it happened, La Christoph opened his eyes as wide as possible and shouted in a voice like thunder. \"The hammer falls on thee!\" \"Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A!\" A flock of skylarks. A school of fish. Rainbow light. Drops of blood. They all swelled up in tune with the eerie chorus, then shot toward the enemy. Countless holes opened in the underlings' stomachs, their brain tissue was consumed, and their heads went flying clean off. They immediately began falling out of the sky. Several evaporated into a heat haze, then were blown away and scattered by the sea breeze. Numerous underlings spiraled down and were swallowed up by the waves. At first glance, it looked like victory had been secured. Not letting his guard down, though, a wolf beastman looked through a telescope, then narrowed his eyes. The beastman in question was Lute, the commanding officer of the first squad of Vyade Ula Forstlast's private army. Setting aside the telescope, he swung his arm downward. \"Location two, gray. Location six, black. All others, within expectations. Over!\" \"Repeat, location two gray, location six black! At the ready!\" This concise command indicated how the foes who had evaded the saints' shots were clustering together. After configuring their positions to account for the quantity of incoming enemies, the beastfolk raised their shields overhead. They were standing in front of the saints and serving as a living wall. Human soldiers slipped beneath them and began nocking their consecrated arrows. One of them shouted, angrily laying their frustration bare. \"The damn monsters... They just keep on coming!\" Consecrated or not, conventional weaponry had little effect on the underlings. The soldiers had to endure their fear and wait until their foes were close enough before launching their arrows. Right before the enemy made contact, though, disaster struck in the saints' line. One frightfully thin woman keeled over. With a pitifully weak noise, she collapsed into the sand. Glowing, albino rat snakes were slithering through her dark hair. La Christoph gestured with his chin, not showing a shred of alarm. A group of scarlet-clad attendants rushed over to the woman's side. After covering her head with a helmet, they forcibly fixed the helmet in place with screws and swaddled her whole body in scarlet cloth. Then the attendants roughly yet reverently carried her away from the front lines. A moment later, another saint collapsed. The soldiers gasped. Their military strength was slowly but surely chipping away. The experienced members among their ranks could see the army as a whole was reaching its limit. Despite that, though, they couldn't abandon the front. It was far too early to give up. And in a very real sense, it was far too late. To quell their fears, the beastfolk and humans joined together in a valiant war cry. *** Croak, cRoak, crOak, croAk, croaaaaaaaK. With an ominous caw, the underlings descended. Then their cries were drowned out by a comical thumping noise. \"...Huh?\" Something splattered against the beastfolk's shields. They frantically looked to see what it was. Their shields were stained crimson. The soldiers' eyes went wide, and they cast their gazes back overhead. Blood was raining down from the sky. The underlings had all gone stiff. It should have been impossible, but it looked like they'd stopped completely. Each and every one of them had been impaled with ten black blades apiece. \"...Huh?\" \"Hurrah!\" Shock and joy were just two of the many emotions in the soldiers' cries. The next moment, the oddly frozen scene crumbled all at once. The blades all faded away into azure petals, then traced magnificent, ephemeral paths through the air. The underlings fell, too, leaving trails of blood in their wake. These displays of crimson and azure joined together, then were swallowed up by the gray sea in kind. It made for a beautifully merciless spectacle. The soldiers gazed upon it in awe. Then they were met from behind with a voice whose casualness was completely unfit for the circumstances. \"Hey, sorry I'm late.\" The voice's owner was no enemy. The soldiers knew that. Their ally who'd temporarily left the front lines after the third wave had been crushed had returned\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat was all. Yet even knowing that, they couldn't conceal their trepidation as they turned around to face him. The stares of everyone present gathered on the voice's owner. There stood a thin boy languidly waving his arm. \"Is everyone okay? Ooh, you definitely don't look okay.\" \"...Sir Kaito Sena.\" Someone murmured his name, their voice thick with fear. The boy nodded. His demeanor was so casual, it made the reaction seem ridiculous. He was wearing a black military uniform, so his outfit"}, {"text": "could certainly be considered becoming of the treatment he was receiving. But between his short stature, the seedy look in his eyes, and his childish features, there were likely few who could recognize him as the Mad King from his looks alone. And his appearance definitely wouldn't have led anyone to imagine he was the one who'd taken down the underlings just then. But that wasn't even all that he'd done. The boy had carried out the slaughter of the second and third waves near single-handedly. In other words, the real monster wasn't the underlings. It was that human. \"You know, I think it's kinda rude that people keep looking at me like I'm some sorta monster.\" \"If you're not a monster, then who is? Hell, even trolls are more human than you are.\" Upon hearing Kaito's complaint, Valisisa Ula Forstlast, the first imperial princess of the beastfolk, scoffed. Sullen, Kaito offered no rebuttal. He continued walking in silence. Even the soldiers who weren't keeping an eye out for survivors were staying busy\u00e2\u20ac\u201dpreparing and serving food to warm their bodies up from the chilly, salty wind, replacing their weapons, maintaining their equipment, and treating their own minor scratches and wounds. The air was thick with the smells of the sea, blood, sweat, metal, fur, and leather all blended together. Kaito wove his way between the soldiers and made his way toward the first imperial princess's tent. After dealing with the underlings, he was originally supposed to head for the first-aid station so he could take stock of the wounded. On his way, though, he'd been called over by Valisisa and was currently following her bouncy red tail. It paired poorly with her gallant, masculine uniform, but her tail really was cute. Kaito chose to keep that impression to himself, knowing that sharing it could get him killed, and asked Valisisa a question. \"So what's the situation like?\" \"You can see for yourself how bad things are. That pack of saints is even more useless than I expected... And because of them, all the regular soldiers are having to pick up more slack than they can handle. Those saints are powerful as fixed batteries, true, but their durability leaves a lot to be desired. They aren't suited for constant battles like this. They seemed threatening before, but the humans' stinginess in deploying them in actual combat is coming home to roost. The fact that the humans never took proper readings on their durability is aggravating.\" \"Those are people you're talking about, you know. You shouldn't refer to them like they're weapons.\" \"Ha, calling those saints 'people' is like a bad joke. So much so that it's funny. And even if they were, right now, everyone and their mother are nothing more than pawns. Although you, Mad King, might be the exception. That carefree nature of yours, the fact that you possess power surpassing any other's... It's like you were born to infuriate me. Do you enjoy annoying me, by any chance?\" \"I'm feeling a little hated right now.\" \"Not at all. Relax. This is far preferable to incompetence. Feel free to be as useful as you please. Usefulness begets love, after all. Once you've averted the end of days, if you wish to submit yourself before the beastfolk, I would even offer you my hand in marriage.\" \"Sorry, but I already have a lovely wife.\" \"Oh, thank goodness. Just thinking about sharing a bed with the likes of a human makes my skin crawl.\" \"Then don't offer.\" Kaito shrugged, half-exasperatedly. Valisisa laughed scornfully. She seemed to enjoy talking, and she was doing quite a bit of it. But upon seeing them conversing, the beastfolk passing by simply looked in astonishment. Although he'd only known her a short while, Kaito could tell Valisisa's behavior was the reason they were staring. It appeared her pool of conversational partners was limited. If she deemed someone unnecessary, they wouldn't even enter her field of vision. For better or for worse, she seemed to have a straightforward way of viewing the world. Yet when she was dealing with Kaito, she spoke freely. The soldiers' surprise made perfect sense. Has she taken a liking to me, maybe? Or does she just not think I'm worthy of her concern? It could easily be both... Man, I just can't get a read on her. As he turned that thought over in his mind, Kaito arrived at a tent whose entrance was flanked on both sides by doorkeepers. When he went inside, he left the moist, chilly air behind him and was greeted instead by the warmth of a simple stove. The craftsmanship of the beastfolk's portable dwellings never failed to impress. While the imperial princess's tent was likely the only one of its kind, it had all the furniture necessary to conduct official business, and the floor was even covered with a bulky rug. Valisisa sat down hard in her large, stately chair. She swished her tail from side to side as she rested one elbow on her desk. Then she began tapping away at the large map spread out across it. \"So? What were the results of your patrol?\" \"The damage was pretty nasty all over... But when you consider how slow we were to get started, the evacuation efforts are coming along decently. And we were able to hit the underlings' main landing sites fairly hard. They don't have any sort of command structure, so their behavior itself is relatively predictable. As long as we can figure out the best ways to attack them and where they're gonna land, all we have to do is head to the corresponding points and drive them back as many times as we can.\" As he was laying out his explanation, Kaito snapped his fingers and crafted a chair for himself out of black darkness and azure flower petals. It was the exact same piece as the luxurious article Vlad had once created. Kaito crossed his legs as he sat atop its leather seat, across from Valisisa. Then unhesitatingly, he reached his arm out to the map and touched the large, yellow expanse that indicated the desert. \"As for the demi-human pureblood sector, its construction is just as peculiar as I heard. The walls around the first ward are flawless, but as the ward numbers go up, the defensive structures get shittier. I guess the conditions really are different based on purity of the residents' blood... But because of this layout, the brunt of the losses came from the purebloods. They keep the gates to the other wards sealed off, so they didn't have anywhere to escape to. I don't even want to think about the attack the third ward got hit by... They were literally getting tortured to death.\" \"Ha, I warned them to improve conditions every chance I got, but they never listened. The pureblood sector's defenses are designed to protect against overland invaders and mixed-blood uprisings. They didn't even consider that attacks might come from above. Their fate was only natural for ones with a weakness so pronounced... Come now, don't give me that face. I would have disparaged them the exact same way if it was my race we were talking about. If you get hung up on every little thing, we'll be here all day. Get over it. Now, it's the duty of the living to prevent more victims from arising. Did they finish reorganizing their defenses?\" \"By some miracle, yeah. We pinned down the source of the underlings here at the beach, so once we shot down the ones that were approaching via alternate routes, things settled down for a while. We figured out bombarding them from the second-ward bulwarks was the best way to take care of them. Right now, the soldiers gathered there are using the demi-humans' metalwork cannons to keep up the assault. The civilians are split up among the various sectors and are under tight management. Once we opened up the gates, it was easy to come up with efficient evacuation routes and set up focused escorts. They should be able to hold through the day, even without my help.\" Valisisa nodded coolly. It seemed all had fallen within her expectations. She shook her soft tail as she continued her line of questioning. \"What of humanity's Capital?\" \"I only just heard back from them, but it sounds like they're doing comparatively well. The remaining paladins and the mages have been working together successfully. They don't have much that's effective against the underlings besides their divine beasts, but those summoned beasts are no joke. That said, we can't make out the damage they've taken in the countryside. They've allowed the lords to decline to dispatch soldiers to the Capital and just focus on protecting their own territories instead. And they've deployed people who can draw up barriers and teleportation circles to all the major cities so they can aid in the defense and evacuation efforts.\" \"And my beloved homeland?\" \"Right, sorry I had to put you in charge of the Northernmost Shore instead of your own country. Just like I promised, you don't have anything to worry about. All of Vyade's squadrons save for the first are manning the defenses around the World Tree, and I gave them a powerful\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Hmm?\" Then without warning, Kaito went silent and started rummaging through his pocket. He pulled out a glass orb filled with red liquid. It wasn't the jewel he'd been carrying around that housed the replica of Vlad's soul. Valisisa narrowed her eyes in puzzlement. Kaito snapped his fingers. Azure petals began dancing within the orb. The red liquid took on a radiant glow, and a person's figure appeared on its surface. The plain, bespectacled court lady gave a deep nod. \"Sir Kaito, do you have a moment to spare?\" \"Yeah, you're fine. What's up?\" \"I believe you requested to be promptly informed if she woke up, so... She has awakened.\" The court lady's voice was low, as though she were afraid of something. One of Kaito's eyebrows sprang up. A moment later, though, his expression went calm again, and he nodded. \"Got it. Thanks for the heads-up.\" \"With all due respect, the reconstruction sect will raise a fuss once they find out. You may want to hurry.\" \"Believe me, I know. Good work out there.\" After thanking her, Kaito extinguished the light. She was still bowing as her figure faded from view. The woman had been one of the communications personnel working for the king. At present, humanity hadn't formally given Kaito their backing. In spite of that, though, many humans, the court lady among them, carried out Kaito's orders without running them by their superiors, despite the fact that he was officially powerless. The chain of command was a complete mess. In a sense, humanity had found themselves in quite the odd situation. You can hardly blame them, though. Right now, people are being forced to watch one another get torn to shreds and cast aside like garbage. Given the general chaos, it made sense for them to want to follow the strongest guy around. And all the more so with that person having declared himself an ally to everyone alive. But he couldn't count on their blind faith lasting forever. Once things settled down, many of them would start regretting their actions or else be swayed by some new authority figure and begin reproaching Kaito. But he was fine with that. I don't need unshakable motives or faith from them; I only need their cooperation. As long as he could do what he needed to do, that was enough. Kaito casually slipped the orb back into his pocket. Valisisa puffed her tail up with displeasure. \"Hold it. You would bring out that strange device all of a sudden, then put it away without another word? What is it? Compared with the Church's communication devices, its make is unreasonably simple, no?\" \"What, this? Okay, so first, I craft a glass orb"}, {"text": "out of mana, right? Then I put my blood into it. It's basically just one big ball of my mana. I can use it as an intermediary for all sorts of different spells.\" \"That's all?\" \"That's all.\" Kaito nodded frankly. He then hurriedly wiped at the trail of blood quickly trickling from the corner of his mouth. Valisisa heaved a long, deep sigh and shook her head in exasperation. \"You're really starting to deviate from how magic works in this world, you know.\" \"I mean, you're not wrong. Most of my mana comes from the pain I get from my connection to Diablo's pillar, after all. Diablo's like an observer from a high plane; it's not like me or you. But the basic principles behind this are pretty similar to the ones behind that, aren't they?\" Kaito gestured with his chin toward Valisisa's finger. Wrapped around it was an extravagant ring composed of a large, glittering crystal set in a loop of silver ivy. Pink flower buds rested within the crystal. It was a rare beauty, like spring itself had been captured in ice. Valisisa wasn't wearing any other ornamentation on her body. She didn't seem the type to enjoy dressing up. However, Kaito could sense a great deal of mana coming from within the ring. It was clearly a powerful magic device, and not a mere piece of decoration. The beastfolk were lacking in magical talent, so it was a surprising article to see one of them wearing. Valisisa snorted as she stroked the ring. \"We've been pouring mana into this little by little for generations, ever since the Three Kings of the Forest bestowed it upon one of the members of the first imperial family. Disrespectful, don't you think, equating it to that thing you made on a whim?\" \"Oh, sorry. Well, now that I've gone and ruined the mood, I guess it's as good a time as any... The pillar is getting ready to release the fourth wave, so things should be quiet for a little while. Sorry I'm so busy, but would you mind if I teleported out for a bit?\" \"You being busy is only natural. The thought of you having free time is almost comical. You have my leave. Go.\" \"I owe you one.\" \"But be certain you return before the fourth wave hits. Without you, this shore will be annihilated. And when the foundation of a pile of stones is shattered, the result is self-evident\u00e2\u20ac\u201deverything falls to ruin.\" Upon hearing her weighty words, Kaito nodded. He promised her he'd be back. Then, after asking her permission again, he placed his orb on the floor. The blood within slowly began oozing out of the glass. It then started to inscribe a pattern atop the rug, as though it were alive. Azure flower petals swirled up gently within the tent, dancing splendidly through the air as they spread. They then melted together and hardened, forming cylindrical walls around Kaito. On the other side, Valisisa spoke detachedly: \"Farewell, then. And give my regards to the Saint.\" And with that, Kaito abruptly lost consciousness. 3 The Saint Awakens It's a weird thing, being powerful. That was what Kaito Sena thought. All someone had to do was possess incredible power, and others would instinctively show them deference, fear, and respect. Even if the end of the world hadn't been nigh, the number of people following that person would probably be above zero. They would be like demon worshippers, true, but demon worshippers had existed for countless ages, after all. At the moment, Kaito was in constant pain. It felt as though his entrails were being toyed with by a windlass, his cranial nerves were being directly lit ablaze, and someone was carving up his bones. As long as he didn't throw in the towel, though, he could generate an endless supply of mana. It was a technique born from several combined influences: his experiences from his past life, his immortal body, his contract with the Kaiser, and the fact that he possessed the Torture Princess's heart. As a result, not a single person in the world was his equal. What word would even be fitting to describe such a peerless individual? Almighty? Omnipotent? Strongest? Unbeatable? Invincible? Hero? Messiah? ...Mad King? Regardless... ...None of that actually means anything. That was what Kaito Sena thought. Power was supposed to carry inherent responsibility with it. A person's strength was fundamentally useless if they lacked a purpose\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsomething to use that power for. It was little more than a parlor trick. Kaito understood that fact implicitly\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif he couldn't fulfill his promise, then all the power and accolades in the world wouldn't mean a thing. As a matter of fact... ...It would piss me off if they did. Kaito slowly opened his eyes. The azure wall before him cracked, then a moment later shattered like glass. ...H-huh? He blinked a few times. He'd just been deep in thought about something; he was sure of it. But he couldn't for the life of him remember what it had been. He must have lost consciousness for a short bit. Kaito heaved a deep sigh, then shook his head a little and covered his forehead with his hand. \"What, again? Fuck.\" Activating the teleportation circle itself was easy. However, this situation had started happening more and more frequently. The root of the problem lay in the fact that his pain disappeared during transit. Then it would all come back at once, causing his body to die of shock and have to automatically revive. I guess I should be glad the blood didn't get stuck in my trachea, at least. Getting it out before I choke to death and die a second time sounds like a giant hassle... Depending on how bad it got, I might even have to rip out my throat... And I'd really rather not... If someone saw me before I healed, they would definitely cause a scene. His thoughts barely coherent, Kaito spat out the blood that had accumulated in his mouth. The ground was dyed sticky and red. He didn't hesitate for a moment as he strode over the puddle of his own blood he himself had made. As he walked, he reminded himself how long it had been since the pillars had gone up. It's only been two days... Or maybe I should say it's \"already\" been two days? He had to get everything done within the next five days. If he didn't, everyone would die. The people he loved, the people he hated, the people he didn't care about one way or the other\u00e2\u20ac\u201deveryone. But panicking wouldn't accomplish anything. There was something important that Kaito was lacking in order to carry out his objective. There're just too many things that I don't know... I guess my only option's to keep doing what needs to get done. As he walked across the lush, high-quality moss, Kaito cast his gaze upward. Looming in front of him was the colossal World Tree. Even with the end approaching, the rich foliage blotting out the sky was as splendid as ever. The gigantic, aged tree was still releasing consecrated energy. Because of that, its surroundings were free of underlings. Free of living underlings, that was. Their corpses littered the ground here and there. The beastfolk lands had suffered damages in the war, but those damages only went as far as the round river, which originated from the pure waters in the earth's depths and surrounded the forest containing the World Tree. Even now, the beastfolk were fighting alongside Kaito's special appointee to prevent the underlings from reaching the bedchamber of the Three Kings of the Forest. From time to time, the underlings' numbers would allow them to break through the defensive line, but they would be so wounded by that point that they wouldn't be able to endure the World Tree's sacred aura. As a result, they would unceremoniously explode. I'm gonna need to come back later and check up on the World Tree's defenses, but it looks like they should be able to hold for now. The underlings' corpses were strange. Their ribs had sprouted outward like flowers. After casting a sidelong glance their way, Kaito headed for the entrance. At the moment, the entrance was sealed by a tangled web of ivy. The various shades of green were wound together so tightly that not so much as a caterpillar could get in. It looked almost like a wall that had stood idle for centuries. However, when Kaito arrived, the door began writhing without even waiting for the doorkeepers' orders. The ivy peeled away, forming a hole through which he could enter. Much to the doorkeepers' surprise, the World Tree had extended Kaito a warm welcome. It was undoubtedly the wills of the Three Kings of the Forest at work. \"G-good work out there. Enter at your leisure.\" \"Thanks, you too. It looks like the defensive line is holding up pretty well, so none of the enemy forces should be able to reach you unscathed just yet. You guys can take it easy for a bit longer.\" \"Yes, sir.\" The doorkeepers bowed their heads. However, their tails had curled up unbidden. They'd failed to conceal their fear. Pretending not to notice, Kaito walked inside alone. The Three Kings of the Forest still hadn't left the room they shared, which was beside the underground lake on the World Tree's lowest level. Even after the Mad King's advent, the three of them had stuck firmly to their policy of neither reigning nor governing. Given the World Tree's reactions, though, it was clear they'd been getting information from the imperial family and had made some sort of judgment. Well, they don't seem hostile toward me, at least. That's something to be thankful for. As he was thinking, Kaito kept walking. The inside of the World Tree resembled that of an ant colony. Holes ran across the walls every which way, leading to rooms of various sizes and complex sets of passages. It made for a location that was easy to defend and hard to attack. Because of that, various important members from other races were permitted to take shelter here as privileged guests. Kaito had heard the young human king was afraid of war and had squirreled himself away in one of the guest rooms. There was no shortage of people lamenting his fragile spirit, but Kaito didn't care much one way or the other. As long as the king didn't hand down any stupid orders, that was plenty as far as Kaito was concerned. By promising them preferential treatment in protecting their land and riches, I was able to sway all the aristocrats the king left in charge to my side, except the Church diehards. La Christoph assembled the saints. And there isn't anyone in the paladins or their subordinate group, the Royal Knights, who'll get in my way, either. I don't have anything in the way of formal supporters, but bit by bit, things are moving along. It would be a pain if the king went and got in the way now. The king had value simply by virtue of being alive. Kaito asked nothing more of him. The person whom Kaito had come to visit was somebody else entirely. As a matter of fact, the issue of their custody had been the subject of no small amount of debate among the dignitaries. Kaito continued deeper and deeper down through the holes. The farther down he got, the fewer people he passed by, so much so that it started becoming hard to believe everyone was in a state of high alert. He began wondering if all those who worked here had just vanished. After following the winding, spiral-shaped corridor, Kaito finally reached the very bottom. The ground lost its slant and became level. The path veered off to the left, but it was blocked off by entangled roots. At first glance, it looked like a dead"}, {"text": "end. Yet in spite of that, there were human, beastfolk, and demi-human soldiers stationed before the wall of roots. Kaito stopped in front of them. The eagle beastman with vestigial wings on his arms bowed. The demi-human and human soldiers gave no response. Kaito took a deep breath, then spoke. \"I heard she woke up. I got permission from representatives from every race, the Church aside, to interrogate her. Let me through.\" \"Understood. Please go on in.\" As the beastman replied, the World Tree moved. The roots creaked as they shifted to the side. All the obstacles had been removed, and a straight path extended forward. There was nobody there, and no ornamentation of any kind. There was only the pale-white corridor of unseasoned wood continuing onward. Kaito gazed in earnest at the space. It threatened to throw his sense of time out of whack. Then he gently raised a hand. \"Thanks. I'm heading in.\" \"You know who it is you're dealing with. Don't let your guard down.\" \"And make sure not to hurt her.\" That last bit had been appended by the human soldier. The demi-human was silent, as expected. Their intense stares were focused on Kaito's back as he went inside. The roots immediately writhed and reformed their wall. In other words, there was no turning back. Kaito nodded once, then started walking again. He continued on in silence. Eventually, a boy wearing a scarlet outfit came into view at the end of the corridor. Kaito frowned involuntarily. The scene seemed sinister; it reminded him of a single drop of blood floating atop human skin. A single feather, sprouting from her pale arm. The drop of blood had quivered atop her white skin, then collapsed. Kaito shook his head to clear away the image of what he'd seen back at the World's End. Then he spoke in as cheery a voice as he could muster. \"Hey there, keep up the good work.\" The boy gave him a deep bow. He was a member of the Church, but he normally served as La Christoph's attendant. He had no connection to the reconstruction sect. They hadn't found out about the awakening yet. Kaito gazed intently at the boy. The boy nodded, as though in understanding. He then took a step to the side. A door bearing the coat of arms of the Three Kings of the Forest came into view from behind his scarlet-clad back. Kaito pressed his finger against its engraved surface. When he pushed, the door swung open so easily, it was almost anticlimactic. A heavy silence rose up to greet him. Just like the corridor, the room within was completely white. It was like a hospital, or perhaps a prison. It was almost completely empty; the only piece of furniture within was a modest bed. Atop the bed's clean sheets sat a thin woman. Her long, black hair ran down her slender back like a veritable river. She should have been able to hear the door opening, but she just sat motionlessly, her gaze fixed on the wall. However, there was nothing there. The room was located at the base of the World Tree. It wasn't like it had any windows. Yet still, she stared at that single point, as though to say there was something she could see. \"Well, Miss Saint, how are you feeling?\" Even Kaito himself could make out the sarcasm in his voice. The woman twitched, her shoulders moving for the first time. She slowly turned around. She was the Laughing Woman, the one whom Valisisa's private army had retrieved from the World's End. And she was the Suffering Saint, the one who'd destroyed the old world and brought about the rebuilding. The Saint's eyes were perfectly clear, and they reflected Kaito like mirrors. \"I'm not the Saint anymore, you know.\" Those were the first words that came from the Saint's mouth. She calmly shook her head. Her sleek, black hair shook, casting a ring of light. From her appearance, she seemed young. However, her behavior revealed an elderly spirit, and the impression she gave off was that of a mother who'd borne countless children. Kaito slowly narrowed his eyes. It was true; at the moment, she was neither crying tears of blood nor strung upside down. She was simply sitting, clad in the white garb of a patient or a prisoner. She didn't look the part of the Saint in the least. But Kaito repeated himself. \"No, you are the Saint. You're the one who destroyed the last world, who carried out the rebuilding, and who created this current world. You're the Church's object of worship, the Suffering Saint, the mother who gave birth to everything. Are you not?\" \"The Church's object of worship... True...I am. I...was. I know...that much. It's vague and faint and indistinct...but I know that much. Just...as I expected. I became an object of worship. They respected me...revered me...believed in me. Bah, what a load of shit!\" Suddenly, her voice went shrill. While there was no zeal in her tone, her words had a frightening amount of loathing packed into them. Her lamentation struck Kaito like a knife. He waited silently for her to continue. The Saint clacked her eerily straight teeth. \"They don't know the first thing about me.\" She practically spat out the words, her voice steeped in malice. Then she turned back around and fixed her gaze on a single point on the wall. It was almost as if she could see something. When she continued, her voice was dispassionate. \"Yet even so, I was alone for so, so long.\" Her words cut off. She said no more. Then once again, she was still. Her silence was so deafening that it made it hard to believe she had ever been talking. Kaito shook his head and snapped his fingers. Azure flower petals and black darkness swirled as he created a small chair for himself. This time, it was simple and wooden, well befitting the room. As he sat down upon its narrow seat, he gazed at the Saint's skinny back and conspicuous shoulder blades. From behind, she seemed cold, as though she were rejecting the very world itself. He spoke: \"Will you tell me about it?\" \"About what? At this point, what is there to talk about? The end is nigh. Nigh, don't you know? The end-time...hee-hee...hoh-hoh-hoh!\" The Saint's frail shoulders shook as she lapsed into an unsettling fit of laughter. Kaito waited patiently for her to finish, then let out a heavy sigh. When he spoke, his voice had a stubborn kindness to it. \"You've been fighting your own battle all this time, haven't you? And if that's the case, then I'm sure there was something you held inside yourself the whole while. Something that no one ever tried to look for. But maybe now it's time to tell the truth.\" \"...The truth?\" \"For the longest time, people just believed that you carried out the rebuilding. That, as the Suffering Saint, you bore the burden of all their sins. In reality, though, you're a sinner without peer, the woman who single-handedly destroyed the previous world. What did you do? What was it you were trying to atone for?\" At that point, Kaito trailed off for a moment. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists tight. Scenes from the World's End flashed in the darkness behind his eyelids. His face contorted wildly. However, the Saint's back was to him, so she was oblivious to his change. In order to set her mind at ease, or perhaps to get her to speak carelessly, Kaito maintained calmness in his voice alone. \"Why did you throw it all away?\" \"It was too much.\" Her response was immediate. Kaito was taken aback. The Saint turned to face him again. Her unnaturally sleek hair draped across the bridge of her shapely nose. Her eyes were serene, but there was no life in them. They looked just like the sky at the World's End originally had\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhollow. Her lips, on the other hand, were red and vibrant, and as the mother of all living creatures gave her statement, they contorted with a strange tenderness. \"Yet despite that, you people weren't worth enough for me to keep bearing it.\" Not in the slightest, she seemed to imply. For a moment, Kaito felt a flash of gratitude at the fact that he was the only one who'd heard those words. If anyone from the Church had heard them, that alone might have been enough for them to kill themselves. After all, they'd been cruelly discarded by the very entity whom countless people had spent generations praying to and worshipping. A heavy silence descended upon the two of them. Kaito was the first to break it. A gentle smile spread across his face, and with a brief nod, he threw his arms out wide. \"Yeah, I feel you. That makes sense.\" \"...I beg your pardon?\" The Saint looked over her shoulder, flustered. She clearly hadn't expected him to understand where she was coming from. It was the first time any real humanity had come across in her behavior. As he faced the confused woman, Kaito went on earnestly. \"It makes sense that you'd feel like that. After all, prayer is supposed to be a one-way street. Whoever's being worshipped doesn't have any obligation to receive it. And the truth about the Saint was kept under wraps for ages. Anyone who knew even a piece of the truth was suppressed, and everyone else just blindly trusted what was laid out in front of them without even trying to notice how contradictory it was. They just worshipped you without a care in the world. If we do this, we'll be rewarded. If we do this, we'll be saved. From your perspective, them believing that nonsense was probably a sin in and of itself. And I'm not here to tell you otherwise.\" *** \"But y'know, who gives a shit about all that?\" A kind smile still plastered across his face, Kaito reached his arm out. The Saint's throat was as thin as a swan's, and Kaito squeezed it with one hand. His gentle expression didn't change in the slightest. The Saint tilted her head to the side a little. However, that was her only reaction. She couldn't even comprehend what was happening. It was only when Kaito lifted her slim body into the air that she started kicking her legs. Still holding her with one arm, Kaito rose from his chair. His voice was quiet and calm. \"After all, you don't know the first thing about me, do you?\" The Saint's cheeks quivered. She was about to refute his statement and murmur that she did know him, but she stopped midway. A look of bafflement floated across her empty eyes. As the Saint, she was acquainted with everything she'd birthed, even if that knowledge was only slight. Yet the boy standing before her seemed to be one of the few exceptions. Just as nobody had known who she truly was\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe knew nothing about him. \"This body of mine is artificial, and the soul inside isn't one of your descendants. What that means is I don't have to sit here and listen to you spill your guts like some whiny fucking kid. I mean, if you were anyone else, I probably would anyway, but still.\" Kaito was a reasonably compassionate person. As far as the Saint was concerned, though, he had no sympathy to spare. He closed his eyes and forced himself to recall the things he'd seen back at the World's End. A woman bound by briars. Black feathers sprouting from her body and blooming into azure roses. A pained smile spreading across her beautiful, bloodstained face. Kaito's cheek twitched, as though he was fighting back tears. When he opened his eyes, though, they were dry. His voice went a tone deeper. \"Unfortunately, I'm so pissed off at you that I could kill you three hundred"}, {"text": "times and not be satisfied. So why don't we just have a nice little chat about how things went down earlier? Depending on how our conversation goes, we might be able to part ways without me having to test how much you can really endure.\" The Saint's expression froze. Ever since the world's creation, she had been in constant agony. By all rights, she should have been beyond fear. Yet her composure, which had been born from having tasted everything the world had to offer, crumbled. Standing before her was something unknown. Her thoughts thrown into disarray, a hoarse voice escaped the Saint's mouth. \"I... No, you...\" \"The two of us should get along and part ways as friends. Wouldn't you agree?\" Suddenly, Kaito released his grip, and the Saint collapsed. After plopping back onto the bed, she began violently coughing. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at Kaito. At the moment, she was sheltering neither God nor Diablo in her body. All she had available to her was her natural aptitude for magic. What could those eyes of hers perceive within Kaito? The Saint clutched at her own trembling shoulders. \"You're...you're not...one of my creations. No...you're not...even... Who are you?\" \"I wonder. Who do you think I am?\" Kaito turned the Saint's question back on her. Memories of a nostalgic voice echoed within the depths of his ears. It felt like it had been over a century ago when someone had called out to Kaito in that voice. \"Butler,\" she'd called him. \"Fool.\" \"Kaito.\" Her voice had been resonant, free from any sort of modesty or restraint. Of course, even with her gone, there were still people left who would call out to him. At the moment, though, those people had been separated and spread out across the land. All of them were following Kaito's orders and working to fight against Diablo. And so, alone, the boy acting as the Mad King shrugged. Several gruesome strands of blood dribbled from his lips. When the individual responsible for the fate of the world smiled this time, it was a completely different smile than the one he'd worn before. \"Truth is, I'm not sure even I know anymore.\" His tone was detached, and his words were as light as the wind. Yet at the same time, they carried with them a deep sadness. Furthermore, his clumsy smile was too broken to truly be called human. The Saint gazed vacantly at his comical, pitiable state. A length of time passed, and it was certainly not a short one. Suddenly, though, the Saint's expression changed, and once again, she adopted the kindly demeanor of a mother. It was unclear whether it was his deranged cheerfulness or his grief, which was as deep as the ocean, that had gotten through to her. All that was clear was that the stubbornness she'd borne until then had vanished without a trace. \"This is a tale from long, long ago.\" And with that, the solitary woman began narrating. It was a story from long, long ago. A tale too horrible to be called Genesis, too tragic. But it was also far too twisted to pass off as a fairy tale. 4 A Tale from Long, Long Ago This is a fairy tale. Those who wish to refer to it as such are welcome to do so. But it is a horrible tale as well. One way or the other, it's a tale from long, long ago. Not only were all records of the old world annihilated, but they were also purged from the flow of time itself. No methods remained that one could use to learn what happened there. She was the only person who could testify to the events of the old world. She was the beginning and the end, the slaughterer and the mother. \"Back then, my world was engulfed in war.\" The Saint began giving her account. Kaito frowned lightly. As she told it, the old world wasn't ruled by nations, but by a number of independent organizations and powers all vying for hegemony. Bound by their own interests and motives, they twisted the bloody annals of history for the sake of justice, hatred, and greed. At the end of the day, though, the sources that led to this tangled situation were surprisingly simple, and it was possible to classify them into two broad categories. Racial conflicts were escalating, and people's capacity for magic was advancing too quickly. The former had strewn the seeds of conflict throughout the world, lending each side a different sense of justice and pretext to rally behind. The latter made it so that organizations with powerful individuals and skilled mentors could attain military strength surpassing that of nations. In other words, the old world was what the current world would be like if the balance of power got thrown out of whack after the current world spent another few centuries developing. However, while the existence of higher entities\u00e2\u20ac\u201dGod and Diablo\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad been proven in the old world, nobody had been able to come into contact with them directly. \"Perhaps that world, too, was rebuilt from the ashes of destruction, or perhaps it was the first world God had ever created. I do not know. However, the old world had no religion that held the Creator in reverence. While the general indifference toward God helped spur on the wars, the fact that the Creator offered no guidance was what led to the assumption that it was impossible to interact with the higher entities. Because of that, the world managed to avoid both being attacked by demons and having God descend. Or it did, but...\" \"But then you were born.\" \"Indeed. I was.\" Upon hearing Kaito's murmur, the Saint nodded. Sometimes, the birth of a truly unprecedented prodigy could bring about massive change in a world. When the small farming village she called home was set ablaze and her family was massacred, her latent talents came into bloom. After being taken in by the state, she became the youngest-ever graduate from the magic academy she was tossed into, then began wandering from war front to war front, working as a weapon of mass destruction. One day, when she gazed upon the scorched earth that she herself had caused, she found herself struck by a certain question. From her perspective, humans, demi-humans, and beastfolk were nothing more than fragile ants. Why, then, did such feeble beings feel the need to kill one another? While she quickly realized the abnormality of that thought and hid it thereafter, her magical aptitude was far beyond what the logic of her world accounted for. Because her country had obtained a powerful mage by sheer chance, it was able to put together a plan to reclaim some territory it had been sorely missing for many years, but she herself quickly lost interest in such petty affairs. In the beginning, the reason her family had been torn to pieces and burned alive had been because the enemy nation had given weapons to the beastfolk who lived near her village. However, she didn't hate them, nor did she hold a grudge. Unraveling the truth behind the tragedy further revealed the honorable beastfolk would never have committed such atrocities if not for the fact that her very motherland had betrayed them. Upon delving further, it became clear that the original reason behind the conflict involved suspicions that another nation altogether was meddling in their affairs. When one obtained transcendental power, the whole world started to look flat. The conclusion she arrived at was that the entire cycle of hatred was meaningless. \"I just\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I found it peculiar.\" With unclouded eyes, she'd taken in the situation as a whole. War had driven the country to poverty, and its people's hearts could bear no more. The whole continent was being stripped bare, and if things continued on along the same path, all sides were headed for mutual destruction. However, she quickly came to understand something. Everyone was already well aware of that fact. Yet they had no means by which to stop. Every party was terrified of falling behind, so the magical arms race was spiraling out of control. Nobody even knew the state of their own research, and nobody felt they could afford to stop. Economies and supply lines were converted to support the war efforts as well. Some people felt armistice would prove disadvantageous to them, so they devoted their wholehearted efforts to throwing fuel on the fire. Their education systems were designed not to teach children about the consequences of their actions, but to brainwash them and instill hatred deep in their hearts. With each successive generation, people stopped questioning the war more and more, even as its original purpose was lost to obscurity. There was no country large enough to serve as a mediator, nor was there one powerful enough to secure a decisive victory. Eventually, she arrived at a conclusion of her own. A certain entity would be necessary to free them all from the quagmire. \"Such as a powerful deterrent\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe likes of which didn't exist.\" For example, something like God or Diablo. From her perspective, humanity, beastfolk, and demi-humans were all equal. Every living creature was ignorant, and every living creature was like a stupid animal. That was why she had to save them. After steadying her resolve to bring about salvation, she got to work. As long as she could summon them, God and Diablo would be the most powerful forces in the world. She presented her thesis to her government, and just as she'd expected, she received a massive budget to carry out her research. In the current world, summoning a powerful demon had the contradictory requirement that one must first consume a demon's flesh. However, the old world's magical techniques were centuries more advanced, and she herself was a vessel of such rare quality that her very birth was an astronomically unlikely event. Thus, in a tiny time frame, she was able to come up with a method to summon higher entities, a feat that Vlad had once estimated would take the current world another two thousand years to develop. On that fateful day, though, she was unsuccessful in summoning God. As long as some sort of condition was unmet, God remained immovable. After reaching that conclusion, she tried summoning Diablo instead. It manifested successfully\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dAnd the world broke.\" With a pop. More easily than a soap bubble. God creates the world, and Diablo destroys it. Even the old world knew about these properties of theirs. However, because nobody had ever actually interacted with them, her estimations were overly optimistic. She'd summoned lower-ranked demons over the course of her experiments, but God and Diablo's reason for being was fundamentally different. The two of them existed solely as a system to rebuild and destroy. They didn't even have the framework necessary to carry out negotiations. And as supreme a vessel as she was, her lack of experience in dealing with higher entities left her with no ability to resist Diablo. And so, through her body, it automatically carried out its task. She didn't really remember what happened afterward, only that it felt much longer than it had actually been. All she knew were the vague, nightmarish scraps of memory that remained. Horrific figures blotting out the sky. Seas transformed into plains of black and crimson. Azure blades cleaving through the earth. Black titans. Parts of the sky transmuted into glass. Bubbles forming in the land. Her own stitched-together body. A cluster of roses in full bloom. Resentful voices, their resistance as short-lived as that of insects. Frail entreaties that, in the end, transformed into bloodthirsty jeers. \"Loathsome, repulsive, cruel, hideous!\" \"A curse upon you, a curse upon you, a curse, a curse, an eternal curse upon you,!\" And then when she came to... ...she was in a place with nothing in it. If one was to describe that place, the most"}, {"text": "apropos comparison would be to a blank white canvas. Or perhaps a pitch-black canvas. Nothing meaningful was painted atop it. All the beautiful, warped art that had once been there had been scarred, then lost. Forever. Because of that, she had to carry out her atonement. It wouldn't do for her to simply leave the world blank and empty. To that end, she tried summoning God again. This time, the world had been destroyed, fulfilling the condition for rebuilding, and thus, God descended. On God's orders, Diablo fell asleep. Having wrested back control, she removed Diablo from her body. However, her wish to annul her contract with it and return it to a higher realm went unfulfilled. In order to annul her contract, she needed to give the order to Diablo directly. And as long as God was keeping Diablo in check, God's orders superseded and nullified those of His contractor. And annulling her contract with God first would mean having to give up on the rebuilding. As she agonized over that dilemma, she tried to find a different solution. Could she just renounce both of her contracts after completing the rebuilding? No, that, too, was impossible. Once the new world was complete, God would be freed from the condition on which He had descended and would automatically fall asleep. And because she was sheltering God within her body, so too would she. God operated under a rule where He had to rebuild, then sleep, and she lacked the power necessary to obstruct this for long enough to take any other actions. She couldn't even kill herself by forcibly releasing her contracts. If she had been powerful enough to control God completely, perhaps another option would have presented itself to her. However, that was beyond her. Even so, there remained a method by which she could more or less escape. God desired a contractor so He could maintain His peaceful rest, but He wasn't picky about who that was. As long as there was someone there who wouldn't fall apart the moment the contract was formed, it would be possible to push the burden onto them. Of course, no such person existed in this clean, blank world. At that moment, the only way she could die a human's death would be by abandoning everything. Yet in order to carry out the rebuilding, she chose instead to live forever. At that point, Kaito interjected. \"Wait, hold up. You were using God's power to keep Diablo in check? So Diablo was sealed away in the underground tomb, and the only one left in your body while you slept was God?\" \"Indeed.\" \"Normally, Diablo can only manifest once God has decided the world should be destroyed. And once God rebuilds it, He stops Diablo from immediately destroying it again. Not to mention that unless the conditions are fulfilled, you can't summon Him at all... Even though God's supposed to exist to oppose Diablo, it sounds like He's clearly the superior of the two.\" \"Given my experience, I would have to agree. That's why I was able to remove Diablo from my body with our contract intact but was forced to carry God with me that whole time.\" And whether or not God was inside her body, the fact remained that she was a peerless sinner. She bore the yoke of grave crimes upon her shoulders. That was why she'd had to build the skies, build the earth, and birth the seas. She had to make vegetation flourish across the land. She had to craft the moon and the stars. She had had to release fish and birds and beasts and livestock out into the world. Then after making humans, beastfolk, and demi-humans, she rested. That was the fate she had imposed upon herself. Fleeing her atonement would have been unforgivable. As she silently rebuilt the world, she had a thought: In the world to come, all would revere her. Unlike the resentful voices of those on the verge of annihilation she'd once heard, she would doubtless be hailed as a \"Saint\" and be offered countless commendations. She would be the mother of all who existed, after all. She would probably even be prayed to, hailed as the \"Suffering Saint\" who sacrificed herself for her children. Yet despite the praises she knew she'd receive, she felt neither pride nor gratification. For the rest of eternity, nobody would ever consider what she had truly felt. Without trying to learn what she'd been like before she'd become the Saint and her tale became embellished, they would have no way of even doing so. But she had no intention of condemning them for that fact. That was simply the way the masses were. The same had been true in the world prior. They would hear only what they wanted to hear, see only what they wanted to see. Flocks of sheep were, fundamentally, stupid. And that was the way things ought to be. But at the end of that day, was that truly not a sin? The ignorant had no right to cast blame, did they not? She thought once more in that blank, white world. Why had she tried to save them all? Given how things had turned out, it couldn't have been described as anything other than a flight of fancy driven by a serious case of arrogance and conceit. A fatal mistake, one brought about from the sense of omnipotence that accompanied the possession of great power. Yet in her heart of hearts, she couldn't bring herself to consider what she had tried to do as worthy of scorn or rebuke. It had been clear as day that if she hadn't done anything, the world would have fallen into ruin. And it was just as evident that, even knowing that fact, nobody else had tried to act. \"Yet even so... I've been alone for so long.\" She had fought on her own for so long. She had fought to save them all. She remained unforgiven, yet forgiveness was precisely what they would receive. Therein lay an inescapable contradiction. If that was the case, then didn't that make every person's entire way of life fundamentally wrong? She became obsessed with that notion. After troubling over that fact for quite some time, she created a hideous, adorable attendant\u00e2\u20ac\u201done who would serve only her. She instructed him to build infrastructure for trade so the new world would prosper. She also told him to teach the people basic information about her, God, and Diablo so that no one would ever repeat her mistakes. Then she decided to entrust Diablo's detached form to the people of the new world. Moreover, she also gave him a lump of demon flesh. \"However, if the people of this new world choose to learn nothing...\" And thus, she sowed the seed of evil, ready to flower if anyone driven by zealotry and greed or anyone who would gladly act as an agent of destruction were to appear. \"In the end, I took too long to notice.\" She had been assailed by profound regrets. After all, what had she been left with after salvation had been carried out? In the end, what of hers, what of anyone's had she been able to save? Nothing. Nothing at all. Just like when she was young, she hadn't been able to save anything. And because of that, it was only natural that nothing of value was born in the new world. After the destruction and restoration, the three races ended up making the same mistakes as before. People who sought power had arisen, swept away all others, and begun walking the path to annihilation. Once again, her conviction was reaffirmed. All living creatures were nothing more than ignorant, stupid animals. \"There was nothing in this world worth protecting.\" And when the solitary prodigy, the Saint, finally realized that fact\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe chose to set down her burden. That was all. That was all there was to the tragic\u00e2\u20ac\u201d No, to the farcical tale. \"And they all lived happily ever after.\" For the third time, a heavy silence descended on the two. However, it was quickly broken by the dry sound of clapping. Kaito had lifted his arms and was clapping his hands together. It wasn't intended in the slightest as an act of blasphemy against the Saint. He was just mutely praising her recounting of the tale. However, his action wasn't meant to demonstrate sympathy or pity, nor was it designed to express criticism. He himself knew an anecdote that the Saint's story reminded him of. Once upon a time, there was a girl. She tried to stop a man whom nobody else could stop. To do so, she became a sinner without peer. Once upon a time, there was a boy. As he obtained immense power in a crumbling world, he decided to save the ignorant, stupid animals. Just as the Saint had said, it was a decision steeped in arrogance. A terrible act of conceit. However, there was one clear difference in the way the Saint and the Mad King thought. Kaito saw the stupid sheep as precious. Humanity, beastfolk, and demi-humans are all equal. Every living creature is ignorant, every living creature is like a stupid animal, and every living creature is precious. Also, the Mad King had a wish he was determined to see granted. He had boasted he'd save everyone, but at the end of the day, that was little more than an afterthought. He would never say it in front of the people who were entrusting their lives to him, but Kaito knew he'd discard the prospect of salvation without a second thought if it got in the way of his true objective. He was well aware of how callous he was being to all but a few, how his unreliability verged on madness. In other words, the salvation I'm trying to bring about isn't for anyone else's sake. It's for my own, and I'm just selfishly doing everything I can to that end. He thought back on what the Torture Princess had said at the World's End. \"Bear no conceits\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsaving the world and destroying it are but mere matters of personal selfishness.\" Even if nothing remains, as long as I did everything I could, I won't have any regrets. No matter what fate awaited him. Having the dedication to shoulder everything on one's own for the sake of the weak and the downtrodden was noble, no doubt. But Kaito knew. The world wasn't beautiful enough to accommodate such selfless love. It wasn't worth sacrificing yourself if you would ultimately regret having done so. After all, you wouldn't exactly be rewarded for your troubles. The world was a cold and unfeeling place. Yet contradictorily, it also contained something radiant within it. Because of that, Kaito had sought to dig this item up. His blade had gotten stuck in the swamp, so he'd plunged his hands in instead. And after sustaining countless wounds, he'd grabbed hold of the jewel. There was information he needed to do that, information he couldn't get anywhere else, and he'd just received it. Kaito stood up from his chair, then began speaking to the Saint, who was staring at the wall once more. \"Well, sorry for making you tell me that long story. And thanks. I won't ask you for anything else. Various humans, beastfolk, and demi-humans will probably come by with some questions later, though. It sounds like the old world's magic was pretty advanced, so I'd appreciate it if you avoided letting any harmful information slip. It'd probably turn out better for you that way, too. If word got out about how important and dangerous the stuff you know is, your safety might be at risk. Odds are, there are people who'd be willing to use way nastier methods than what I just did to keep that information to themselves.\" \"You say...such foolish things... The bugle has been blown, the roses have bloomed, and the wings"}, {"text": "have spread. The end-time...is not nigh. It is already here, and yet...\" \"Yeah, true. I mean, I'm sure that's what you believe, at any rate. So I figure you should go live as you please. You were planning on dying the moment you set down your burden, but you were able to buy yourself a grace period before the end. The way I see it, nobody has any right to interfere with that.\" Kaito's voice was kind. He was implying it would even be fine for her to use old-world magic to make her escape. The Saint tilted her head to the side in a gesture one would expect from a young girl. Kaito had a vague sense of why she was acting so innocently. She'd gotten tired of trying to figure out whether he was a friend or a foe. Her unease was plastered across her face. She was no doubt hoping he would turn out to be a friend. However, as he gazed at the woman who had nowhere in this new world to turn, Kaito lacked such kindness. Unfortunately, I'm neither. He had no intention of denouncing the woman for her solitary fight. On the other hand, though, he held a strong personal grudge against her. \"You're a normal person now, just like you wanted. Go on\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlive wherever you want and die however you like. But you're the one who brought all this down on us. Don't forget that.\" As he lowered his voice, Kaito snapped his fingers. Azure flower petals flashed around his wrist, and he nonchalantly sliced his own artery. Blood gushed from the gap between his glove and his sleeve. The blood flew over onto the wall, then began writhing. The Saint blinked. Before her, the blood had taken on a recognizable form. A \"window\" had opened up in the underground chamber. Scenes from the outside began projecting where the Saint had been staring at. \"...Ah\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" A faint noise slipped out of her open mouth. Kaito gave a short nod. The Saint had finally come to a realization. She'd been staring fixedly at the wall for some time, almost as though she could see something in it. Yet in truth, she'd seen nothing, in every sense of the phrase. \"The ignorant had no right to cast blame, did they not?\" Kaito was ironically reminded of the quote the Saint herself had murmured mere moments ago. According to the Saint, her recollections of the end-time were dim. In other words, she'd never really seen the things outside that window before. God and Diablo had both descended on the world at once. It was a situation that wasn't even supposed to be possible. Because of that, there were probably differences between how the destruction was currently progressing and how it had occurred in the old world. However, the tragedy of the situation was identical. Outside the window, blood was spraying, desperate screams were echoing out, and hundreds of crying voices could be heard. Every scene unfolding there was actually happening somewhere in the world. It could only be described as hell. A giant, rabbitlike underling was grabbing the elderly alive and gnawing on them like carrots. A soldier carrying a cannonball was snatched into the air by some black thing and let out a shriek, before being returned to the ground as a pile of skin. A woman was frantically trying to get her crying children to stay away from her as a creature made of nothing but digestive organs melted her flesh. An armless demi-human was dancing an ecstatic, meaningless dance atop a mountain of charred corpses. Because Kaito was linked to Diablo's pillar, he could sense the particulars of every person in every tragedy that was occurring. He could sense them, and he had abandoned them all. I can't save everyone. Kaito wasn't a god. He could boast about saving the world, but it was impossible for him to save everyone from the personal tragedies befalling them. No matter how quickly he reached his hands out, it would never be fast enough. And at the same time, he knew. The world was hell, and that wasn't just true at the moment. There were countless people begging to be saved. Each and every one of them was crying out just as desperately as Kaito had in his previous life. \"Help,\" they were crying. \"Please save me.\" And Kaito had abandoned them without so much as glancing their way. Because of that, they'd suffered and died. I have to make sure I remember that fact. Kaito had decided his objective was more important to him than the world. He had no regrets. Given that, remembering seemed meaningless. It certainly didn't do the dead any good. Even so, though, Kaito refused to let himself look away from reality. Anyone who could forget something like that isn't worth the air they breathe. When one possessed preeminent power, the whole world started looking flat. However, the end-time was fundamentally just the accumulation of countless personal tragedies. Forgetting that fact would mean forgetting how to love the world. The Saint gazed blankly at the scenes playing out before her. She had undoubtedly once seen the fragments leading up to the end-time. However, at some point, without even noticing it herself, she'd become blind to the individual tragedies. As he looked at her skinny back, Kaito suddenly said something wholly unrelated to the various horrors. \"The Butcher was a good guy, you know. Even though he betrayed us, I still liked him.\" The Saint cocked her head. She gazed up at him in wonderment. Given her expression, she hadn't understood what he'd just said. Ah, thought Kaito. A momentary despair overtook him. As it did, the Saint asked Kaito the very question he'd been expecting. \"...The Butcher?\" \"Ah right. Yeah.\" Originally, the Butcher hadn't had a name. He was the Apostle, nothing more than a seed of evil planted in the world. The Saint should have been able to perceive his actions. Yet she hadn't known he called himself the Butcher, nor the fact that he had been loved. \"And finally, thank you so much for your many years of patronage.\" The words Kaito had been told rang in his ears once more. He shut his eyes tight. The Butcher had abandoned everything he'd enjoyed and canceled out all the memories he'd collected. He'd swallowed up the pain as he cut away both the feelings of those who'd shouted at him not to die, as well as his own arm. All because he'd been told, \"Thank you for being born unto me.\" That was all. Yet the person who'd told him that didn't even know what it was he'd sacrificed. She hadn't even tried to learn. \"They would hear only what they wanted to hear, see only what they wanted to see.\" In the whole time they'd been talking, she hadn't mentioned him a single time. Kaito drew in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. He spoke quietly, scratching at his faded-brown hair as he did. \"You said that 'even so, you were alone for so, so long'... Meaning you endured it all alone, right?\" \"I did. And it's true.\" \"Well, not quite.\" Kaito shook his head. After a brief moment of silence, he snapped his fingers and dispelled his simple, wooden chair. The wound on his wrist had already closed up without a trace. His soles clicked rhythmically against the ground as he walked. Right before he reached the door, he stopped. His black coattails fluttered as he turned around. The smile he was wearing could almost be described as kind. \"You just chose to be alone, that's all.\" And now the Saint had no one. Not even her hideous, adorable attendant. The Saint looked around the room, baffled. The window was still there. Cruel hells were still displayed on its surface. Tragedies building to the world's destruction piled up one after another. For the first time, the Saint's face curled into a faint grimace. She was the one who'd caused those scenes to occur twice over. They were what had come from her attempts to save everything. The Saint called out to Kaito in a small, trembling voice. \"You...aren't going to...kill me?\" \"Why would I?\" As he answered her with a question of his own, Kaito's expression was so calm that it seemed practically sublime. Her response was immediate. She cried out, imploring and urging him. \"I'm a sinner without peer!\" \"So?\" \"You... Your grudge against me is so strong that even killing me wouldn't satisfy you, right?\" \"Nah, I'm over it. I don't care anymore.\" Kaito asserted his claim indifferently. Then with a casualness that befitted his tone, he pushed open the door. However, he stood still for a moment. Without turning around, he closed his eyes again. The Butcher then appeared behind him, humming a strange song in the throne room. Elisabeth shouted at him, calling him an annoying lout. Their lively exchange blurred in the dim light, then vanished. With that, Kaito opened his eyes back up. He didn't check the Saint's expression or bearing. Still facing forward, he continued. \"Lucky you. You got everything you ever wished for.\" And then Kaito Sena closed the door. For a moment, he felt like he saw a frantically outstretched arm in the periphery of his vision. Something rang in his eardrum. Perhaps it was an entreaty, or an insult, or maybe some kind of question. However, Kaito didn't even spare it enough thought to figure out which. He passed by the faithfully waiting doorkeeper boy and headed back. The exit was blocked, but he'd already known that. That was why he waited until he couldn't see the boy anymore, then stopped in his tracks. \"Geh, gah, bleh... Blergh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" He bent over and hacked up a massive amount of blood. There were chunks of flesh mixed in with the red liquid that was gushing from his pale throat. Kaito squeezed his chest tight. After desperately regaining his breath, he looked up. As horrible pain racked his body, he let out a fierce laugh. \"Fourth wave's almost here, huh?\" He snapped his fingers. The blood spilled atop the floor wriggled, then started painting a magic circle. Azure flower petals flew through the white hallway. They formed a cylindrical wall with Kaito at its center, then cracked and vanished in a dazzling display of light. When it was gone, it left nothing and no one in its wake. And with that, the chance encounter between the Mad King and the Saint came to an end. 5 The Battle Against the Fourth Wave As the Diablo pillar released its fourth wave, a series of strange occurrences happened at the Northernmost Shore. Black clouds surged across the sky, yet the ocean was still. Lightning flashed, yet there was no noise. The sound of waves rang out, yet the water didn't move. The sea before the Northernmost Shore was as level as a mirror. This was certainly no natural phenomenon. Not even a sudden temperature fluctuation that'd cause it to freeze over would bring about such a state. The sea was calm, all the way to the distant horizon. It had completely forgotten to churn. Furthermore, it was slowly being dyed uneven shades of red and black. As an experiment, one of the soldiers tossed a seashell into it. A loud thunk echoed out, and the shell bounced back. It wasn't just its appearance; the sea had physically hardened. The change had happened silently, making it all the more disquieting. \"Th-this is...\" \"Hmm, it seems almost artificial. If I was to compare it to something...I suppose it's like if the glassworkers from the human capital all came together and crafted a single, giant pane of glass in order to maintain their skills. The scale of it is kind of impressive, not to mention ominous, but...\" With that, Valisisa snorted. She was right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe fact that the sea seemed to be covered by a"}, {"text": "red-and-black pane of colored glass was strange, to be sure, but it was more or less comprehensible. Eventually, the sea hardened as far as the eye could see. When it had, it transitioned to the second phase of its transformation. Countless shadowy figures came squirming over the horizon. The beastfolk noticed a strange sound, and they strained their ears to make it out. What they got for their troubles were frigid shivers running down their spines. Shluck, plop, shluck, plop, shluck. The moist sound of flesh and fat sticking to something hard, separating, then sticking to it again was growing nearer. Most of the underlings from the previous waves were winged, and they'd come flying in. However, it would seem the fourth wave was going to approach by crawling with their sticky bodies. The fact that the sea had been forcibly hardened over had likely been to accommodate their mode of advance. The underlings seemed to be in no particular rush, and they crawled calmly beneath the surging black clouds and the red sunset sky. That said, their advance had a terrible sort of vigor to it. It was a contradiction that made it seem as though space and time themselves had been twisted. Suddenly, sublime cries ravaged the air. The beastfolk who had been listening to the footsteps all covered up their ears at once. They could hear screams. The screams sounded happy. They could hear laughter. The laughter sounded kind. They could hear an address. The address was silent. They could hear begging. The underlings were begging for death. The voices sounded rich in emotion, but their actual contents were hollow. They sounded meaningful, but they were fragmented, and the fragments had no cohesion. It was all incoherent and jumbled. That was precisely what made them so eerily terrifying. As they let out waves of unpleasant sound, the horrors finally revealed their full forms. The moment they did, all the soldiers save the saints practically lost their will to fight. They resembled humans. They resembled beastfolk and demi-humans, too. Yet at the same time, they were completely different from any of them. The things had body parts from all three races. In a sense, their bodies were composed of \"parts\" alone. There was no clear delineation between their heads and their bodies. Their arms, legs, ears, hearts, lungs, and intestines all tangled and wrapped around one another as the things advanced. If someone took a body from a member of each race, sliced them up haphazardly, then stitched them back together as sacrilegiously as they could while making sure to leave the organs and the genitals exposed, that was probably what they'd end up with. The very fact that they existed desecrated the dignity of the living. The soldiers were assailed by terror. Despair at the prospect of being captured by those things, or worse, turned into one of them, filled the beach. Several people let out moans. Some vomited, and others defecated themselves. \"Ah... Ahhh... Ahhh...\" \"Those possessed by fear, withdraw! My army has no use for fools who'd be defeated before even making contact with the enemy!\" Valisisa barked out a coolheaded order. Upon hearing her sharp rebuke, the beastfolk drew their weapons and held them at the ready. However, they couldn't stop their ears and tails from putting their fear on full display. That notwithstanding, they'd come back to their senses, and they raised a fervent cry to elevate their spirits. \"Come and get us, you monster freaks!\" The things responded with laughter. (And they were screaming, too.) The things sang a song. (And they were silent, too.) The things composed a prayer. (And they were jeering, too.) The things wept loudly. (And they were laughing, too.) The things responded with laugh (too.) The things (?) The (!) \"Shut up already.\" That moment, a listless voice echoed through the air. Its speaker hadn't been there a moment ago. The vibrations in the air had transformed into a roar, but the voice had blown them completely away. \"Huh?\" \"Whoops, easy there.\" One of the soldiers gave a dumbfounded grunt. At the same time, a human figure touched down on the sea's surface with a casualness wholly unsuited to the gravity of the situation. As his black uniform flitted about in the rusty wind, the slender boy raised his head. The underlings' hideous forms didn't appear to scare him in the slightest. He seemed relaxed, which was eerie in and of itself. A different kind of unrest filled the air. But the boy paid no heed to the reaction he was getting. Instead, he raised his arm. Then he gave his fingers a majestic snap. \"Recreation of the Plain of Skewers: Impaled Victim.\" New colors danced atop the water. Azure petals and black feathers had begun raining extravagantly from the sky. The next moment, a chorus of thunks rang out. The red-and-black-stained sea had been rent, and innumerable iron stakes had shot up from beneath the waves. Their sharp points had ripped through the frozen sea like they would an ice floe. The normal, clear sea came rushing through the cracks. Then it was met with a huge amount of blood and quickly became stippled with crimson. After all, the underlings crawling atop its surface had been impaled on the stakes as well. The way they were hoisted in the air, they looked almost like skewered game. The blasphemous creatures awkwardly struggled, their mixed body parts squirming as they did. However, the iron stakes gave them no quarter. The evening sunlight washed over the stakes, the waves crashed atop them, and still, they stood resolute and immovable. In that moment, the stakes resembled countless, glimmering headstones. The person who had summoned the stakes, who'd just returned from the World Tree, was Kaito Sena. \"...Oh. I guess you can just impale them normally. All bark and no bite, huh?\" He nodded casually. He turned toward the soldiers, then shrugged. The gesture indicated he was hoping they'd affirm how much of a letdown the underlings had proven to be, but he received no such response. He blinked as he gazed over their stiffened bodies. Eventually, he clapped his hands together, then called out to them in a loud voice. \"Hey, sorry about this, but I'm gonna need the saints to start firing. The fourth wave is still attacking. Normal weapons should be good enough to fight them. I'll cut down and skewer as many of 'em as I can, but I'm counting on you guys to deal with the ones that get away from me. Their exposed organs look like they should be weak points, but their mana actually comes from an eyeball hidden inside them, so watch out for that.\" \"You heard him, everyone. If you can destroy them, then do so. We gather and wait.\" La Christoph solemnly raised his arms as if nothing had happened. His expression didn't even have vestiges of confusion in it. He had just been calmly waiting for everyone else to settle down. In accordance with his directions, the saints began chanting in unison. Their bodies were clad in pure light. A bit of confusion remained among the soldiers, but they got into formation. After making sure everything had calmed down, Kaito nodded with a gentle expression on his face. However, it faded before long. The Mad King turned back to his fleshy foes. As he raised his arm once more, blood dribbled from the corner of his lip. Then the Mad King murmured as the Torture Princess once had. \"La (oh ye, born of death, return from whence you came).\" And with that, he gave his fingers a sonorous snap. \"The enemy's moving differently now. I want to go make the rounds and check up on a couple places; you mind if I head out?\" \"You butcher a thousand of those things on your own, then pose that question like you're making small talk? You have my permission. Go.\" \"Y'know, I love how brief these conversations of ours are. It's a real lifesaver.\" Kaito nodded to Valisisa, then placed his blood-filled glass orb down on the sand. As the teleportation circle knit itself together, he cast his gaze out over the Northernmost Shore. The fourth wave had been successfully wiped out. A number of red-and-black shards that had been shattered by the stakes had washed up onto the sand. Underling corpses were scattered around them like beached jellyfish. A medic grabbed one of them with a hook, then struggled to pull it in. By analyzing the carcasses, they might be able to devise a counteragent for the venom the underlings had been spewing. A wolf-headed beastman went over and gingerly helped them pull the heavy corpse. Elsewhere, crimson-clad attendants and uninjured soldiers were working to transport the freshly fallen saints and the wounded. On the other hand, the healthy saints who'd just returned to the battlefield were gathered together and receiving a status report. They'd become rather adept at substituting people in and out. The soldiers and saints were even starting to intermingle to the best of their abilities. Perhaps it was because they'd successfully dealt with their horrific foes, but the soldiers' faces were all brimming with confidence. Even though he saw things had changed for the better, Kaito still furrowed his brow. His thoughts raced vigilantly. Those things looked creepy as hell, but the bodies of the fourth wave's underlings still fell within this world's rules. By the sixth or seventh wave, though, they'll have overcome that restraint. Normal soldiers won't be able to resist them, let alone react accordingly. Despite knowing that, Kaito pushed that unsettling reality deep within his heart. Dampening the soldiers' spirits right now wouldn't do anyone any good. The underlings were only going to get more horrific from here on out. It wouldn't take much to break their will to fight. Kaito needed their resolve to be as high as possible when the fifth wave hit. To that end, he said nothing as the azure light swallowed him up. The moment after the cylindrical wall surrounded him, his consciousness cut out. The pain ceased, then came back. Kaito died from shock. After automatically resuscitating, he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the mellow glow of the sunset. \"...Looks like the sky's cleared up over here.\" After letting out a faint murmur, he looked to the side. He was standing atop a long bridge stretched out wide over the blazing, golden desert. Or to be more precise, the stone structure wasn't actually a bridge. It was one of the walls that divided up the demi-human territories. In the demi-human country, the places people lived were determined by the purity of their blood. Its citizens weren't allowed to travel freely within its borders. Kaito was on top of the wall surrounding the second sector\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmore specifically, he was in a passageway designed for lookouts and repairmen. At the moment, though, it was home to an imposing line of cannons. The sound and tremors of cannon fire rocked Kaito's surroundings at fixed intervals. \"Ready, aim, fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire!\" As directed, flames burst from the entire front row of small cannons at once. The pterosaur-like underlings who'd been struck let out annoyed cries. The damage they'd suffered was minimal. The demi-humans didn't pay that fact any heed, though, and pulled on the ropes connected to the wheeled cannons in order to draw them backward. As they reloaded them with shells and gunpowder, the second row began firing. \"Ready, aim, fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire!\" GYAAAAAAaaaaaAAAAAAAAA! Their bones broken by the successive fire, several underlings fell out of the air. All the while, more cannonballs were being brought up on pulleys. Any damage to the cannons was being taken care of atop the wall, too. Thanks to how efficiently the repair and transport teams were working, the repeated bombardment was being sustained for a length of time that hardly seemed possible. It was an impressive technique, one that took full advantage of"}, {"text": "the country's ability to mass-produce gunpowder and metal. \"Same as before, huh? Man, it's crazy how long they've been able to hold out.\" Relieved at how hard they were fighting, Kaito looked around. The man he was looking for was standing a little way off from the cannoneers. Kaito raised his voice and waved his hand at him. \"Aguina! Aguina Elephabred!\" \"Hmm? Oh, Sir Kaito Sena, are you making the rounds? And just Aguina is fine. I'm aware of how troublesome our surnames are for foreigners to pronounce. If you try too hard, you're liable to bite your tongue.\" The bespectacled, lizard-headed man replied from beneath his coarse, sand-resistant robe. The demi-humans had agreed with the beastfolk and, in doing so, had come under the Mad King's jurisdiction as well. Given how the demi-human soldier at the World Tree had treated him, though, it was clear that not everyone was on the same page there. Depending on the orders he gave, they wouldn't actively get in his way, but they wouldn't always cooperate, either. They were probably concerned about how things would shake out afterward and didn't want to be known for having allied themselves with the Mad King. Aguina's words, on the other hand, were congenial. He, too, was an official who'd attended the three-race joint meeting. However, he was displaying a certain degree of affection toward Kaito. And the reason for his attitude was surprisingly clear. The demi-humans value blood purity above all else. The third sector had suffered critical damage, but Kaito had stopped it from spreading to the first and the second; ever since then, their estimation of his battle prowess had risen steeply. Unlike how he was treated everywhere else, he was greeted on the battlefield's front lines with open arms. In other words, this was thanks to how flexible and how brazen the demi-humans were. The deafening sound of cannon fire continued. Kaito rushed over to Aguina to make sure he could be heard. He covered one ear and raised his voice louder. \"The underlings in the fourth wave are different than the ones from before! Are you guys okay? It sounds like your cannons aren't firing as often as they were when I came last time. Is the enemy's attack subsiding or something?\" \"Oh, you came up with a hypothesis without even checking. Perhaps it'd be best if you looked down.\" \"...Down?\" \"Down.\" Aguina nodded. His long sleeve rustled as he pointed one of his sharp claws downward. Kaito obediently walked over to the edge of the wall and dropped to his knees. Squinting, he gazed at the distant ground. \"...Oh, I guess they came here after all.\" A section of the sand was dyed hideous shades of red and black. Underlings had risen up from it and were using their moist organs as suction cups to crawl up the wall. Before they could reach the top, however, demi-human soldiers with cloths over the mouths rushed toward them. The scales decorating the soldiers' armor jingled as they tilted pungent jars over the side. Black sludge poured down from the jars. After they finished drenching the underlings, a second group of soldiers threw lit torches at them. Flames rushed up, and the underlings passed out. It was a simple, merciless defense strategy. Kaito spoke, his tone half-shocked and half-impressed. \"Man, you guys are gutsy...and accurate. Didn't the underlings' appearances fill you with despair?\" \"Ha-ha, not in the slightest. We children of the Sand Queen have nothing in common with those hideous, hodgepodge monstrosities. And with that being the case, what reason would we have to despair? We simply dealt with them the same way we would any dangerous beast of the desert. That said, it's thanks to the main army at the Northernmost Shore thinning out their ranks that we were able to do so. If there had been more of them, we could well have been overrun. You have my thanks.\" Aguina laid his hand atop his chest. His words were laudable. Kaito, still on his knees, looked up at Aguina. The boy faintly widened his eyes in shock. \"Well, there's a surprise. I never thought I'd see the day when you actually thanked me for something.\" \"Hmm? Back when you rescued the survivors from the third sector's desperate predicament, then kept the damage in the first and second sectors to a minimum, surely I must have thanked you at least a few times.\" \"Huh...maybe you did. We were both crazy busy back then, after all.\" \"My goodness, we were. Dreadful, that was... I must confess, to tell you the truth, my memories of whether or not I properly showed my appreciation are somewhat vague.\" \"So hey, since it sounds like you appreciate what the other races are doing, maybe you could tone down the blood-purity obsession a little?\" \"Ha-ha-ha, I'm afraid I find your humor a little dull. Unlike the Three Kings of the Forest, our Queen has long since entered her eternal slumber. Understanding the anguish of our constant decline is beyond other races.\" Aguina replied to Kaito's suggestion with a dry laugh. It didn't seem like he had any plans of revising his way of thinking. Kaito heaved a deep sigh. He had his suspicions that this insistence of the demi-humans would lead to conflict someday. At the moment, though, he didn't have time to worry about whatever racial conflicts may or may not be brewing. There's probably stuff that I'll only be able to say now, but...I guess it is what it is. Still seated, he looked out over his surroundings. The sand rose and fell uniformly, casting shadows in a truly majestic way. Back when he was in that tiny room, he could never have dreamed of seeing anything like it. He burned the image into his eyes. As he did, he also checked to make sure there weren't more underlings in sight than he thought the demi-humans could deal with. After determining their nearby numbers weren't a serious threat, he nodded. \"Well, it looks like there aren't any pressing problems here, so I'm gonna head out. There should be a way longer grace period before the fifth wave attacks. It shouldn't hit until after midday tomorrow. If anything unexpected happens before then, get in touch.\" \"Understood. If that happens, we'll send word immediately.\" \"Sounds like a plan. Guess I'll do some light cleaning, then be on my way.\" \"...'Cleaning'?\" Still seated, Kaito leaned forward. Then without a word, he dove headfirst into the empty air. His uniform fluttered as he glided. Now upside down, Kaito looked up toward the top of the wall. Aguina's eyes were wide, and his back was illuminated by the afterglow from the setting sun. Kaito smiled at him, then cast his gaze over to the wall's surface. Suddenly, horrifying creatures came into his view. New underlings were crawling atop the charred corpses of their comrades and trying to climb up the wall. When he reached the same height as them, Kaito snapped his fingers. \"La (burn).\" Flames burst from within the hideous, fleshy masses. A moment later, nothing remained of them but ash. Then they were scattered by the dry desert wind. As he fell amid the fine particles of ash, Kaito pulled the glass orb from his pocket and flicked it with his finger. The crimson orb descended toward the sea of sand like a drop of blood. An instant later, a teleportation circle had woven itself in the air. Gentle light spread out from the orb, like an azure rose in bloom. Kaito landed where the flower's center would be, and the petals of light snapped shut. And with that, Kaito began teleporting. \"...What is he, some kind of monster?\" The moment before his consciousness faded, he distinctly heard someone mutter that phrase. However, he had no time to reply before the darkness took him. He didn't appreciate being seen as a monster, but it was more or less a reasonable assessment. Kaito Sena was aware of that fact. Great power carried responsibility with it. And at the same time, it represented something that was to be shunned. Fear, disgust, contempt, discrimination, hostility, avoidance\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe forms of rebellion were varied. Yet sometimes, that power also garnered praise. People were hostile toward things they couldn't understand, and they worshipped people who were close to their ideals. As far as people were concerned, anything too different from them had to either be a deity or a monster. Thus, reverence and contempt were two sides of the same coin. Conventional religious gods were one thing, but anyone who was deified would quickly also find themselves vilified, looked down on as a monster, and killed. Rebellion and praise were equally irrational things. However, that contradictory nature people had was in and of itself worthy of love. The powerless feared the powerful and regarded them with hostility, but they also revered them and sought their aid. On the other hand, if they found themselves indebted to someone they'd once denounced as a monster, they would still throw their arms wide and protect that person. They could kill because of their self-righteous senses of justice, but a mere thought could be enough for them to lay their lives down protecting another. That was just how people were. And not just humans, but the other two intelligent races as well. Flocks of sheep were, fundamentally, stupid. And that was the way things ought to be. For if they weren't, they wouldn't be able to live with that contradiction. Ignorance is a sin. But there's a kind of peace that can only exist inside it. As for Kaito Sena himself, he was straddling the fine line between god and monster. At the moment, he had declared he was going to protect the living. But the entity known as Kaito Sena was quickly becoming the most ominous thing around. As far as the world was concerned, he was now a foreign element, and where he'd originally come from had nothing to do with that fact. His rate of mana acquisition was accelerating. He was like a weapon that automatically enhanced itself. He might well have been even more dangerous than the Torture Princess, the peerless sinner. If he were to turn on the world, what would happen? Surely, the danger of that possibility wasn't lost on anyone. Even while he was saving them, they were doubtless thinking, The day will come when we have to kill him. But that's fine. That was the decision Kaito Sena had made. Every race had come to rely on him, but behind their smiles, their fear and bloodlust were rising. However, that process, too, was necessary for what he imagined would come after. That was why he didn't mind, no matter how much they ostracized him. That was fine. It had a purpose. But... ...It is a little lonely. That emotion, too, came from the heart. As he felt it, he thought: Is this how you felt, Elisabeth? After being vilified and bombarded with criticism, she had sentenced herself to die alone. She wasn't a person who was capable of loving solitude. That was why\u00e2\u20ac\u201d That was why Kaito had\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"Ha-ha, I come here to meet you in person, yet your complexion is downright pallid, my dear successor!\" Wait, is it even possible for a voice to be that annoying? Kaito snapped his eyes open. All the thoughtful reflection that had been going through his mind a moment ago vanished without a trace. He couldn't even remember what it had been about. Nevertheless, he blinked a few more times. He shook his head to sweep away his vertigo. Then he looked up at the culprit who had so rudely shattered his postrevival silence. The tall man in question stood against a backdrop of verdant-green trees. He was wearing a black coat and an aristocrat's shirt replete with a cravat. His sleek, black hair draped down to his shoulders, and his ruby-like, crimson eyes served"}, {"text": "to accentuate his androgynous beauty. He was the Kaiser's first contractor, the former leader of the fourteen demons, and Elisabeth's foster father, whom she had burned to death. Vlad Le Fanu. A smile was plastered across the man's childish face. Kaito reflexively let out an exasperated remark. \"Someone's in a good mood.\" \"And oh, how very! After all, I am but a child graciously bequeathed a brand-new toy! And yet even so, you will be pleased to hear that thanks to my astounding judgment and competencies, I have faithfully carried out every one of your orders! Why, I should think it only reasonable to allow yourself a little merriment in consideration for my labors... Although, it does seem you've died again. Can you stand?\" Vlad courteously extended a white-gloved hand to Kaito. After hesitating for a moment, Kaito took it. Until just recently, that action wouldn't have been possible. After all, Vlad Le Fanu's real body was dead. All that was left of him was a replica of his soul. But now he was no mere phantasm. After helping Kaito to his feet, Vlad spoke with sincere delight. \"Being able to move as I please really does stir at my emotions. Truly, being alive is a wonderful thing.\" And with that, Vlad Le Fanu nodded, a broad smile spread across his face. The man who'd once been burned down to his very bones had attained flesh once more. 6 Vlad and the Kaiser The man who had once been burned to death had risen from the ashes. He had been resurrected through the same method that was keeping Kaito alive. He hadn't technically come back to life, of course; no method existed in this world that could completely revive the dead. Vlad's current state was nothing more than that of a degraded replica of the actual man's soul. He'd simply been transferred from the jewel he'd been sealed in into a golem body like Kaito's. However, being able to move around freely supposedly felt as if one had been resurrected. Everything's more or less in order...or at least, it looks like it is. After carefully inspecting Vlad, Kaito decided he'd passed muster. The fact of the matter was, Kaito himself was the one who'd given Vlad his body. If there were any problems with it, things could end badly. After all, Vlad Le Fanu was practically a demon himself. If the situation had been any less drastic, the prospect of freeing his soul and giving him a body would have been unthinkable. Kaito thought back on the details that had caused him to make that insane choice. The real Vlad had died with the replica of his soul still trapped within that jewel. He was more powerful than even Elisabeth, yet he hadn't given his own replica a body. Kaito suspected the primary reason for that was so that his replica would go undetected during the Church's investigation after his death. Vlad was probably also concerned about the possibility of having his own replica revolt against him if he ever accidentally activated it while he was still alive. The replica was a degraded version of Vlad's soul, designed to pass along Vlad's will to future generations. It was able to act as an intermediary for the demon he'd once contracted with, but it was inferior to the actual Vlad in a number of respects. However, the two of them thought in exactly the same ways, meaning there was a chance it would betray him. After all, it was Vlad. There was a good chance he'd gleefully seize the opportunity to kill \"himself.\" Actually, it was a downright certainty. The real Vlad had no doubt known that and, as such, had left nothing behind for the replica. As a result, the Vlad within the jewel couldn't so much as move around on his own without Kaito's help. Just a little bit ago, Kaito had agonized over whether or not it was prudent to change that condition. Vlad Le Fanu was evil to the bone. Kaito couldn't let his guard down around him for a moment, something Vlad was well aware of. That said, it was hard to ignore Vlad's talents, either. The fact that he'd stood atop all fourteen demons was a testament to his profound leadership skills. Why, the Kaiser himself referred to Vlad as \"He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind.\" The way he thought was completely divergent from your everyday person. In other words, he was evil incarnate. And just like Vlad, Diablo could easily surpass the limits of human imagination. It was impossible for normal people to anticipate what it would think or do. Sometimes, the only thing that could defeat one evil was another. Given the current situation, Kaito didn't have the luxury of worrying about the future. At the moment, they were in dire need of manpower. If Vlad could move around on his own, his usefulness as a pawn would increase. And so in the end, Kaito had decided to give Vlad a body. However, it had come with a condition. \"Make sure you don't get carried away and try to do anything evil. Your head'll fly right off.\" \"And therein lies the problem! I mean, I must say, I'm impressed with how you think, but still!\" Vlad, seeming strangely excited, pointed at Kaito. The two of them bantered aimlessly as they walked through the forest. The trees around them looked like miniature versions of the World Tree, each one of them sporting an intricate array of foliage. The farther they went, the more shoe prints started appearing on the soft ground. Pure water seeped up from the earth, filling the indentations halfway. \"Your body is designed such that as long as it doesn't lose an excess amount of its creator's, Elisabeth's, blood, your soul will remain within\u00e2\u20ac\u201din other words, it's a kind of quasi-immortality. And now that you've obtained her heart and can generate limitless mana, that sole weakness of yours has been rendered null. Yet still, you chose to use a different method when you were creating my body. To think you would not transfer my soul but embed the jewel itself within my body! And you even had the gall to set a condition that would cause my head to self-destruct, jewel and all! I must say, my dear successor, you really do play dirty!\" \"Are you complaining?\" \"Oh, perish the thought! I find it ever so delightful!\" Kaito reflexively knit his brows. It would appear that Vlad was thoroughly enjoying his current situation. He was as inscrutable a man as ever. Perhaps sensing Kaito's doubts, Vlad curled his lips slightly. \"Up until now, I've stood on the side that toys with the lives of others. I've held their flimsy hearts in my hands, caressing them as long as I pleased. Now that I find myself a victim of that same treatment, I'm hardly in any position to complain. Being able to experience sensations yet untasted in an unforeseen way is a delicacy, no matter what kind of sensation that may be.\" \"So in other words, you're not just a sadist, but a masochist, too?\" \"Ha-ha, a crude way to put it, perhaps, but wholly accurate!\" \"You weren't supposed to agree, dude. That's creepy.\" \"Perhaps you find that difficult to understand, my dear successor. Normally, the two dispositions are at odds. But while I consider ruling to be my natural role, being forced to yield and made to bow my head is hardly unpleasant, either. Without supping on hardship myself, I would never know its true flavor. And what is life if not a constant voyage of learning?\" \"Didn't you die, like, forever ago?\" \"That's precisely what makes it so interesting. Compared with who I am now, the living 'me' lacked a certain sense of playfulness. Hmm, you can hardly blame him, though, given that he'd been betrayed by his beloved daughter, captured by the Church, and only just made his escape. Why, I feel downright sympathetic toward the man.\" Vlad shrugged aloofly. Not even his old, actual self was safe from his mockery. It was truly impossible to figure out how his mind worked. Astounded as he was, though, Kaito closed his mouth, offering little in the way of a response. And there was a good reason for that. The sound of swords. The sound of flesh tearing. The sound of magical flames surging upward. The tumult of the battlefield had come into earshot. ...Almost there, huh? The main body of the World Tree was surrounded by both a deep forest composed of younger trees, as well as a strangely circular river, which was filtered and circulated through the roots. Those two lines of defense served to separate the World Tree's hallowed ground from the rest of the world. However, therein lay a fatal weakness. The river's full circumference was too vast for the soldiers to patrol it. And because of how erratic the underlings' arrival locations and flight paths were, it was difficult to carry out a more focused defense strategy, too. Furthermore, it took four soldiers to safely kill a single underling, so a spread-out battle could well lead to them getting completely wiped out. Given all those facts, establishing a defensive line turned out to be a major challenge. However, Vlad had come up with a diabolical plan to break through the deadlock. He'd inflicted massive, linear damage to the forest surrounding the World Tree. In fact, he'd burned down enough trees to make a path right to it. The underlings weren't capable of complex thought, so they naturally flocked to the opening in order to avoid the forest's sacred aura. It then became possible to defend against these foes, but the plan drew an understandable amount of backlash. The beastfolk in the army practically started an insurrection. If things had gone poorly, we'd have had bloodshed on our hands...and probably worse. Good thing Vyade worked so hard to back us up. If Valisisa had been the one to find out, there's a good chance she woulda killed me. After they'd gotten help from the second imperial princess and suppressed the rioting, the defensive front had solidly held the line. That said, showing up directly at the front line would have been dangerous. Instead, Kaito had teleported to the forest's outer limits and walked to the battlefield on foot. Vlad must have sensed that Kaito would stop by to check up on the war efforts. Then he'd come and fetched Kaito from where the man had predicted he'd arrive. The front line should have been coming into view any moment. As he walked restlessly, Kaito shot Vlad a question. \"Anyway, given that you came all the way over to pick me up, I guess things are probably going okay... The fourth wave was different than the other ones. How are things on the ground?\" \"Ha-ha-ha-ha, how very like you. Always so quick to change the topic. As for your question...\" Suddenly, Vlad stopped talking and snapped his fingers. Azure petals and darkness whirled violently around his elegant palm and the white glove surrounding it. Then the trees in front of them toppled over. Their branches were cleaved up, like they'd been struck down by blades. All at once, Kaito's field of vision expanded. A wide riverbank burst into view. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Kaito whipped his head around. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Vlad, who for some reason was puffing out his chest proudly. \"...it would be fastest for you to see for yourself.\" \"Well, that doesn't look good.\" Before he had time to think, Kaito let out his honest impression. The spectacle spread out before them was rather grim. A clear river flowed calmly on the other side of the riverbank surrounding the forest. Or at least, it was supposed to. Now, though, parts of it had hardened into blotchy red-and-black chunks. Compared with the holiness of the"}, {"text": "World Tree proper, the water wasn't nearly as powerful. Apparently, the underlings had enough resources to pollute the river, and a considerable number of them were crawling atop its contaminated surface. Slowly but steadily, the blasphemous creatures were making their way forward. As Kaito watched, the seemingly sluggish masses of flesh leaped at several of the soldiers at an alarming speed. They didn't even have time to scream before they were consumed. It was the very image of Hell. Suddenly, a bloodcurdling shriek rang out from nearby. Kaito turned to look toward where it had come from. *** \"Ack, gah, ah\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" A priest, who was supposed to have been strengthening the squad's defenses, was violently convulsing. An underling had been traveling beneath the ground and, as distasteful as it was, had thrust its arm through his groin. Burrowing through the moist earth had caused its hideous fingers to burn and fester from the pure waters underground. Now those same fingers had burst up through the priest's mouth and were squirming amid his yellowed teeth. \"Gah, geh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Ah...\" Then the underling abruptly drew its arm free, and the priest collapsed to the ground. Blood and excreta gushed from his body. The underling then waved its sullied hand about and started looking for its next prey. An instant later, it found itself run through with a sword. The eyeball hidden amid its organs crushed, the underling's body crumpled. \"You monster... You monster, monster, monster, monster!\" Spittle flew as the soldier shouted and brought his sword down on the underling over and over. He sounded deranged, but his aim was true. He hadn't been misled by the underling's repulsive exterior. Vlad must have given them instructions regarding their weak points. That said, the squad's coordination had completely fallen apart. Friends and foes were all jumbled together, and the battlefield was a free-for-all. Vlad stroked his chin, then shrugged in exasperation. \"I never imagined the situation would degrade so badly in my brief absence. The defensive squads were supposed to be continuously deployed, and the mages were supposed to set the opposite shore on fire in a massive, raging blaze. Anyone who broke through would be surrounded by the soldiers, battered, then allowed to escape once they'd sustained heavy damage, only to explode from the power of the World Tree. That process should have been more than enough to deal with the fourth wave, but... Perhaps their replacements fled on them, and the cowardice of a few sent everything into disarray. Ha-ha, what are they, children cowering at monsters? Well now, this is unfortunate.\" \"Given the situation, what the hell did you think would happen when you sent their commanding officer, not to mention their strongest teammate, over to pick me up?\" \"Ha-ha-ha, you say that, my dear successor, but it's really quite hard for me to grasp just how frail these people's spirits\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"...Vlad.\" Kaito moved his lips as little as possible as he barked out Vlad's name. Vlad was still smiling, but he went silent. He looked down at his petite master, then spoke in a stubbornly calm tone. \"Yes?\" \"Don't screw around.\" The rebuke was like a blade pressed against the back of his neck. Another scream rose up from the soldiers' ranks. Blood sprayed violently across the ground. However, even though he was right beside the tragedy, Kaito kept his gaze fixed on Vlad. The only thing reflected in his clear eyes was his wicked servant. \"Why did I give you a body? I brought you back for one reason: You're useful. If you're not being helpful, then you're in the way. If you can't show off your power, you're just weak. If you fight without information, you're just a fool, and if you whine pointlessly, you're just incompetent. And hey, if your life has no value, you're no better than a pig. So which one are you? Incompetent or a pig?\" Vlad didn't answer. However, he didn't talk back, either. He just kept smiling. \"Get it together! Dammit, don't let them escape!\" Suddenly, a panicked shout pierced the air. Most of the underlings had made their way through the free-for-all and were finally surging toward the burned path to the World Tree. The soldiers who'd been able to keep their composure were rallying the troops and getting ready to pursue them. However, the underlings spat venom at them from their thick lips, the majority of which were attached to female buttocks. \"La (send it back).\" Without so much as sparing them a glance, Kaito snapped his fingers. Black darkness and azure petals knit together into a massive shield. It gently caught the venom, then launched it back. Upon being drenched headfirst in the viscous, purple liquid, the underlings collapsed. The soldiers let out cries of surprise and relief. Having finally noticed Kaito, they sent pleading glances his way. But Kaito himself was still glaring at Vlad. His next question was posed in a voice that left no room for argument. \"As I am now, you're a fitting minion for me\u00e2\u20ac\u201dright?\" \"Yes, my lord. It is as you say.\" Placing his hand atop his chest, Vlad abruptly hung his head obediently. His androgynous, black hair shook as he performed his graceful bow. His head still hung, he spoke in a voice that was the very image of a loyal servant's. It was so courteous, he sounded almost suspicious and affected. \"It's true; I myself made the choice to become the Mad King's pawn. And that being the case, it's only logical I should carry out your will. Right now, Vlad Le Fanu's madness exists for your sake\u00e2\u20ac\u201dah, what a new form of humiliation that is, and what a pleasurable one.\" Vlad contorted his lips into something that definitely wasn't a smile. It was an unpleasant expression, one that incited fear in any who viewed it. The next moment, his body vanished. The soldiers let out restless shouts. With utmost composure, Kaito alone turned his gaze overhead. There, he saw an aristocratic, black coat fluttering in the wind. Vlad Le Fanu was suspended in the sky. He was sitting on someone's back, with both legs to one side. Right beside him, bat-like membranes cleaved through the air. Two wings were growing out of the fine, black fur Vlad was riding atop. Extended out from the body was a malevolent head. And resting in that head was a pair of eyes burning with hellfire. The creature's identity was that of a massive, winged hound, and Vlad was mounted elegantly atop its back. They fit together so well, it seemed almost as though each had been born to pair with the other. \"You sure took your sweet time.\" Kaito let out a low murmur. Vlad deepened his unpleasant smile. The current Vlad was nothing more than an inferior replica. However, in addition to the way he thought, he had one other forte left to him. He could work together with the prideful Kaiser. The Kaiser, the apex of the fourteen demons, was a beast who could test a thousand men and then devour all of them. The trials he imposed on his contractor were harsh, and most of the candidates had died horribly. That said, though, once he'd acknowledged his partner's madness as one to his liking, he was willing to forgive slights that would otherwise have warranted tearing them limb from limb. And Vlad Le Fanu was the first man to ever earn that right. By losing to Elisabeth and meeting a disgraceful death at her hands, Vlad had earned himself the Kaiser's wrath for quite some time. However, it was also thanks to his help that the Kaiser had been able to remanifest, and at the moment, the two of them possessed similar attributes. From an outside perspective, Vlad and the Kaiser seemed to click. If nothing else, the supreme hound was allowing Vlad to ride atop his back. That's another reason I gave him a body. In Kaito's current state, he didn't need a demon to protect him. In other words, it would be more efficient to have the Kaiser fighting independently rather than acting as his escort. However, to do that, another individual was necessary. Left to his own devices, the Kaiser would refuse to act on anyone else's behalf. The temperamental hound needed a hunter to rein him in. That was Vlad's job, and the reason Kaito had given him a body. When Kaito had done so, he'd magically set up the artificial body to allow him to observe what Vlad did and said. At the moment, he could clearly make out the wicked way Vlad's lips were curling. Vlad was calling out affectionately to the Kaiser. \"Now then, my former companion. O proud, supreme hound. Are you ready?\" \"Ha! Ready for what? This whole affair is laughably ludicrous! Telling a demon to help stop the end-time is contradictory beyond repair! The Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain must have finally gone mad.\" \"See, you say that, dear Kaiser, but you're the one who agreed to fight in this war, aren't you?\" Vlad calmly rebutted the Kaiser's scornful words. Then he gestured with his chin toward the underling troops. As the hideous masses of flesh ferociously charged forward, they looked as vulgar as half-finished platters of sloppily eaten food. \"I understand you, you know. You don't retain underlings. You're too proud a beast to bear even looking at their hideous forms. And you demons are solitary entities\u00e2\u20ac\u201dunless your contractor calls on you, you cooperate with no one, even if your goals are aligned. How could you allow the world to be destroyed at the hands of not just another, but Diablo, who exists only to prepare the world for God to rebuild it, who lurks in a human's body with neither pride nor will?\" As he whispered, Vlad stroked the black dog's back. If he'd been in range of the Kaiser's fangs, he would assuredly have lost his arm. Fortunately for him, though, his seat on the Kaiser's back was out of reach. He went on in a casual tone. \"You and I were supposed to rule the world, once. But dashed as our dreams may have been, the vicissitudes of fate have led us here. And seeing one's half-eaten meat snatched away before one's eyes is unpleasant, no?\" \"Listening to you prattle is far more unpleasant, I say. Cease your tittering; you test my patience. But your thoughts on consumption are apt.\" The Kaiser let out a deep howl. He curled up the corners of his mouth like a human. Then, without warning, he soared through the air. The black dog descended upon the underlings like a raptor hunting its prey. The hellfire in his eyes traced a searing trail through the air. The force of the wind would have shredded any normal person to bits, but Vlad merely snapped his fingers, unfazed. \"La (become).\" Black darkness and azure flower petals caressed the ground, and iron bear traps began sprouting up like flowers in bloom. They weren't nearly powerful enough to kill the underlings. However, thanks to their simple construction, they were well suited toward stopping the many-limbed fiends in their tracks. Then sure enough, the Kaiser swooped in upon the captured pack. He descended on them, in every sense of the word. He was like a black star, falling through the sky by divine prophecy. The darkness silently blanketed his landing point. For a moment, the area was cast into absolute silence. A few seconds later, though, the darkness transformed into black feathers, then exploded in a shower of azure petals. Starting from the explosion's center, the underlings had been eviscerated. Tongues and genitalia crashed into the trees, then crumbled into dust. The beast's landing alone had been enough to cause serious bloodshed, and he laughed in a voice that sounded almost human. \"Gaaaah-ha-ha-ha, baaaah-ha-ha-ha, gaaaah-ha-ha-ha. \"Those lumps of meat don't even comprehend the difference in our ranks. Why, even making me kill them is irreverent. Know"}, {"text": "your place and die already.\" His proclamation was haughty and arrogant. Upon hearing it, the underlings opened their mouths. Even without brains, their instincts were telling them the hound was cut from the same cloth as they. Countless mouths moved in unison, weaving together words of protest. The things posed questions. (And they were lamenting, too.) The things made a supplication. (And they were bewildered, too.) The things begged for mercy. (And they were angry, too.) The things (And then they were torn to shreds.) \"I told you, you're annoying.\" The Kaiser stomped down on the nearest underling. Unable to withstand the pressure, it burst, collapsing as though its sutures had been ruptured. The Kaiser continued chomping down on several others before spitting them out in disgust. Despite the fact that they were trembling in primal fear, a few of the underlings bravely asked the same question. \"\"\"Why? Why? Why, why, why, why, why?\"\"\" The sheer quantity of their questions caused the very air to shake. Amid the echoes of their pitiful voice, the supreme hound made his dignified declaration. \"You lot are hideous. Annoying. And boring. Your lives don't bear a shred of worth.\" His answer certainly wasn't a proper justification to kill someone. But in a sense, it was more than adequate. To a king, the fact that the common folk displeased him was more than enough reason to crush them. \"...Looks like that just about does it.\" Over on the riverbank, Kaito was finishing up his own task. The river was already free of black and red. Instead, the water's surface was now blanketed with silver. The river was packed so tightly with needles that the flow of the water was no longer visible. All the underlings that had been crossing it had been run through on their sharp points. However, no small number of them had managed to escape to the shore. However, Kaito didn't even need to snap his fingers. At some point, a pair of red and white maidens had taken up his flanks and were practically snuggled up to him. One of them bore a bewitching smile, and the other held its eyes neatly closed. The beauties sported hair of gold and silver, and where one of them clad itself in an air of allure, the other bore a modest appearance. However, neither of them seemed ordinary in the slightest. The two women\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor more accurately, the two puppets\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwere an Iron Maiden and a La Guillotine. Both of them had been part of the Torture Princess's regular roster of torture and execution devices. IiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeEEEEEEEE! If you didn't kill them, they would kill you. That was simply their purpose. The underlings seemed to instinctively understand the threat the two women posed. They charged toward the maidens. They all spit out venom in unison as they extended their various appendages. That moment, the gold and silver beauties transformed. One's stomach, adorned in a red dress, opened up, and mechanical arms reached out from within. The dress adorning the other's body was white, and after it crossed its arms, it spread them out and launched rectangular blades from them. Blood sprayed. The cuts in the chunks of flesh that tumbled to the ground were clean and sharp. There was a kind of perverse beauty in the maidens' interwoven massacre. The soldiers stood still in abject horror. A new type of fear filled the air, different from the sort that the underlings had inspired. However, the maidens didn't pay them the slightest heed. They just kept carrying out their slaughter. The black hound continued his macabre dance unabated as well. Vlad, still sitting atop his back, nodded with a strange sense of satisfaction. \"You know, I only just realized it myself, but isn't this our first time working together as father and son?\" \"That is...not how I'd describe it.\" Kaito offered a quick retort, unconsciously breaking the silence. The Kaiser closed his jaw. The red maiden gently rubbed its womb. The white maiden closed its arms, as though in prayer. It was over. All that was left were scraps of flesh. \"...He's a monster.\" Someone quietly murmured, practically spitting out the words. Kaito Sena offered no response. As far the World Tree's defensive line was concerned, the fourth wave had been successfully eradicated. \"Looks like the wounded got back safely, and the shift change went down without a hitch, so... Good work; I'm out!\" \"This is just a supposition, my dear successor, but is this what you've been doing this whole time?\" As Kaito was waving good-bye, Vlad called out to him. Kaito blinked a few times. Then he delayed the teleportation circle's activation and turned to face Vlad. All around them, the war front was being rearranged. The wounded were being split between the infirmaries at the World Tree and the Capital, and at Kaito's direction, they'd put in a request for more people who could help transport the injured and provide backup. Even without reinforcements, though, Vlad and the Kaiser should be able to hold the line on their own. Although he wanted to make his next stop as soon as possible, Kaito replied to the question with a nod. For some reason, that prompted a heavy sigh from Vlad, who also gave his shoulders a light shrug. \"Well, I suppose it's a sensible decision. Right now, you're wanted most for your powers as a living weapon. Traveling to the various fronts is no doubt the best way for you to meet expectations. Still, that aside...\" \"That aside... What?\" \"...No, perhaps I'd best stop there. It's not something fit to say with a straight face. Forget I said anything.\" \"I dunno if this is some sort of weird bashfulness or if you're trying to be considerate, but either way, you're creeping me out.\" \"Heh, my successor and king's rebellious phase grows ever longer. Actually, given our relationship, is rebellious phase even the right phrase to use? I have to say, I'm not sure myself.\" The question was of no importance whatsoever, but Vlad began seriously turning it over in his mind. Kaito narrowed his eyes as he retrieved his glass orb from his pocket. This time, he dropped it for real. A blue design began etching itself atop the bloodstained ground. A great mass of petals and darkness rushed up. Then the azure hardened into a cylinder. From the other side, Vlad's laughter-filled voice rang out. \"It's just... The way you are now, you remind me of a dying beast prowling the land.\" Well, he was right about one thing. It wasn't something one could say with a straight face. 7 The World's Inherent Tragedy After the pain caused him to die of shock yet again, Kaito Sena got to thinking. Specifically, it was during the blank time right after he'd resuscitated, before his consciousness sorted itself out. Hypothetically, if Elisabeth hadn't summoned me, what would have become of me? He certainly wouldn't have had to repeatedly experience the pain of death. He wouldn't have seen all those horrible, gruesome sights, either. However, he also would have gone his whole life without ever feeling glad to be alive. Then like an empty bowl being filled with water\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dmemories of the various things he'd experienced in this new world swirled within his mind. The Torture Princess, laughing innocently. And at times, standing alone atop the battlefield without so much as a tear in her eye. Hina, smiling gently. And in her reddened wedding dress, holding her halberd at the ready. The Butcher. Izabella. Jeanne. Lute. Ain. Vyade. All the people he'd met, all the expressions they'd made, and all the things they'd said to him. And Neue. The boy who'd protected Kaito during the Earl's hellish game and been eaten alive by a spider. Kaito hadn't forgotten the words Neue had said to him as he'd stood on death's door. \"I guess...I was just hoping you could find happiness in this world.\" Even now, I'm still not totally sure what happiness is supposed to look like. But there's one thing I do know. The first time he'd wept with joy at having been born\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dhis death had gained meaning for the very first time. And even if he'd ended up taking on the same curse the Butcher had been bound by\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dno matter how foolish the decision was, Kaito didn't regret it at all. He had no regrets. And because of that, I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"...to. Sir Kaito. Sir Kaito!\" Then upon being forcefully called, Kaito opened his eyes. Once again, his thoughts had been cut off and swallowed up by the darkness. He shook his head a little, then looked up. A paladin clad in silver armor, which had atop it a coat of arms featuring a white lily, was standing before him. Behind the man's rugged shoulders, Kaito could make out stars scattered across the night sky. Kaito reflexively narrowed his eyes. This long, precious day was finally coming to an end. At the moment, he was lying toppled over in an empty lot in the region that had been severely damaged by the Grand King's plot. He slowly shifted his vision from the skies to the area around him. When he did, the glint of blades came into view. A number of paladins were surrounding him. And their swords were all leveled in his direction. \"Oh, this is... I mean, I get it, but...\" Not acting timidly in the slightest, Kaito heaved himself upright. The weapons drew a hair closer as a warning. Kaito completely ignored them, instead checking to see who the people surrounding him were. Their helmets' visors were down. It was impossible to tell whether or not any of them had fought alongside him back when the mass of flesh had invaded. Kaito recalled the series of calamities that had befallen the Capital. Once, thanks to a plot hatched by the Grand King Fiore, the Capital had come under attack by three demons who had fused together. The death count had been high, and countless historic buildings had been destroyed. The massive town market had been leveled, as had a number of workshops and warehouses, not to mention all the teleportation devices, communication devices, and other resources that had been lost. The monetary damages were incalculable. And the influx of refugees from the Capital was causing financial strain across the land. The number of able-bodied workers had declined, and certain types of food supplies were dwindling. That was the earlier incident. Now, thanks to the formation of the Diablo pillar, mankind had been dealt yet another grave blow. And to make matters worse, it had been proven that the culprits behind the world ending were none other than the Church's reconstruction sect. A group that'd placed their blind faith in God and the Saint had taken advantage of the chaos of Godd Deos's death and blown the horn of ruin. At this point, there was no value in trying to hide the truth. Thanks to Lute's testimony, all three races knew about the Church's plot. However, this truth had not been formally announced to the people yet. Even so, the rumors about the God pillar had circulated alongside information about the Diablo pillar, leading to the collapse of humanity's long-standing religious doctrine. In other words, the paladins' very reason to exist had been rocked down to its foundations. With that in mind, it'd be unreasonable to expect their judgment to be completely clear. Furthermore, by all rights, the Mad King\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwho was the Kaiser's contractor, and who possessed the Torture Princess's heart and an immortal body\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshould have been the paladins' enemy. But because he'd received the support of La Christoph, who both spearheaded the moderate sect and acted as the saints' mediator, as well as that of several prominent aristocrats, they had no choice but to follow his orders. However, that notwithstanding, given that he'd teleported without advance notice to an abandoned plot of land that had been ravaged by a demon, it was"}, {"text": "only natural that their swords would find their way into his face. Kaito could appreciate how they felt. He even sympathized. On the other hand, he found it exasperating. Their insubordination is too half-assed. If the sheep think the shepherd's making the wrong decisions, then they shouldn't have started following him in the first place. If everyone had just taken a minute to think and act on their own, then the world wouldn't be ending right now. Kaito shrugged. Unfortunately, though, they clearly took that as instigation. Perhaps it had touched a nerve, as one of the paladins wrung a deep voice from his throat. \"Sir Kaito Sena. You didn't inform us in advance that you'd be visiting at this late hour. What business do you have?\" \"So is it a good thing that you're asking me, or is this even more half-assed?\" \"Answer the question, if you would!\" An angry shout tore through the air. The wording was one thing, but its tone sounded pretty close to an order. Kaito was about to answer truthfully, but then at the last minute, he closed his mouth. He gazed off into the distance. The buildings had been engulfed by a demon, rendering the earth strangely smooth, and he could see a silver light approaching. As it drew closer, it left faint glitters in its wake, like a shooting star. However, the paladins still hadn't noticed it yet. \"What, giving us the silent\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" As another paladin was about to angrily cry out, all their weapons suddenly went flying. Someone had carefully knocked them into the air by kneeing their hilts. The swords, unbroken, plunged blade-first into the deserted patches of earth. The sharp, insectoid legs left silver afterimages in the air as the newcomer moved about. Whoever it was, they'd arced to an abrupt stop. \"What do you all think you're doing?!\" \"Cap...Captain!\" The woman was leveling a sharp glare at the paladins. She was down on all fours with her back arched, her stance that of a menacing beast. Her mismatched blue and purple eyes and long, silver hair gleamed in the pale light. Her face still had the vestiges of its former beauty. Now, though, her entire body was so distorted, it would make one hesitate to even describe her as human. More than half her body was completely devoid of flesh. Moving in its place were strange mechanical parts, the likes of which would have been out of place even in Kaito's world. Gears were spinning in sections of her cheek, and screws were rising and falling within the parts of her wrists and ankles that were peeking out from her uniform. They clearly differed from normal artificial limbs and body enhancements. Not even Kaito's world would have been able to manufacture such a thing. The fact that technology wasn't nearly as developed in this world made it seem all the more out of place. Yet at the same time, she had a strange beauty about her. That was likely thanks to her strong will, which glimmered in her eyes. It was a powerful light, one that only existed in the eyes of the living. And her voice had pride in it befitting that light. \"That man you were pointing your swords at\u00e2\u20ac\u201dSir Kaito Sena\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsaved my life! And he's fighting alongside us to prevent the world from ending! How many times do I have to tell you that before it gets through those heads of yours?!\" \"B-but Captain Vicker, ma'am! With all due respect, as paladins, placing our unconditional faith in the Kaiser's contractor, not to mention the man with the Torture Princess's heart, is too\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Fools! The reluctance you're feeling is baseless and emotional! If that's the only reason you have for your actions, then cast it aside! Perhaps you've forgotten they're the ones who rescued us in the battle at the Capital!\" \"We haven't forgotten, I swear! But Captain, surely you understand how we feel. His powers are far too perverse. Even some of the Church leadership was saying he's our enemy. Why, then, would you have us believe in him?!\" The paladin gave a pained appeal. Despite the fact that he himself was the subject of their mistrust, Kaito nodded in sympathy. The first demon had been stored away in the Capital's underground tomb. The paladins' reality had been shattered in the cruelest way possible. He could hardly blame them for having their doubts. At the moment, they probably felt like they were adrift in the darkness. However, the woman's clear words cleaved through their hesitation. \"Our faith is just\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnever let yourself doubt that! No matter what truths the Church may have been hiding, the nobility shown in acting with purity, doing good deeds for the sake of our neighbors, and conducting our lives with prayer on our lips will never change! Thus, it is our duty to be examples of that justice! And in order to do that, we need to devote our full efforts to protecting the innocent!\" \"Captain Vicker... Even after having your body changed like that, you still...\" Several of the paladins clenched their fists. They cast their gazes down. When they looked back up, though, some of their hesitation had cleared up, and their stagnant moods had started to shift. Noticing that, the woman pressed on. \"I have nothing more to say. Ian, Leauvas, what happened to keeping watch? Dan, weren't you supposed to relieve the people guarding the ration line? Bran, did you intend on sending the bishops back without an escort? All of you, return to your posts!\" \"Yes, ma'am. My apologies. It won't happen again!\" The paladins placed their arms over their chests and bowed. Then they hurried back to their posts. None of them turned to look back. The doubts they'd been seized by just a moment ago seemed to have vanished without a trace. Their decisive retreating made fully clear just how much trust and respect they put in their captain. Before long, they were all gone. The woman gave her head a small shake. Her silver hair fluttered as the tension drained from her body. \"Well then. My apologies for the discourtesy of my men.\" The woman slowly stood up and straightened her back. The parts in her ankles she'd been using when she traveled wound down with a loud noise and stowed themselves. After giving her back a firm thump, she turned back to look at Kaito again. \"You did well to make it to the Capital, Sir Kaito.\" \"Yeah. I'm glad to see you're doing all right, Izabella.\" Kaito answered her familiar greeting in kind. She nodded. Just a few days ago, the very Church she'd put her faith in had forced her to consume demon flesh. As a result, she'd fallen into a state that had been harder to undo than even death. However, the golden Torture Princess, Jeanne de Rais, had reinforced her body with Deus Ex Machina and saved her life. She tried frantically to raise the corners of her mouth. The gears in her left cheek whirred loudly, and her metal parts moved in accordance with her will. However, it was undeniable how artificial her bare, mechanical smile looked. *** Yet even so, Izabella Vicker was beautiful. \"As for your wife, she was aiding in the defense efforts earlier, and she's currently making the rounds. When the fourth wave attacked what used to be Mage's Row, she exterminated them practically on her own. It was quite the splendid display.\" \"Oh yeah, I already knew about that thing with Hina. That was some sick fighting.\" \"You knew? Well, be that as it may, are you not worried that the two of you are fighting separately?\" Izabella's voice sounded concerned. Its gentle tone echoed through the darkness. As he climbed the ladder, Kaito answered her question, which had come from overhead. \"All I can do is throw around magic. Of the two of us, Hina's way better in battle. There's no way some underlings from the fourth wave are gonna be able to hold her up. Man, my wife's the coolest, isn't she?\" \"Fine words of praise. Cuteness is far from the only appeal women can have.\" \"Oh, don't get me wrong, she's cute, too! Really cute!\" \"Quite. Even I can tell how unmistakably charming she is. Later, you should make sure you tell that to her directly. I'm sure she'd be pleased\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Hmm? Wasn't it around here?\" At the moment, the two of them were lined up vertically in a cramped space. Stretching out her arm, Izabella fumbled around overhead. Eventually, her metal fingers brushed against the wooden door, and she pushed it open. A square section of the night sky appeared amid the darkness. Izabella then went up through the door. Kaito, too, made his way to the top of the ladder and stuck his head out into the night. His cheeks were met by a chilly wind. He placed his hands on the stone floor, then lifted himself to his feet. When he looked up at the sky again, he realized the stars were closer than they had been earlier. However, the moon wasn't visible. Faint, dark clouds were covering patches of the sky. Because of that, it was difficult to look around. The two of them were standing atop a watchtower beside the castle ramparts. It had suffered serious damages, so it was currently sitting unused. Alongside Izabella, Kaito approached the tower's edge. As he gazed out over the Capital, which was blanketed in night, he frowned. \"...Man, that's grim.\" \"You can see it without binoculars, even in this darkness?\" \"Hmm? Oh yeah. I had to teach myself how, but I fiddled with my eyes a bit.\" \"...I suppose we've both made sacrifices.\" \"Sure, but you've had it way rougher than me, haven't you? Hmm... When you consider how long it's gonna take to clear away all the rubble, restoring the Capital's gonna be rough. Most of the buildings you'd want to restore are completely leveled. It might just be easier to construct everything from the ground up. Although, I guess compared with the last disaster, even this looks salvageable.\" Kaito let out a heavy sigh. The Capital still bore the cruel scars from the destruction the three demons had wreaked. Now even more damage had been piled atop it. A fire had broken out in the chaos of the underlings' attack, and the mages in charge of extinguishing such fires hadn't been able to stop it in time. In order to keep it from spreading, they'd had to knock down a huge number of buildings. But even though they'd resorted to such drastic measures, the area that had gotten scorched was considerable. Conversely, because some aqueducts had ruptured and several bridges had also collapsed, parts of the Capital had been submerged. No matter where he looked, he saw figures that were undoubtedly corpses. Frighteningly, even some of the buildings that seemed to have been knocked down on purpose had human arms sticking out from underneath. ...Man, just how long is it gonna take to recover all those corpses and identify them? Even if they decide to just burn them all because it's an emergency, there's a good chance that an epidemic will break out before they finish. Next, Kaito turned his gaze toward the large-scale shelter. This time, it wasn't scattered throughout the various plazas. Instead, the people were all gathered together in a vacant lot left over from the three demons' attack. Thanks to that, the paladins and priests were able to mount a much firmer defense. Because the saints were all absent, some mages had called forth summoned beasts, and their massive figures could be seen patrolling the area. Furthermore, one of the Church's undamaged buildings had been opened up to the public as an infirmary. At the moment, they were hard at work passing out rations. After his verifying all that, Kaito raised an eyebrow. ...What's that? Here and there amid the collapsed"}, {"text": "houses, he could see lights flickering. Apparently, there were more people than he'd expected who hadn't taken shelter. He could imagine any number of reasons for that\u00e2\u20ac\u201dperhaps they didn't want to leave the familiarity of their homes, or perhaps they didn't trust the Church in the wake of the God pillar being erected. However, there was something eerie about them that made goose bumps run across his skin. Upon closer inspection, the people clustered around the fires that had been lit amid the debris seemed oddly tense. Something was off. Trusting his instincts, Kaito quietly asked Izabella about it. \"Hey, there's a bunch of people who don't look like they're heading for the shelter. What's up with them?\" \"...In truth, that was something I needed to talk to you about.\" \"Well, that's ominous. Why do you sound so serious?\" \"Everyone has their own reasons for not going to the shelter. Many of them probably just don't want to bear the psychological strain of staying somewhere they're not used to... However, there are also those among them who fear the masses, and others who are carrying out a plot.\" \"People who fear the masses? Carrying out a plot?\" Deep wrinkles etched themselves into Kaito's brow. It sounded like the former viewed the masses as somehow dangerous, and the latter were committing some sort of crime. Izabella gave him a short nod. Then she elaborated: \"Deplorably, the damages didn't just arise at the Capital. In fact, the number of incidents here were probably on the lower side. Humanity comprises about eighty percent of the Capital's population. The farther north you go, and the poorer the towns and villages get, the higher the number of mixed-race demi-humans and beastfolk. If you include all the unreported cases from up there, the incident is more than grave enough to carve a dark page in our history books.\" \"Your preface is too long. Just tell me what happened.\" \"...You really are just like Elisabeth.\" \"Please.\" \"Mixed-race demi-humans and beastfolk were massacred.\" A cold, heavy wind blew between the two of them. Kaito shut his mouth tight. Izabella stopped talking as well. Kaito silently turned to look back at the distant, wavering flames and the corpses scattered about. Then he slowly wrung a quiet voice out from his throat. \"...You're saying with all these underlings running about and killing people, people started killing their own kind?\" \"Tragically, yes.\" \"Why? There's no reason. No, even if it doesn't make sense, there must be a reason. What is it?\" Kaito's voice was threatening as he posed his question. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Izabella's silver hair wave gently. When he looked, he saw she, too, had turned her gaze to the fires blazing in the night. He squeezed his fists tight. A man-made massacre. Even if it had some connection to the Diablo pillar, it was still a tragedy that defied comprehension. To put it simply, it's something we absolutely can't allow. \"The cause of it all was the desire for salvation.\" \"Salvation? How is salvation related to a massacre?\" \"It only became evident after La Christoph's investigation, but many of the most fanatical members of the reconstruction sect, as well as those who held leadership positions, asked to be transferred out to the countryside at about the same time they started using the transfigured paladins to conduct the beastfolk murders. Then they fled. And at the same time, rumors about the rebuilding began springing up.\" \"What kind of rumors?\" \"Allegedly, 'Hark, O ye ignorant faithful. Pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand,' 'The end-time is nigh,' and 'After the rebuilding, the devout faithful will be led into the new world.' And now right on schedule, the end-time truly is upon us.\" \"The reconstruction sect won't actually be saved, obviously.\" Kaito spat out the words. Faithful or not, everyone's fate would be the same. Death. At the same time, he understood. To anyone who'd heard the misinformation ahead of time, it would seem as though the prophecy had been fulfilled. The miracle had occurred. And only the chosen ones would be saved. \"However, the people who believed in that false salvation began massacring mixed-bloods.\" \"But why? I don't understand how the two are connec\u00e2\u20ac\u201d No, wait. Don't tell me... No! That's so fucking stupid!\" \"I see you figured it out. That's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey were killing heretics.\" Izabella laid out the horrible truth. Her voice was as cold as ice. Kaito sighed and buried his face in his hands. To be precise, the beastfolk and demi-humans weren't even heretics. The Three Kings of the Forest and the Sand Queen they revered had all been created by the Saint during the last rebuilding. Their origins were the same. But from the perspective of the Church's believers, the divergent beliefs among the various races must have made them look like they were completely different. And to be even more precise, they probably wanted to treat the other races as heretics so they could use them as that. What was \"that\"? Kaito lifted his face up from his palms. Then he quietly voiced his dreadful hypothesis. \"...To use them as sacrifices?\" \"Yes. They were killing heretics so they could sacrifice them and prove their devotion to God.\" Izabella affirmed his suspicions. Kaito shook his head. There was no word to describe those believers' actions but foolish. After all, it had been meaningless. The Church's teachings didn't even mention sacrifices being necessary in the first place. But when faced with chaos and the fear of dying, people were liable to reach out for the simplest, cruelest methods available to them. Her voice still frigid, Izabella elaborated on her statement. \"The only people who could state with confidence they'd be led into the new world were those who were truly pious. But the end-time actually came. So in order to be saved, people felt they had to immediately start demonstrating to God how devout they truly were. Sacrificing others was a nice, easy-to-measure method.\" \"So they said, kill those who don't believe in God. But in truth, they did it because of how guilty they felt for not believing hard enough themselves, and because of how afraid they were that they wouldn't be saved, huh... It all sounds like some kind of sick joke.\" \"That it does. Other than the few successful businessmen, most of the mixed-race people had no means of self-defense. The demi-humans think blood purity is king. They would never protect those of mixed race. Because of all the chaos, the beastfolk couldn't muster a response. And we had our hands full with the underlings. In short, they had no way to protect themselves, and nowhere to run.\" Kaito bit down hard on his lip. Several drops of blood ran down his thin jaw. Once more, he was being forced to confront a cruel reality that he'd thought he understood. He couldn't save everyone. Still, though... ...These deaths are pointless. There's no good reason for them! Kaito Sena howled internally. Religious conflicts existed even back in his old world. There was no shortage of examples where people carried out racial genocides in times of war, too. Just as people were capable of putting their lives on the line to protect others, they were just as capable of killing one another like insects. Despite possessing reason, they often acted like animals. Kaito was well aware of that contradiction. But right now, being confronted with that fact felt like he was getting his entrails scooped out with a knife. At that very moment, there were people in the world sacrificing their sanity in order to fight on everyone else's behalf. And on the other hand, there were people willing to massacre the innocent simply because they wanted to be saved. If that was the case, then at the end of the day... As far as salvation goes... \"In the end, as far as salvation goes, is ours truly right?\" Izabella's soft murmur overlapped with Kaito's doubts. He raised his head and looked her way. She was gazing out over the Capital with a pained expression on her face. Her words were practically a soliloquy. \"Our salvation and the salvation the reconstruction sect aims for are divergent. And even within the reconstruction sect, the Grave Keeper's zealotry was different still. When she spoke, it was with unwavering pride and conviction. She described the world to come as 'God's kingdom, a perfect, ideal land.' 'All glory to God.' 'The miracle is upon us.'\" \"'There is no need for us here,' huh.\" Taking over for Izabella, Kaito completed the Grave Keeper's quote. Then he closed his eyes. In the darkness, he could picture that young girl, clad from head to toe in scarlet, smiling. There hadn't been so much as a sliver of hesitation in those rich-amber eyes of hers. They were so beautiful that Kaito felt as though they'd suck him in, and he had to shake his head to rid himself of the image. Izabella quietly exhaled, then continued her confession. \"Allow me to speak candidly. When I first heard about the massacres, I stopped being so confident that the Grave Keeper had been wrong. Before the conditions for rebuilding are met, Elisabeth's body is going to break. With its contractor gone, Diablo will be released. Then while God is yet unable to act, Diablo will destroy its pillar and return all creation to nothingness. The rebuilding will not come to pass. But in reality, that's only true as far as we're concerned. It's perfectly reasonable to think that, even with His contractor destroyed, God will rebuild a new world atop the blank slate. And mankind will have no involvement in the process. A rebuilding with no one wielding the brush. At the end of it all, the new world will probably be completely different from this one, but...maybe that's for the best.\" \"Izabella...\" \"'There is no need for us here.'\" Izabella quickly recited back the Grave Keeper's words. She gently closed her eyes. There was no anger in her voice. Merely a deep, pervasive sadness. \"Given our situation, I find it hard to refute the Grave Keeper's sayings.\" Kaito Sena narrowed his eyes. He responded with mere silence. The weakness in her words was unlike Izabella. All the same, however, it was more like her than anything else. After all, Izabella Vicker believes in humanity. Even after having her body corrupted and being driven to the brink of death, she hadn't resented a soul. But the fact that she believed they were worth saving was precisely why she lamented the cruelty and weakness possessed by all of humanity, not just a few fanatics. Just like that woman who, long, long ago, had tried to save everyone\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dIzabella had been disappointed in exactly the same way. Kaito thought back to a question he'd once been asked. It was a question that he, too, had asked himself no small number of times. Flocks of sheep are, fundamentally, stupid. But at the end of that day, is that truly not a sin? The ignorant had no right to cast blame, did they not? If that was the case, then didn't that make their entire way of life fundamentally wrong? Kaito slowly closed his eyes, then reminisced on all the various horrors he'd seen. In a sense, the people living in this world deserved all the tragedies that had befallen them. They had brought these terrors upon themselves. After all, the seed of evil strewn in it had only bloomed out of the disappointment of the woman who'd sacrificed herself. The moment the fourteen demons showed up, it was obvious that something needed to be done about them or the world would suffer a crippling blow. But even though everyone knew that, no one actually tried to do anything. No one except for one peerless sinner. The Torture"}, {"text": "Princess. And that was how the world had reached the here and now. Hallelujah\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat single word the Grave Keeper had said rattled about in Kaito's eardrums. He shook his head, then opened his eyes. Still silent, he turned back toward Izabella. The cold night bore down on her as she began speaking again. \"Here I was, telling my men not to waver, and now look at me. How utterly pathetic. But even if we overcome this challenge, the world is too steeped in malice. With all the animosity and fear the people will bear, I have no faith we'll be able to keep on living like normal.\" \"Izabella...\" \"If we're headed for ruin one way or the other, wouldn't it be best to welcome in a new world? I just can't get that thought out of my head. We're fighting so hard to save this world, but...\" ...Was their salvation truly the right one? She posed the question earnestly to the Mad King, the man who fought while shouldering everything on his back. It was a sincere question, the kind that a child might ask. Kaito took it head-on. His shoulders, clad in his black, military-like uniform as they were, were frail and weak. His growth had been stunted. Now, though, those same shoulders bore the weight of everything he'd inherited from the Torture Princess. It was a heavy burden. Yet the Mad King gave his answer without having to think it over much at all. \"Right, wrong, none of that matters.\" Izabella's eyes twitched as she narrowed them. One of them was surrounded by machine parts, and it moved ever so slightly slower than the other. Then she stared straight at Kaito, as though trying to figure out what he meant. Kaito placed his hands on the watchtower's ramparts, then leaned forward a little. He gazed out over the marred Capital. Among the corpses dotting the land, not all of them had met their ends at the underlings' hands. Kaito Sena knew. The world wasn't beautiful. It was as filthy as a swamp, and as hideous as a rotting flower. But in it, I found something truly radiant. This was the only place that he and the people precious to him existed. Even if, perhaps, anything and everything about it was wrong, that fact remained. \"What meaning does some imaginary person's happiness have? Does it matter if some world we've never heard of is peaceful? Even if hell is the only thing left for us, I still want the people I know to fight back. And someday, I want them to find happiness.\" Every single person was worthy of finding happiness. Everyone had that right. Even if the world had already become hell on earth. And no matter how foolish the living all were. Just as he yearned for the ruthless, gentle Torture Princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dso, too, did Kaito Sena forgive the world for its contradictions, loving it for them instead. \"That's why I'm going to protect them.\" The Mad King made his declaration without wavering for a moment. He then looked back at Izabella, his eyes so free of hesitation that they seemed almost crazed. She squinted. She looked as though she was gazing at something dazzling. Eventually, she placed her arm horizontally over her chest and bowed. Her next words were quiet, practically a prayer. \"Kaito, I have nothing but thanks for you being who you are.\" Not Sir Kaito, but just Kaito. Her words were packed with a much deeper intimacy than usual. Kaito cast a gentle gaze at her mechanically supplemented body. Then he, too, spoke softly. \"I should be the one thanking you.\" \"Hmm? For what?\" \"No, I just... The world definitely needs people like you.\" \"...Like me? I should hardly think so. All I seem able to do is complain and dither.\" \"Not at all. After this, the world's gonna need people like you way more than people like me.\" Izabella frowned. Then puzzled, she opened her mouth. In all likelihood, she was about to try to put the sense of unease she'd just felt into words somehow. However, Kaito held up his hand and cut her off. He scratched his head through his faded-brown hair, then abruptly changed the subject. \"So, uh, on that note. I feel kinda bad for saying something so casual after seeing just how bad the situation is, but...I guess that's also the reason I had something I wanted to ask of you.\" \"If it's within my power to grant, then ask away.\" She cocked her head to the side, wondering what it was that he wanted. Kaito briefly cleared his throat. However, hesitating wasn't going to get him anywhere. \"So here's the thing,\" he began. Then with utmost seriousness, Kaito made his request. A few hours later, Kaito had arrived at what had once been Mage's Row. Technically, the Row itself was still fine. However, upon determining that it was no longer possible to do business there as befitting its name, the mages put out a notice: Regardless of whether or not the world was actually going to end, Mage's Row was shutting down. Kaito stood still atop the narrow, alley-like main drag. After surveying his surroundings, he gave a small nod. \"Huh... You really can tell the fourth-wave underlings hit this area.\" The artificial, boxy buildings around him seemed to intentionally spurn the notion of decoration. The entire sector was seedy. Normally, color would be all but out of place here. Now, though, it was dyed with ominous patches of black and red, and the walls had been transformed into some unidentifiable material so the underlings would have an easier time scaling them. They must have been crawling about on the shops' surfaces, none of which had had been built with windows or doors in an effort to keep out those who didn't understand the value and danger of the goods sold within. The viciously rent corpses of the underlings littered the walls. However, what was surprising was that the demise of Mage's Row had nothing to do with the grim spectacle before him. Everything happened shortly after the three merged demons had been successfully struck down. First, the magical merchants quickly made their way back to the Capital. After all, while their operations had been on standby, the market price of magical remedies had exploded. Of course, their trade dealt with a wide variety of dangerous goods by nature, so they were used to being tossed about by the fickle whims of the times. However, none of them could have predicted that the very moment they hung their BACK IN BUSINESS signs up, the bugles heralding the end-time would be blown. As a result, the merchants flipped out. If the end-time came, then all the people in the world would die. In other words, they wouldn't have any more customers. And they clearly refused to stand for that. If they'd thought about the situation a little more carefully, they probably would have realized their own deaths should have been the more pressing concern. But alas. In any case, they'd all taken their strange philosophy and offered their help in the defense efforts. Because of this, many of the veterans with summoned beasts in tow were actually powerful retirees from Mage's Row. To them, though, spending all their inventory in battle would mean having to close up shop. Preserving their precious goods and manufacturing magical remedies required quantities of mana that had taken them years to amass. Using this mana up would leave them no choice but to abandon the Capital, set up a workshop, and begin building it up again. But even knowing their actions would drive their own businesses to ruin, they still chose to strive for a world in which commerce was possible. \"All for you, my dear customers.\" Those were the words of the merchant of legend, passed down for countless years. Anyone who dealt with trade knew and held them as a badge of honor. Maybe their choice was contradictory, but in a way, it was kind of a happy one, too. Upon reaching that point in his thoughts, Kaito reminisced on the Butcher's nonsensical behavior. He didn't pick up the way he acted and spoke from the Saint, nor did he learn from her his way of thinking as a merchant. Perhaps he'd picked them up while unifying the scattered peddlers in his efforts to make society prosper. And now that time had gone by, the Butcher's words were still living on in the merchants' hearts. Even if someone dies, as long as the world is still there, a part of them lives on. And if something was worth being passed on, then it deserved to be protected. Once again, Kaito appreciated the value of fighting back against the impossible. Suddenly, though, he was pulled from his reverie. \"Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Maaaaaa\u00e2\u20ac\u201d!\" \"Mamam? \"Master Kaitoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!\" And with a great whoosh, a maid came bursting through the air. Or to put it another way, his wife came flying at him. His wife\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dcame flying\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dat him! You've gotta be kidding me. On the spur of the moment, Kaito used magic to reinforce his body, a feat only made possible by the power of love. Then he spread out his arms, ready to catch her. Upon seeing that, though, she suddenly cast aside the halberd she'd been carrying. The weapon drew an arc through the air as it went flying off in another direction. Using the recoil from the throw, she made three and a half clean revolutions in the air and corrected her course. And just like that, she plunged headfirst into a nearby shop. Fragments from the wall sprinkled to the ground. Kaito nervously surveyed the damages. Her bottom, clad in the skirt of her maid uniform, was sticking out from the wall. Kaito turned and began speaking to it. \"H-Hina? Why exactly did you go and self-destruct there?\" \"I'm afraid to admit I got a little too energetic. I was concerned I would hurt you. Oh, I was just ever so excited to see you. My deepest apologies.\" \"Well, that's dumb. Here I was, more than happy to catch you.\" \"Oh, Master Kaitoooooo, you're too kiiiiiiiiind! Everyone, come look, everyone in the whole wide world! This man here is my strong, invincible, perfect, adorable husband! Eek!\" In concert with the \"eek!\" bit, Hina wrenched her head free from the wall. As she did, she turned about and flashed Kaito an ear-to-ear smile. After his brain finished rebooting, he came to the happy conclusion that she wasn't injured before going on. \"You know, Hina, I was actually walking around hoping I'd find you. Thanks for coming and finding me, instead.\" \"Of course! The moment I sensed your fragrant aroma, I lost myself in it and came flying right over!\" \"All right, I'm gonna be honest with you; I'm a little embarrassed you could track me down by smell from that far away.\" \"Oh, don't be! You see, Master Kaito, your blood has a sweet fragrance to it, but your whole body smells warm and gentle, like the sun, or like freshly baked cookies... I mean, perhaps I'm the only one who can tell, but it's peaceful and pleasant. It's a lovely, lovely scent! Eek, I said it! How embarrassing!\" \"Wait, that's the part you're getting embarrassed about? Anyway, Hina, there's, uh, something I wanted to ask you.\" \"What is it, my dearest Master Kaito? What is it? What is it?\" Hina's cutely frilled skirt gently splayed out as she sat down in front of him. Her eyes glittered as she waited raptly for what he had to say. She resembled a puppy wagging its tail and was just as adorable. Even though the world was ending, Hina was the same as ever. Kaito let out a little chuckle. After choking back the affection welling up inside him, he knelt down, lowered his waist, and looked Hina in the eye. She blushed just like a"}, {"text": "human and began fidgeting restlessly. \"Hoo-wee, our eyes met... It's been so long that I'm getting all shy.\" \"Well, that was an odd noise. You know, Hina, it is weird that we've been working in different places, but we haven't exactly been apart for all that long. Also, isn't that a funny thing to get hung up on, given that we've, uh, y'know, done way more?\" \"Oh, Master Kaitooooooo, you mustn't saaaaaaaaay that. Something terrible will happen to my gears.\" \"Hmm? Something terrible?\" \"Specifically, they'll all pop out, and I will die.\" \"No, don't.\" In spite of himself, Kaito's face went serious. Clutching her cheeks in her hands, Hina violently shook her head from side to side. In order to calm her down, Kaito stroked her head. She froze. Kaito then rubbed his palm back and forth over the top of her maid cap. As he pampered her, he asked her a question. \"Anyway, my dear, bashful Hina, I have an invitation for you.\" \"Master Kaito... Master Kaito is patting my head... Oh... If only I could keep savoring this hand for another seventy-eight hundred years... Wait, an invitation? Of what sort?\" \"If you don't mind...\" Kaito then cleared his throat in an obviously affected way. He stopped stroking Hina's head. Instead, he reverently took her pale palm in his. She opened her emerald-green, gemstone eyes wide. Though it was obviously too late to fret, Kaito began worrying he was trying too hard. However, Hina being Hina, he was pretty sure she wouldn't laugh at him. And because he knew he'd already made his choice, he swallowed back his nervousness and asked: \"...would you like to go on a date with me?\" And with that, he planted an audible kiss on the tip of her finger. She offered no response. She simply stared at him in a daze. Kaito panicked; perhaps it had been a bad idea after all. Right as he was about to explain himself, though, she opened her mouth. *** \"Oh? \"Overload.\" And with that one, enigmatic word, Hina toppled over backward. \"HINAAAAAAAAA!\" screamed Kaito. Her face looked somehow tranquil, and at the same time, completely at peace. 8 At the Torture Princess's Castle A cold night wind billowed atop the watchtower, blowing the clusters of murky clouds away. Behind them, the tranquil darkness came into view. It resembled the bottom of a clear, still lake. Izabella's silver hair and mechanical parts shone radiantly in the moonlight. Kaito found himself reflected in her mismatched blue and purple eyes\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe only parts of her body that had remained wholly unchanged. He returned her calm gaze in kind. After a few moments of deliberation, she nodded. \"Understood. I think that's a perfectly reasonable decision. And I have no objections to your request, either. Taking the time to do so now, at this late stage, is for the best. You may not get another chance.\" \"Thanks. I'm glad you see it that way.\" \"But... Will you really be able to kill her?\" There was no need to ask whom she was talking about. Wearing an expression that almost resembled a smile, Kaito elected to remain silent. Izabella no doubt understood he had no intention of answering her question. However, she continued pressing him. \"Regarding killing God and Diablo while they're still inside their contractors... I checked with Vlad, and he confirmed that Jeanne's method of bringing about salvation is still viable. Their vessels becoming unable to withstand the strain would be one thing, but if we kill them, contractors and all, the contracts will be annulled, and both God and Diablo will be forcibly returned to the realm from which they came. That's the only way we can save the world. Or if nothing else, Diablo is the one carrying out the destruction, so we need to put it down while it's still in its vessel...that is to say, Elisabeth. But...\" Izabella cast a pained glace toward Kaito. She, too, understood. \"Elisabeth Le Fanu is deeply important to Kaito Sena.\" That fact would be evident to anyone who'd spent even a little bit of time around the two. Kaito didn't answer. Eventually, Izabella went on. \"I don't know if it'll help, but I have a shameful confession to make. It's one of the reasons I wavered so greatly on whether or not it was right to bring about salvation.\" \"...What?\" \"Killing Jeanne de Rais is beyond me.\" Kaito let out a small gasp. The moment he did, a harsh wind gushed up. For a moment, he felt as though he could hear a nostalgic voice nipping at his ears. Although it was lacking in emotion, it had a sweet, bell-like ring to it. \"You really are The Fool, aren't you, mister?\" Kaito thought back to the other Torture Princess, the golden girl who described herself as the saint and the whore. She'd had a certain mechanical sincerity to her actions, as well as a coldness that bordered on inhuman. Because she'd prioritized Izabella's life over her duty to bring about salvation, she had been transformed into God's pillar. Izabella glanced softly over the mechanical parts supplementing her own body. Originally, they'd made up Deus Ex Machina, Jeanne's living weapon. \"When I came to my senses, I was terribly confused. Why was I alive? What had happened? What had become of my body? After that, though, Ms. Ain helped calm me down, and Sir Lute explained what I'd gone through. But even then, I honestly, seriously couldn't understand it one bit!\" \"Oh yeah, I don't blame you. That was some crazy shit.\" \"The various truths that were unveiled were heavy. However, I was able to come to terms with the Saint's thoughts and the way everything turned out. But first love... First love! In that tiny amount of time, and toward me! I didn't understand it; it didn't make a lick of sense!\" \"Wait, that's the part you had trouble believing?\" \"Hmm? What else...ah. As far as my mechanical body went... True, I did sink into despair for a little while, and I even went so far as to resent Jeanne de Rais. But it turns out it's actually fairly handy; I can move around much faster now. And in any case, it was necessary in order to save my life. I quickly got used to it, and now I feel nothing but gratitude.\" \"Man... You don't get fazed by anything, do you?\" Kaito went all the way past admiration and landed on shock. In the battle against the three demons, Izabella's skin had torn from the inside out. But she hadn't paid any heed to the change in her physical appearance back then, either. It was downright impressive. Izabella puffed out her chest with pride. Suddenly, though, her expression grew mournful, and she looked down at her largely mechanical palms. A wistful smile spread across her face. \"And then I remembered. When we parted, the words she spoke as she kissed my hair had nothing but truth in them.\" Kaito closed his eyes, then thought back. That, too, felt like it had been over a century ago. Back at the Capital's underground tomb, Jeanne had reached out. From an angle where their enemies couldn't see her, she'd taken a tuft of Izabella's silver hair. Then she'd planted a kiss on it, like a knight would to a princess. Facing Izabella's dignified back, she'd whispered quietly. \"I don't hate seeing a mere human trying to oppose them. After all, such actions are the ones that are supposed to change the world. You may be an idiot, a dunce, and a fool, miss, but I choose to believe that your actions helped delay the clock hands in their march toward the end. You did catch my eye, and the eyes never lie.\" Then with slight vestiges of sorrow, she'd let go and offered her final words. \"Good-bye, my stupid, gallant little lady.\" \"And then Jeanne chose to save me and was made into God's pillar.\" All because Izabella had been her first love. Izabella held her hand up to the starlit night sky. Then she closed it tight, as though trying to grasp the hand of someone far away. After ten seconds or so of silence, she gave her head a small shake. \"I don't have it in me to kill someone like that. She was so ignorant in the ways of the world; she held me when I was crying, she kissed my hair, she gave me her first love and saved me because of it... How could I possibly kill her?\" Izabella's eyes were filled with a profound sense of sadness and anguish. Suddenly, Kaito realized: Normally, making a confession like that would be unforgivable. Izabella had slaughtered countless people who'd been transformed into underlings. Saving a single life because she placed it atop the scales alone and claimed it bore weight would be unforgivable. And she, too, must have known what an act of folly that was. If nothing else, she would lose the ability to turn to the people she'd slain and boast she'd saved them. She wouldn't be able to see herself as anything other than a simple murderer. But even so, everyone has someone who they just can't kill. Someone who they'd rather gouge out their own heart than lay a hand on. Izabella sucked in a breath, then exhaled. She quietly turned back to Kaito. \"Now let me ask you once more. Sir Kaito Sena. That is how I feel. And I imagine it's even worse for you.\" After all, Kaito Sena was a man who would have no problems weighing Elisabeth against the world. For the sake of what he held dear, there was a very real chance he would allow the world to descend into darkness. But Izabella also believed in his virtue, and in the claim he'd once made. So for the sake of a world clutched tightly in death's steely grasp, she earnestly, carefully asked him a question. \"You said you would save the world.\" But in order to do that, he would need to kill Elisabeth Le Fanu. Was it all one grand lie, then? Had he been deceiving everyone? Or had what he'd told them been the unvarnished truth? Izabella then concluded her cross-examination, as though she were handing down a final verdict. \"Can Kaito Sena kill Elisabeth Le Fanu?\" *** And with that, the reminiscence ended, and Kaito opened his eyes. He must have fallen asleep at some point. A short while ago, he'd experienced that scene in real life, but now it was just a dream. It faded away and vanished. At present, Kaito had already left the Capital. He rubbed his eyes and glanced at his surroundings. He was sitting atop the stone floor and leaning against the side of a hard bed. Although it had a wood-slatted window, the room as a whole was small and cramped. Thanks to the thick, stone walls, it felt oppressive, too. The furnishings were minimal. And that only made sense. The building was constructed like a fort, with little heed paid to the comfort of its residents. And all the more so, given that he was in the servants' quarters. \"All right then... Gluk, urk... Well! I wonder if Hina's up yet?\" After surreptitiously gulping down the blood in his mouth, Kaito knelt atop the cold floor. He peered at the bed. In the middle of its clean, white sheets lay a beautiful maid with her eyes closed. She was curled into a ball and breathing like a child. Ever since she'd collapsed back at the Capital, she'd been operating on low functionalities. Her mana was the first thing Kaito had checked, but it was flowing normally. There wasn't anything wrong with her. She was just peacefully sleeping. Or to be more precise, she was replicating a human's sleep. And while she was, she was as defenseless as a baby. In spite of himself, Kaito poked one of her white"}, {"text": "cheeks. She squirmed from side to side. \"Oh, Master Kaito... I couldn't possibly eat any mwore...\" \"Man, that's cute. Is she dreaming or something?\" Technically, automatons weren't equipped with the ability to dream. On occasion, though, their Self-Recording Devices would spontaneously play back one of the massive number of scenes recorded in them. They must see them in the dark sometimes; it made for a phenomenon not unlike human dreams, Kaito supposed. In other words, automatons could dream about the people they loved. When he thought about it that way, it seemed even cuter than before. Kaito squished Hina's cheek several more times. As she rolled about, she let out a sweet whisper. \"I told you, I can't... I already ate all the Master Kaito I could...\" \"Wait, am I the one getting eaten here?\" \"Hee-hee, you're so cute that I wanted to eat you up, Master Kaito, and you're jusht as tasty as I expected.\" \"I didn't actually want an answer there! Hey, hey, Hina, wake up! No more scary dreams!\" \"You caaah...hmwuh... Hmm? Master Kaito?\" Suddenly, Hina sprang up. Perhaps due to her surprise, the gears in her chest began audibly accelerating. She blinked and fixed her gaze on Kaito. Her cheeks instantly went flush. \"M-Master Kaito... In, um, in the one-in-a-million chance that my memories are accurate... Did you, perhaps, by any chance, possibly, say 'date'? No, no, it must have been a dream\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI'm ever so sorry!\" \"I definitely do remember asking my wife on a date, actually.\" \"Off to death I go.\" \"Please don't die on me with a big smile on your face like that.\" Kaito frantically propped her up before she could peacefully topple backward. He gently righted her posture. A moment later, they were facing each other again. Hina's cheeks grew even redder. She was about to say something, but instead, she covered her mouth in surprise. Her emerald eyes darted about. It looked like she'd finally noticed. Then she spoke, her voice trembling with astonishment and nostalgia. \"Pl-please wait just a moment! Could it be\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? Are we...?\" \"Yeah, I teleported us here while you were sleeping. Takes you back, huh?\" \"Yes, incredibly so. It's very nostalgic. Ah, here we are. We've returned.\" Hina nodded over and over. With a smile, Kaito glanced around the room once more. In reality, it hadn't been long enough since they'd left to truly describe the place as nostalgic. To the two of them, though, everything felt like it had been a distant memory. Unlike when they'd fled here from the World's End, it was silent outside. Not even the underlings' ever-present cries reached them. The quiet of the night enveloping them made it seem as though nothing had changed. But that was mere fiction. Nowhere in the world was that the case. In truth, nothing was eternal. Until recently, this place had been crawling with underlings, too. However, before Hina had woken up, Kaito had driven stakes into the lot of them. The silence they were currently enjoying was temporary. But Kaito chose to conceal that unromantic, troubling truth. Instead, he gently nodded. \"Yep, we're back. Back to the place where we both belong...Elisabeth's castle.\" Hina laid her hands atop her chest. Overcome by a flood of emotions, she closed her eyes. And thus, in the brief frame of time before the Diablo pillar released the fifth wave\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe two of them had left the front lines and returned to this dearly missed castle of theirs. \"So on that note, well... Normally, I would've liked to take you somewhere more special, but the world's ending, so... Man, now that I've said it out loud, it sounds kind of scary. Anyway, I was thinking we could have a stay-at-home date. Does that sound okay?\" \"That sounds delightful! Or should I say, it sounds suuuuuuuper delightful!\" At Kaito's invitation, Hina began hopping up and down. Her face was filled with sincere joy. Kaito nodded, having expected she'd say that. After all, Elisabeth's castle was special to the two of them. Kaito was from another world. Hina was an automaton. For the two of them, it was the only place they could call home. And that wasn't all. It was also the place where they'd met, the place where they'd spent their days, the place where they'd fought for their lives, and the place where they'd promised each other that they'd become a true family. Countless memories were scattered about the grounds of this castle. Thus, the two of them headed for a place one would never normally associate with a date. \"Hee-hee, this is it! Just as I suspected, this here is the most nostalgic place of them all!\" \"Oh yeah, for sure. We used to spend every day in this kitchen... You handled the cooking, and I washed the dishes.\" The two of them exchanged a gentle smile. At the moment, they were in the castle's cramped, inconvenient kitchen. It really had been a while since the two of them had come here together. Ever since the Grand King knocked Elisabeth into a coma, Kaito and Hina hadn't had a chance to cook side by side. Hina gazed around the room fondly. Then suddenly, her eyes flashed. \"Oh my... That's\u00e2\u20ac\u201d!\" Hina rushed over to a white cupboard, then eagerly opened it up. Inside it was a neat row of little boxes. One by one, Hina removed their lids. Within them were colorful tea leaves, nuts, and dried petals. She'd assembled them to make Elisabeth's morning beverage with. After checking all their contents, Hina breathed a sigh of relief. \"Oh, thank goodness. They haven't gone bad. Even after we had to temporarily betray her, Lady Elisabeth left the cupboard as it was. She really is a kind person.\" Hina softly wiped the corner of her eye. Kaito tried to picture what Elisabeth would say if she were to see that. She'd probably bellow, Fool! Don't go raising your estimation of people so easily! Its mere existence slipped my mind\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnothing more! However, forgetting to dispose of what the people who'd betrayed her had left behind was, in and of itself, very Elisabeth-like. I don't think she herself realized it, but she really did have a soft spot for her followers, especially Hina. You know, that's a form of kindness, too, Elisabeth. As he was thinking, Kaito started walking. He opened up the ice-spirit fridge. Even with the castle's inhabitants gone, the ice spirits were still in good health. Cold air was brimming within. When the smell hit him, though, he scrunched up his face. As he gazed over the partition board, he let out a blank murmur. \"Yeah, that makes sense... I guess this is what happens now that they're gone.\" All the food inside it was thoroughly spoiled. It was only natural. There was no merchant to diligently bring fresh cuts of meat to the castle, nor was there a gourmand to gobble them right up. At the same time, Kaito realized something. That refrigerator was always empty. At most, it'd be full of beer and shochu. There had also been times when it had rotten food in it, or sketchy, illegal-looking packages. In his childhood, Kaito had occasionally been unable to withstand his hunger and had opened up the fridge. Every time he'd done so, though, he'd been beaten so harshly that he'd felt his intestines would come flying out. Sometimes, he'd even been forced to drink detergent or some unidentifiable liquid as punishment. It really is a happy thing, having a fridge that's always stocked with fresh food. And if there was someone who'd happily bring you food, someone who'd delightedly prepare it, and someone who'd eat it with a smile on their face, then all the more so. Kaito shook his head, then closed the ice-spirit fridge. Then after turning around, he tried to start walking again but immediately stopped. Standing before him was Hina. Both her arms were behind her back. Kaito lightly called out to her. \"What's up?\" \"Well, you see, Master Kaito... Ta-da!\" And with that, Hina revealed what it was she'd been hiding: hard cheese, honey sealed in wax, and a jar of nuts preserved in oil. Kaito rubbed Hina's head in praise. She cooed sweetly. And so in the end, their dinner ended up being simple, but warm all the same. It was no match for the feasts they'd used to have, replete with appetizers, cooked organ meat, and sweet desserts, lamented Hina. But as far as Kaito was concerned, the meal she'd concocted out of little more than love and ingenuity was beyond impressive. There were cookies baked from kneaded dough and topped with nuts, honey, and cheese, as well as a colorful salad made from garden-fresh herbs. However, when she gazed upon the completed goods, Hina shook her head once more. \"If only there had been some meat that I could have prepared as a main course. As a maid, I find it ever so mortifying.\" \"Not at all. This is plenty. The Butcher used to bring by fresh stuff all the time, so we never bothered to stock up on dried meat. There's no helping that.\" \"Mr. Butcher was oh-so-proud of that meat of his, and I really did love cooking it. It was always so lustrous and shiny, and preparing it was truly rewarding.\" \"...I'm sure he knew that. And I'm sure it made him real happy.\" With that, Kaito stroked Hina's head. She smiled, looking to be on the verge of tears. And soon, their dinner was ready. However, Hina didn't normally eat. Automatons were equipped with the ability to ingest food and dismantle it so they could attend banquets alongside their masters, but they didn't derive any sustenance from doing so. Rather than eating food herself, she generally preferred to watch Kaito and Elisabeth as they took their meals. Today, though, she elected to eat alongside Kaito. They didn't eat in the dining room. Instead, they ate before the gaping hole in the throne room's wall. They'd laid a cloth out on the floor and lined the plates atop it. They were also utilizing the side table that Elisabeth had used so regularly. Placed on it was a bowl full of ice that Hina had half-submerged an expensive bottle of wine in. Beside it, three glasses were laid out. A silvery moon rested in the clear, night sky. Elisabeth had been fond of drinking wine while basking in the moonlight. And she'd often dragged Kaito and Hina into her drinking as well. As he reminisced on that fact, Kaito poured the wine into the three glasses. Its vivid shade of scarlet, like melted rubies, reminded him of Elisabeth's eyes. Kaito and Hina purposefully left the throne alone and sat on the floor. They gazed up at the moon, the empty space between the two of them so distinct that it almost seemed as if someone were there. Hina held her glass in both hands as she whispered: \"I hope that someday, Lady Elisabeth will be able to... No, she definitely will\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Yeah, to her being able to drink wine like this again.\" With a clink, they lightly tapped their glasses together. They then brought the fine wine to their lips, more in prayer than in thirst. Hina closed her eyes, as though she was trying to fully take in the flavor that Elisabeth had liked so much. As she did, Kaito surreptitiously snapped his fingers. \"La (fall).\" The blade Kaito had created flashed across the darkness. The underling's head went toppling off. The cry that had been creeping up its throat vanished without a sound. Still poised as though to leap, its grotesque body toppled down into the forest below. Hina opened her eyes. The figure outside the hole was long gone. Kaito didn't even cast a glance toward where it had fallen. With no one to interrupt them, the two of them continued their dinner. The only thing bearing down on them was"}, {"text": "the soft moonlight. The third glass remained full through to the end. After they finished their dinner, the two of them washed the dishes side by side. To anyone else, it would look like they were just doing the chores. But for Kaito and Hina, it was a perfectly natural part of their date. They engaged in a trifling conversation as they wiped down the glasses, as though imitating their normal, everyday routine. They conscientiously returned the tableware to their shelves. Kaito stared at the plates and glasses all sitting in a line. If worse comes to worst and nobody ever comes back here, may these, at least, remain. With sentimentality bordering on prayer, he closed the cupboard. Elisabeth's favorite tableware all disappeared from view with a soft click. It almost felt as though he was drawing a curtain of sorts. For a few seconds, he stood still. Then he let go of the handle and stretched. \"Well then... What should we do now?\" \"What, indeed? It's getting quite late.\" It was hardly a good time to do much of anything. And they didn't have much of it left. After discussing, they decided to head back to the servants' quarters. For whatever reason, they ended up heading for Hina's room. She took the lead and cast the door open. Then with a broad smile, she beckoned Kaito inside. \"Please, Master Kaito, after you, after you.\" \"Uh, pardon the intrusion, I guess.\" \"Oh, by all means, welcome to my humble abode! Eek, I'm alone in my room with Master Kaito!\" Hina was thoroughly wound up. That said, it was a little late for the two of them to have such an exchange given how long they'd known each other by now. They were, after all, a married couple, and their relationship wasn't particularly bogged down with formalities. Furthermore, Kaito had been in Hina's room a number of times before. But because it was happening in the middle of a date, the experience was strangely nerve-racking. Kaito awkwardly stepped inside. He glanced around the room, wondering where best to sit. Thinking a chair might be nice, he turned his gaze toward the desk. Then he cocked his head to the side. \"...Huh?\" There were small bookends on top of the desk. Tomes were methodically lined up within their wooden frame. However, there was an empty space in the middle, and a book that looked like it might belong in it sitting atop the table. It seemed altogether unnatural. Kaito called out to Hina. \"Hey, why's that one book out of place?\" \"Hmm? Oh, I could have sworn I put it away with all the others. I wonder what it's doing out?\" Hina trotted over to the desk and scooped the book up. Now that he looked closer, Kaito felt as though he'd seen that red cover before. It was Hina's diary. When she opened it up, her eyes went wide. She seemed to be practically dancing as she rushed to Kaito's side. She pointed at one of the pages in excitement. \"M-Master Kaito! Please look! Look! Look here!\" \"Wait, that's your diary, right? Is it really all right for me to read it? Wait...what?\" After peering at the spot Hina was pointing to, Kaito tilted his head to the side. Letters were scrawled across the thin sheet of paper, but the handwriting clearly wasn't Hina's. Upon reading the section's contents, he widened his eyes, too. \"This...this is...\" \"While Hina sleeps, I shall take it upon myself to fill out this diary in her stead.\" \"I found a diary Madam Elisabeth seems to have misplaced, so I shall take it upon myself to write an entry in her place.\" \"Whatever this is, I discovered it while searching the castle, so I have taken it upon myself to write its continuation.\" Kaito could tell. In the middle, the writers had started changing. The final three pages had been written by Elisabeth, the Butcher, and Jeanne. At some point, Hina's diary had passed through a number of different hands. And all of them had gone ahead and written entries in her place. Kaito gently stroked each of their distinctive letters. Elisabeth. The Butcher. Jeanne. None of the people who'd written entries were with them anymore. Kaito turned his eyes toward the lines at the end of each page. \"Both Kaito and I are wishing for you to awaken soon.\" \"At the very least, I hope that my acquaintances will be able to keep on smiling for as long as possible.\" \"Perhaps if my little lady was here, I could have asked her about the parts that make no sense.\" Each one of them had left words of concern for a different person. Kaito shook his head, then tried to close the diary. Before he could, though, Hina reached out her arm and placed a finger between the pages to stop him. He blinked at her sudden action. \"...Hina?\" \"Um, if it's all right with you... Or rather, if you're able, I have a request I'd like to make.\" She gently picked up a quill pen from atop the desk. Then she gestured at the sealed inkwell beside it. Kaito could tell what she was trying to say. He took her diary in his hand. After flipping through the pages, past the entries from all the people he knew, he arrived at a blank, white sheet behind them. He stared at it hard. \"Me too?\" \"You too, Master Kaito.\" Hina bobbed her head up and down. Her tone was timid, as though she feared he'd refuse. Kaito let out a quiet chuckle, then stepped forward. He pulled the chair out from the desk and sat down. After setting the diary on the table, he grabbed the quill and opened the inkwell. Then he wrote his own diary entry. Hina sat down on the bed with a relieved smile. Her manners and posture were impeccable as she waited for him to finish. The minutes ticked softly away. The sound of scratching echoed throughout the silence. Once, while he was writing, Kaito set the quill down. Right before he picked it back up, he gave his fingers a faint snap. A pin shot through the heart of the underling clinging to the castle's outer wall. However, Hina didn't notice. He also stealthily swallowed down the blood gushing up from his lungs. Then he went back to writing as though nothing had happened. Eventually, he set the quill down for good. As he snapped the diary shut, he made his announcement. \"Right, all finished.\" \"Wow, it's complete! Excellent work! May I go ahead and read it, then?\" \"Nope. The stuff I wrote's a secret.\" \"How can this be?!\" Upon hearing Kaito's response, Hina sprang into the air. Seemingly unwilling to give up, she got down off the bed. Then she hurriedly snatched at the diary. Kaito evaded her fingertips as he quickly rose to his feet. Hina grunted as she stretched out her arm. She then made a frantic plea. \"But whyyy? Not being allowed to read what you're thinking, how you're feeling, how you wrote it... Why, it's so painful that the world might as well end!\" \"Er, yeah, there's a real chance it's gonna end. But still, no. This isn't the kind of thing you read when the person who wrote it's still here, is it? Just read it later!\" \"Master Kaito, you meanie, you bully! You're just as cool as ever!\" \"Wait, why'd you compliment me at the end there? Anyway, no means no, c'mon!\" \"Nnnn... But! I! Want! To! I'm going to show you more stubbornness than I ever have before!\" \"Don't go boasting about that! Seriously, cut it out!\" Hina was taller than Kaito. Due to that fact, the battle over the diary was getting heated. The two of them paced about the room, practically dancing. From the outside, it probably looked like they were horsing around, but they were both deadly serious. Kaito cleanly evaded Hina's feints and jumps. However, that success bred carelessness. His foot crashed into the side of the bed, and he lost his balance. That was when Hina charged. \"Hwah!\" \"Eek!\" Tangled together, the two of them fell. They tumbled down hard onto the bed. Hina's sleek, silver hair grazed his cheek. Her emerald eyes batted directly in front of his. Before they'd noticed, their noses had gotten so close that they were practically touching. With a start, Hina balled up her back a little. Her voluptuous breasts pressed even harder into Kaito's chest. She was practically squishing him, but her body was warm and soft. Kaito instinctively thought back to the night they'd spent together in the beastfolk lands. The diary fell from his hand. This time, neither of them made to retrieve it. It flopped onto the floor with a thump. Kaito covered his face with one hand. With difficulty, he squeezed out an explanation. \"I, uh, I didn't fall on purpose, you know.\" \"Oh, I know! Er, well, I didn't exactly fall down with you on purpose, either, but...to be quite frank, I did...press my breasts against you...on purpose... I'm very sorry.\" \"That was on purpose, huh...?\" \"Y-you did say you didn't mind my being immodest, so...\" \"Oh, no, I'm super happy, or, like, I feel like I should be thanking you, or... Man, I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. I'm just... Sorry.\" Kaito buried his face in his hands. Upon seeing that, Hina began gushing about how cute he was and indiscriminately planting kisses on him. Every time she moved, her soft breasts squished against him. And for a finishing blow, she moved her legs from her upturned skirt and wrapped them around Kaito's body. Although the feeling of her ball joints was a little disconcerting, her skin was smooth and pleasant to the touch. As his face grew redder and redder, he peeked out at Hina from between his fingers. Her emerald eyes were glistening sweetly. However, her face seemed somehow uneasy. He was certain there had to be some kind of rule against making an expression like that. \"God, I just can't!\" \"Eep!\" Kaito reached out his arms and wrapped Hina in a strong embrace. She let out a thrilled cry. They shifted positions, now lying side by side. A beaming smile spread across Hina's face like a flower coming into bloom. She gently nuzzled against his face like a puppy. To answer her fawning gesture, he opened his mouth. Suddenly, though, he froze. Hina tilted her head to the side. She called out to him concernedly. \"Um... Master Kaito, is something the matter?\" \"...No, it's nothing.\" Kaito chose to evade the question. In truth, he hadn't wanted to worry Hina more than necessary, so he'd adjusted his blood in addition to his eyes. She had once told him the blood of a loved one had a sweet aroma to it. Now, though, it seemed as though she couldn't make it out. He'd made a number of special alterations to his blood so as to make it odorless to automatons. Now he was sincerely glad he'd made the effort. At the same time, he also swallowed down the blood that was rising up in his throat. However, if he kissed her, she'd catch on. And if she found out about his current state, it would undoubtedly fill her with a deep sadness. So instead of kissing her, he wrapped her up in a firm hug. As he did, his thoughts churned. Yeah...I know. In his heart, Kaito knew. It was quiet inside the castle. But that peace was nothing more than a lie. Nothing remained the same forever. The outside world was overrun by underlings. He wasn't wearing that butler uniform anymore, the one that had once been his staple outfit. And his body was currently being flooded with constant pain. Kaito thought back to what he'd been told so earnestly earlier that night. \"You said you would save the world.\""}, {"text": "Yeah, I swore I'd save the world. At the same time, though, he had an objective that he was determined to see through to the end. He was completely unwilling to yield on it. That was why he hadn't answered Izabella's question. He'd simply smiled and persisted in his silence. Could Kaito Sena kill Elisabeth Le Fanu? If he couldn't... That would mean... \"...Hina, I have something important to ask you.\" \"Ah, yes, Master Kaito? Whatever might it be?\" Hina seemed to have picked up on the seriousness of his tone. She stirred restlessly. He stroked her hair. After burning its silky texture into his hand, he spoke softly. \"Do you want to have a baby?\" \"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?\" Hina's voice instantly cracked. Her entire body shook. If Kaito hadn't been hugging her, she probably would have fallen off the bed. Her eyes spun around in confusion. \"Mas-Master Kaito, that's\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Why\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? How\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" As her face went bright red, her questions became jumbled and confused. Kaito just kept gently stroking her head. With a forlorn expression on his face, he closed his eyes for a moment. 9 Kaito and His Bride It's time for a story. It's the story of a boy who was brutally killed by another, and a story of a monster who cruelly killed others. Or perhaps it's a story of a child who was abandoned by his parents, and a hero who was abandoned by the world. Either way, it's a story of admiration and folly. It's a story of love, but not a story of romance. Kaito Sena chose to fight on behalf of the person precious to him. He'd sworn he'd do anything for that dear woman's sake. He had no regrets. In fact, he was so free of remorse that it bordered on madness. If he had but one regret, though... ...it was in regard to his bride. Kaito couldn't tell what kind of expression Hina was making. Even without looking, he could feel the warmth of her cheeks through his fingertips. He opened his mouth to speak, still not meeting her emerald eyes. Or more precisely, he couldn't muster the courage to meet them. \"Elisabeth told us, right? We can make a humanoid homunculus from a mixture of our physical data, then cultivate it in your abdomen. Then if we insert my bodily fluids and nurture it with mana, we can make a baby, she said. If you want to, I have enough mana right now that we could easily finish the preparations.\" \"I, wh-wha...? Tha... Yes, I recall it distinctly, so clearly that I should surely remember it even if I lost all my memories. I wanted to have at least a dozen beautiful children with you, Master Kaito, and preferably enough for our family to form a small country. But it's really all so sudden; my heart isn't, isn't, isn't\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"When I was walking around the Capital earlier, I got to thinking. Even if someone dies, as long as the world is still there, a part of them lives on. People's lives are short, but one after another, they carve their names into the future.\" Kaito continued stroking her hair, half to calm himself down. Hina was still in a tizzy. However, upon hearing how serious his tone was, she stopped mumbling and gave a small nod. \"Yes, Master Kaito, that's true. There are many things people leave behind.\" \"I swore that I'd save the world, that I'd rescue everything. If the sixth and seventh waves get released, humanity won't stand a chance. I have to end things before then. The final battle is almost upon us. But out of everyone, I decided to prioritize saving Elisabeth Le Fanu first.\" Kaito laid out his two contradictory objectives. The only way to save the world was by killing God and Diablo while they were still sealed in their contractors' bodies. Their salvation lay in murdering Diablo, murdering God, and murdering humans. In order to save the world, they needed to kill Elisabeth Le Fanu. There was no way to lay his two objectives atop the scales and keep them perfectly level. There shouldn't have been, in any case. However, Kaito went on without mentioning that inconsistency. \"Hina, you should understand what that means, right? So...\" Hina's body stiffened. She closed her mouth, not saying anything. Then silently, she sank into thought. After catching his breath, Kaito buried his face in her shoulder. Then he told her what he'd been thinking. \"I figured if you and I had a kid...then you wouldn't be lonely.\" \"Master...Kaito...\" His name dribbled briefly from her mouth. She then pursed her lips. When she looked up at him, the emerald eyes he'd been unable to meet seemed endlessly clear. She gently pushed him away, then got up and sat cross-legged atop the bed. Kaito knelt in front of her in kind. She bit down hard on her lip. Her face was downturned. Worrying she might be crying, Kaito tried to reach out to her. Before he could, she spoke: \"Master Kaito, I don't intend to ask you to forgive me.\" \"Huh?\" \"But I also don't intend to hold back!\" Hina shot her head up. Her beautiful eyes were burning with a violent fury. Then without holding back, she planted her fist square in Kaito's face. The blow came hard and fast. When an automaton came at you without holding back, it was no laughing matter. If things had gone poorly, Kaito could have died. However, he wasn't as powerless as he had been before. He reflexively reinforced his body so he would be able to take the punch without having to dodge. As a result, the damage was minimal. Even so, blood gushed out of his nose like a fountain. Although the spurt of blood hit her directly in the face, Hina continued looking straight at Kaito. She offered no apology. That, coming from the same woman who would weep her heart out and fly into a rage if Kaito suffered so much as a scratch. Upon seeing her like this, Kaito came to a realization. She'd had to snap there. She'd had to hit him. That was the conclusion she'd reached, and so she'd put it into action. \"Please don't look down on me, Master Kaito.\" Hina solemnly started talking. She glared at him with her fist still balled up. Her eyes were burning with the same fury as before, but at some point, clear tears had welled up in them as well. \"I'm well aware. I know what you're trying to do, Master Kaito, and I know how you're planning on doing it. I've known from the very beginning.\" \"You've known...from the start?\" \"Yes, from the moment you, with all your kindness, said you were taking charge. From then on, I've been able to guess everything you intended to do. And I decided it was all right, so I made my peace and remained closely by your side. And yet now after all this time...what was it you said? I believe you used the word lonely?\" The corner of Hina's mouth twitched upward. Her clenched fist trembled. Her pale fingers weren't just wet with Kaito's blood, but with her own machine oil and imitation blood as well. Her skin was torn, revealing its unrefined innards. Then the emerald dams burst. Big, round tears streamed down her face. When she continued, she was practically screaming. \"Of course, I'm lonely! I've been lonely this whole time!\" Kaito gazed at her in astonishment. The harsh truth he'd been avoiding had suddenly been thrust in front of his face. Ever since we parted ways at the World's End, all I've been doing is trying to save Elisabeth. It's time for a story. It's the story of a boy who was brutally killed by another, and a story of a monster who cruelly killed others. Or perhaps it's a story of a child who was abandoned by his parents, and a hero who was abandoned by the world. Either way, it's a story of admiration and folly. It's a story of love, but not a story of romance. Nor is it a story of him and his bride. Yet who would have thought the bride herself was aware of that? All this time, I haven't talked it over with Hina, not even once. As the pain shot through his face, Kaito came to realize just how cruel that was. Now, though, it was too late to apologize. There was nothing he could even tell her. The die had already been cast. Nothing he said could possibly merit forgiveness. For a long time, he'd been taking advantage of her sympathy. In a way, this was his punishment for that. Even so, though, his resolve remained unshakable. Stopping this story of his was no longer in his power. Even if she resented him, even if she hated him, that was just how things were. But still, he didn't want to let things end like this. With that sole thought in mind, Kaito opened his mouth and clumsily tried to string his words together. \"...Hina, I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"But really, that's all right.\" \"...Huh?\" \"Even if I'm lonely, even if I'm sad, it's all right. As long as you are who you are, it can't be helped. She was the one you chose to protect. I was the one you chose to love. That's plenty. I'm completely satisfied with that.\" Hina's tone abruptly softened. Kaito stared at her in blank amazement. Hina slowly reached out, then hugged him tight. She went on, not hesitating for a moment. \"I'm glad I was created. I was able to be by your side. I don't regret a single thing about my life. For that is what love is.\" Her words were firm and sure. They sounded almost like a profession of love. As Kaito listened to them, he discovered something amiss. Hina's uniform-clad arms were wet, not with blood, but with some sort of clear liquid. As he wondered what it was, Hina gently continued: \"However, there was one thing that I truly did get mad at you for. I wished to become part of your family, and you were kind enough to grant that wish. But please don't refer to children as tools to distract from loneliness. Our children... If the future is graceful enough to permit us to stand alongside our children, then it should be when we've chosen to have them, and when we are ready to greet them together.\" She stroked Kaito's back over and over. And thus, in her unconditional love, she forgave her groom. \"It's okay, Master Kaito. You don't have to worry about me. I'm all right.\" \"I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI... I said I loved you. We were supposed to be a family, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"It's really okay. I understand. So please follow your heart\u00e2\u20ac\u201dso that you may go forth without regrets and say with a smile that you were glad to have lived.\" That's all I need. So please don't cry. Hina whispered those words to him. And in that moment, Kaito Sena finally realized something. He had been crying. Kaito Sena had no regrets. In fact, he was so free of remorse that it bordered on madness. If he had but one regret, though... ...it was in regard to his bride. Hina stroked his head, as if to say there was nothing more that needed to be said. Heavy tears rolled down his face. He returned her embrace, practically clinging to her. Time drifted by as the two of them sat alone in their own little world. And it was then and there that he arrived at a decisive answer. Could Kaito Sena kill Elisabeth Le Fanu? The answer he arrived at was crucial in determining the world's ultimate fate. Eventually, he looked up. He gently drew away from Hina. Alarmed, she drew a handkerchief with a cartoonish spin. She then leaned over to wipe off the blood and tears stuck to Kaito's face. However,"}, {"text": "Kaito turned her down and snapped his fingers. Azure petals and black darkness danced in the air around them. The blood and tears were broken down into fine particles, then vanished. Hina's wound closed, too. It wasn't the flashiest spell ever. However, it was unclear if Elisabeth or Vlad in his heyday could have pulled it off so smoothly. Hina blinked in surprise. Kaito bashfully asked her a question. \"By the way, did you notice me secretly gulping down that blood, too?\" \"Of course, I did.\" \"And when I was taking down those hidden underlings?\" \"I can't say I noticed every instance, but...probably eighty percent of the time, I was aware.\" \"Man, this wife of mine... Nothing gets past you, huh?\" \"I've heard it's a time-honored tradition for wives to be dependable, after all.\" Hina grinned. Once again, the two of them were eye to eye. Their faces drifted closer. Spontaneously, their lips met. After exchanging a kiss so long and deep that it left them craving air, Hina murmured: \"Mm... Master Kaito, if I may...\" \"What is it?\" \"Well, um, even if we aren't making a child, I still think it might perhaps be nice to have something to remember the end of our date by.\" Once again, her face went red. Without needing to think, Kaito reached out his hand and rubbed her soft cheeks. She gave a small squeak as he played with her face. Once he'd had his fill, he kissed her flushed skin. Over and over again, his lips traveled down her body. Right as he was about to start nibbling her ear, she frantically raised her voice. \"Er, Master Kaito, uh, you haven't answered\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Hwah, hwah-ha-ha-ha!\" \"What other answer could there be?\" Kaito drew his lips toward the reddened nape of her neck. After loosening her uniform's collar a little, he gently nipped at her clavicle. Hina's entire body shivered. As she did, Kaito brought his voice down and whispered slowly in her ear. \"If you're going to tempt me, my beloved, I'll gladly accept.\" \"O-overload.\" \"Wait, don't go all weak on me.\" With an excited sigh, Hina started to fall over backward. Kaito frantically propped up her back. They exchanged another glance and smiled at each other. And with that, they pressed their lips together. Holding your beloved in your arms. That had to be one of the purest forms that happiness came in, Kaito Sena mused. She's warm, she's lovely, and I don't want to let go of her. For if we separate, I will surely die. And he was sure Hina felt the same way. The two of them were nuzzled up next to each other, the very symbol of all the happiness the world had to offer. Warm smiles were spread across their faces, and they were both adrift in blissful slumber. Eventually, though, the morning arrived. The final hours were upon them all. Kaito slowly opened his eyes. Hina was still asleep. Or to be more precise, she was automatically replicating a human's sleep. She was as defenseless as a baby. Kaito poked one of her white cheeks. Her lips faintly parted, and a few words spilled out from them. Perhaps she was dreaming an automaton dream. About her beloved. However, Kaito didn't catch what she'd said. He silently slipped out of the bed. As he stood atop the cold, stone floor, he snapped his fingers. Azure petals and black feathers enveloped his thin body. Then they burst, and he was adorned in his black, military-like uniform once more. He clutched his glass, blood-filled orb tightly. Without saying a word, he began sending his transmission. \"Attention, all troops. \"It's just as Izabella Vicker told you all from the Capital last night. \"After releasing the fifth wave, the Diablo pillar's activities will temporarily slow as it readies the sixth. And the troops of the sixth wave will be unbound from the shackles of the laws that bind this world. We, the living, will be powerless to oppose them. \"Thus, we have to end things before the sixth wave is released.\" \"After the fifth wave is annihilated, I ask that the surviving troops all gather before the God and Diablo pillars at the World's End.\" For his final request, Kaito quietly voiced it out loud. In truth, he didn't know if the three races would assemble in accordance with his request. In particular, the demi-humans would want to keep their focus on defending the pureblood sectors. And the Royal Knights aside, suspicion of him had taken root in the paladins. However, he still needed to gather as many people as he could. It's just like Valisisa said\u00e2\u20ac\u201dright now, everyone I can get my hands on is a pawn. And the more pawns I have, the better. It was a ruthless way of thinking, but it was also true. His opponent's board was empty. Instead, two massive pillars towered above it. He needed to cram the board with as many pieces as possible in order to thwart his enemy's plan. They'd surpassed the realm of drawing opposite lines of pawns and sending them to fight each other. Many people were probably going to die. With the help of a vanguard, though, they would finally be able to reach God and Diablo. And once they'd weathered the attacks from those in their way, Kaito would be able to call the shots on his own. He was the only person in the world powerful enough to topple those pillars. If anyone doesn't want to come, that's fine, too. They can go ahead and pick where they want to die. Their current situation had been brought about by the blooming of the flower of sin that all three races had shared a hand in raising. The punishment for their sloth and ignorance had finally caught up with them. If they averted their eyes, they would eventually end up paying with their lives. If they didn't want to die, they had no choice but to fight back. That was the final duty that had been imposed upon the living. It was the one allowance remaining to them in this box of despair. Kaito abruptly opened his mouth, then bluntly laid out his thoughts. \"Our enemies this time are God and Diablo. And the battle we're trying to fight is an act of blasphemy that not even the old world could carry out. But even so, if we want the world to be filled with happiness, if we choose to believe in our future, then this is the only path we can take.\" For a moment, Kaito paused. His thoughts suddenly raced. This was a world in which people would kill innocents in order to save themselves. Was it really worth believing happiness could come? However, he didn't have time to worry about that. The end had long since arrived on their doorsteps. \"We must take our swords in hand and reject the new world.\" They were stupid, their lives were short, and all they could do was fight. Yet even knowing how foolish it was, God and Diablo's creatures were rebelling against them. \"Everyone who lives will one day die.\" That was precisely why they had things they refused to give up. The decision they'd made was arrogant and sacrilegious in the extreme. And someday, those same people who'd chosen to slay God and Diablo together would undoubtedly draw their swords and begin killing one another. Tragic as it was, Kaito knew that. But so what. He cast his hesitation away. Then he boldly encouraged the living for the choice they were making. \"There's no need to be ashamed. Take up your swords and ready your spears. Our mission is to murder God, and to murder Diablo. Prayers won't bring us salvation; screams won't bring us mercy. The only thing we have to rely on is our own strength.\" \"Intriguing... Intriguing, I say! You roar well, for a human!\" All of a sudden, a different voice cut into the transmission. Kaito narrowed his eyes. The boisterous, laughing voice belonged to Valisisa Ula Forstlast. Due to the beastfolk's low proficiency with magic, her voice was interspersed with static. The voices of her subordinates rushing around behind her were audible as well. But none of that seemed to concern her, and she went on. \"Very well, Mad King! You possess a rebel's greatest weapon: madness\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat double-edged sword so desperately needed to fight back! I yield to you! Countless will die in this battle! So go forth and lead us into hell!\" \"That's the plan. All right, everyone...\" Kaito took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. He closed his eyes. At that moment, he felt as though his entire body had been buffeted by a fierce gale. However, the sensation hadn't been caused by the wind. Innumerable people were listening to his words. The strength of their gazes was striking him like an arrow. Lute was kneeling, Aguina was adjusting his glasses, the Kaiser was snorting, Vlad was smiling sweetly, Vyade was looking down, Valisisa was smirking, La Christoph was crossing his arms, and the human king was blinking back tears. And countless soldiers were hanging on to his every word. His next few words would no doubt lead many of them to their deaths. Even so, he had no regrets. And so the Mad King made his fearless declaration. \"This here will be our daybreak. Let Ragnarok begin.\" 10 Ragnarok The enemies from the fifth wave were just as repulsive as their predecessors. However, they weren't any worse than the fourth wave had been. And what's more, the Mad King and his bride performed a high-speed patrol of all the various fronts. As a result, they were able to clean up the fifth wave as fast as humanly possible. Immediately thereafter, massive teleportation circles with shared coordinates were carved in the human lands, beastfolk lands, and demi-human lands simultaneously. While the current treaty had maintained a tenuous peace among their peoples, the deep-seated grudges they held against one another made it hard to believe such a thing could ever happen. Furthermore, every troop advancing on the World's End had volunteered to go. After all, the battle they were embarking on was truly unprecedented. The troops hadn't been able to get hard information from the Saint on how the old world had ended. For the people living in the current one, they were treading into completely unknown territory. And being able to keep one's sanity when faced with the prospect of the world dying was no mean feat. Forcibly enlisting people who didn't want to go would only result in chaos, and possibly even friendly fire. \"That's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfrom here on out, we don't need losers in our ranks. Remember, the moment you all took up your swords, you became victors.\" As the dignified voice filled the air, the ground split loudly. A blade had been plunged deep into the ice. Valisisa had driven her sword into the land made of snow and water, wind and mana. Then she proudly placed her palms atop its hilt. An army of beastfolk thousands strong stood before her. Among them were some civilians who'd joined as militia. Anyone who wasn't experienced in combat was likely going to their death. However, the first imperial princess had still loudly hailed them as victors. \"What have we lived for?! What did you take up your swords for?! To take back the day! To end death's black sway!\" As she stood majestically atop the silver ground, Valisisa shouted out words of encouragement to her army. The mana-dense ice they were lined up on was dimly glowing, making it look almost blue. Snowflakes so large that they could make out each individual shape were piled up like handicrafts. However, several of them were stained bloodred and twisted into grotesque displays. Body parts of the three races\u00e2\u20ac\u201dtoes, ears, eyes\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwere intermingled with them without any rhyme or reason. And the sky overhead was burning black. It wasn't because"}, {"text": "underlings were swarming up there. It was due to the innumerable black feathers suspended in the empty space. The wind that had once been so frighteningly clear and pure was now contaminated with the stink of rust. No traces remained of that beautiful, empty place where the solitude of everything having ended and the faint hope that something new would begin had commingled. Kaito was once more cruelly reminded: Nothing in this world stayed the same forever. The once-peaceful land was gone, and there was no guarantee it would ever return. Yet as she stood atop it, the first imperial princess of the beastfolk boasted a will to fight that was untarnished. Valisisa gripped the handle of her sword so hard that it creaked. Her red fur rustling like a billowing flame, she continued her address. \"We are the proud sons and daughters of the Three Kings of the Forest, and for us, retreat is not an option! We will advance, and we will kill! With those deaths, we protect our people, we protect our country, and we protect our world! We will never surrender, so victory already lies in our grasp! Kill, kill, kill and die in victory's embrace! Before us, God and Diablo are mere trifles!\" Surprisingly, her voice was burning with gleeful bloodlust. Kaito's eyes went wide. Even when faced with the despair that accompanied the end of days, her fury was as vibrant as ever. She was like a living flame. Valisisa wrenched her sword free from the frozen earth, then made her loud, operatic proclamation. \"The world lies in the palms of our hands!\" \"\"\"In the palms of our hands!\"\"\" The crowd's roar rose up to meet her. The beastfolk's armor, which was made primarily from the leather of their comrades, rattled as they yelled. At the moment, none of them were wearing obstructive winter gear. Kaito was using his magic to protect everyone present. Vyade, as well as the first imperial prince and a number of other imperial-family members Kaito wasn't familiar with, were standing behind Valisisa. Vyade's dress was composed of a number of layers of thin fabric, giving her a graceful, ladylike appearance. As he gazed at their backs, Kaito let out a murmur. \"Man, I don't really know how to put it, but as an imperial princess, Valisisa is like a sword designed for emergencies...or, like, a gnashing fang or something. She calls me the Mad King, but I feel like she's a perfect match for that title.\" \"Indeed. It seems you've already noticed, Sir Kaito, but...the eyes that chose my sister weren't clouded in the slightest. Our opinions may often differ, but she, too, has the capacity to be an excellent dynast.\" Vyade gently provided her assent. As the Wise Wolf of unclear age, the woman who received more support from the people than any other, and the veritable symbol of peace, the second imperial princess gave her firm judgment. \"My sister is precisely what the world needs in troubled times.\" When he heard her, Kaito nodded. Thanks to Valisisa's speech, the beastfolk were in high spirits. Given the current situation, preserving the willpower of people with so little magical aptitude was a near-Herculean task. The humans have La Christoph and Izabella Vicker...but the problem's the demi-humans. Kaito was well aware of that. At the moment, the three races were deployed in a fan formation around the God and Diablo pillars. The humans, with their mages, paladins, knights, and saints, were to the west, and the demi-humans were to the east. However, the plan was to directly send the cannon teams in right before they made contact with the enemy, so the demi-humans' main forces were going to join up with them later. In truth, they had no proof that the demi-humans would actually show up. All they could do was trust in them. No matter how things shake up, this is where it all ends. This was where everyone's fate would be decided. Kaito purposefully took in a lungful of the frigid air. At this point, he couldn't even feel pain from cold temperatures anymore. After letting out a white cloud of breath, he raised a hand. \"All right, I'm heading out.\" \"Do be careful. And may the protection of the Three Kings of the Forest be upon you.\" Vyade gave him a gentle bow. The first imperial prince and the rest of the imperial family followed her lead. Finally, Kaito looked out over the riled-up soldiers. When he did, he noticed a certain wolf-headed fellow among them. That unmistakable coppery fur belonged to Lute, the captain of the first squad of Vyade's private army. He seemed to have noticed Kaito, too. Familiarity spread across Lute's face, and he almost opened his mouth. A moment later, though, he quickly corrected his expression. Somewhat guiltily, he went back to talking to his subordinates. Perhaps it was his way of marking boundaries, or perhaps it had been born out of fear toward Kaito's transformation. It was impossible to know which. But ever since Kaito had become the Mad King, Lute hadn't started a conversation with him once. In fact, ever since Kaito had made his proclamation back at the World Tree, they hadn't talked privately to each other a single time. Kinda sad, but it is what it is. Kaito nodded. However, after a few seconds of silence, he changed his mind and called out: \"Take care, Lute! And try not to get hurt, or you'll make your wife sad!\" Lute whirled around as though he'd been struck. Clearly panicking, he opened his mouth. But Kaito didn't wait for his answer. He hadn't been looking to coerce a reply out of him. He'd merely said what he'd wanted to say. Then he dropped the glass orb filled with his blood onto the ground. He gave Lute a big wave. \"Later!\" \"S-Sir Kaito!\" What's the matter? Lute readied his legs, as though preparing to dash over to Kaito. However, he clenched his fists tight and, in the end, stood still. Soon, his unmoving form was blotted out by a wall of azure flower petals. And then Kaito saw nothing. The shock sent him to his death for a moment, but Kaito quickly recovered. He'd arrived at a different part of the World's End. There was not even a single member of the three races' armies in this desolate, silver knoll. The only ones waiting for him were a man dressed in a black, aristocratic coat; a massive, supreme hound; and a lovely maid. It was his self-proclaimed father-in-law, the demon he was contracted to, and his bride. Vlad let out an exaggerated voice, a perfect smile spread across his face. \"Well now, are you fully prepared to bid them farewell, my dear successor? Have you no more regrets? Nothing you've left undone?\" \"Nope. I'm good.\" Kaito nodded dispassionately. Vlad gave a grandiose wave with his white, gloved hand. It looked like he hadn't gotten over his elation at having obtained a body, as every gesture he was making was exceedingly theatrical. He gestured at their surroundings as he spoke: \"What? There's no need to be so tense. The strong have every right to bear property. Why, all you need do is wish for it, and this very world would be yours. None who stand upon it are your equal, after all. It then follows that what's about to begin is a battle for hegemony among Diablo, God, and yourself. Why pay the ants any heed?\" \"Don't spout bullshit, Vlad. The soldiers are important.\" \"Hmm. You have a point. I'd expect nothing less from you, my lord. Pawns are, in fact, vital. And infantry, in particular, is good to have in numbers. But the path they open belongs to you and you alone. As do the choices. It's a privilege to be allowed to watch from the box seats.\" Vlad gave him a courteous bow. Kaito didn't reply. Instead, he walked silently to the edge of the silver knoll. The rusty wind tousled his faded-brown hair. Suddenly, his field of vision expanded. An azure rose and a crimson rose. The two vibrant flowers were in full bloom, stretching up toward the heavens. Underneath the black, feather-filled sky, the two pillars were haughtily towering upward. \"Elisabeth...\" Faced with that otherworldly scene, Kaito let out a faint murmur. Supported by the human sacrifices at their cores, these two pillars, which shouldn't have been able to exist, continued to manifest. The armies of the three races were waiting a short distance away. Like lurking predators, they were waiting for their signal, just out of reach of the briars that were winding around the pillars. Kaito closed his eyes. He counted the seconds. The moment the imaginary clock hands overlapped, he opened his eyes again. The beastfolk, demi-human, and human dispatchers acted just as they'd been instructed. The bugles of war sounded out loudly, almost as if to suggest it was the true signal for the end of days to begin. The noises overlapped, and the sullied ground started shaking. Kaito muttered to himself, as though to drive the point home. \"We gotta bring this story to an end.\" Thus, the flare of rebellion went up against the higher entities. So that the people of this world could struggle valiantly and die believing in the future. Over at the human army, the first thing the saints did was assume a strange formation. Hand in hand, they formed a circle with La Christoph at its center. They looked like a group of infants playing a game. As proof that it was nothing so idyllic, many of the linked arms had undergone some manner of horrible transfiguration. A hand covered in scales was joined with one that had flowers blooming from the joints in its fingers. However, there was one girl with her legs bound in irons whose arms were resting idly by her sides. A female saint reproachfully grabbed her right hand. The girl curled her lips into a pout. She turned to the man on her left. \"Hey, hey, hey, hey?\" \"WHAT IS it?\" The man turned to look at her. The bottom half of his body was transparent, and numerous fish were swimming around inside. His smooth belly was like a big, round fish tank. Everything from his chest up, on the other hand, was emaciated and marked by deep wrinkles. The girl whispered to the bizarre-looking saint, as though they were exchanging idle gossip. \"I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI, you see. I, believe, in God. Believed, in God. Believed, really, reeeeally hard. But ever, since, my legs, were blessed with, these holy wounds, my memories, have, been really, spotty, you see?\" \"WHAT IS it?\" \"If God said, it should be destroyed, then...shouldn't, the world, be destroyed?\" A purehearted question left the girl's lips. The face of her neighbor on the right stiffened. The man nodded in appreciation. Then softly but resolutely, his wrinkled face turned from side to side. *** \"What's, wrong, about it?\" \"EVEN GOD, makes MISTAKES, I should THINK.\" The girl stared at him in puzzlement. The male saint's lips twitched. After suffering a great deal of pain, he managed to form what could almost be described as a smile. He awkwardly went on. \"Calling EVERYTHING, God's FAULT, and PURPOSELY committing WRONG ACTS, is not, FAITH.\" \"...It's not, faith?\" \"NO\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou see, prayer is supposed to be a one-way street.\" A silver fish splashed within his transparent abdomen. As it did, all the wrinkles faded from his face, revealing the visage of a beautiful boy. He looked to be around the same age as the girl. There was no hesitation in his eyes as he spoke. \"'The land, the power, and the glory are eternally Yours.' We prayed for that to be the case. But using the fact that everything belongs to God as a pretext for wanting to destroy the world out of wickedness, or for greedily wanting to witness a miracle, are equally unforgivable. 'Pray that"}, {"text": "God shall be your salvation.' Believing that God shall be our salvation, no matter what may happen, is a form of faith as well.\" \"I, don't. I, don't. I don't, understand very well.\" \"Once, I prayed. I prayed so fervently that my knees left impressions in the stone floor. For a hundred days, a thousand days, I prayed for salvation.\" A few words had suddenly escaped the boy's mouth. Due to the burden that came with bearing a direct link to God, the vast majority of saints had lost their memories. However, it seemed he still remembered. Upon hearing that unusual statement, the girl's eyes went wide. She asked him a question. \"Did you, find, salvation?\" \"No, I didn't. The illness in my almshouse killed everyone. But after I moved past the rage and despair, I found that prayer had saved my heart. It was then that I wished to devote the short life I'd been given to saving others. And this holy transformation is the result of that. The stronger the wish, the stronger the link. Even though you don't have your memories, I'm sure all of you were the same.\" \"Were, we? Were, we, really? Could, it have, been?\" \"I don't believe either the Grave Keeper or La Christoph were mistaken. As the sheep, it's our job to choose how we believe in God. We're weak. We can't live without projecting our hopes and wishes onto God. That is why, after we offer up prayer for prayer's sake alone, we must believe from the bottom of our hearts that His true form is beautiful.\" This time, the fish that splashed up was gold. The boy instantly began aging. His face wrinkled up once more. He slowly raised a hand, the veins on it so thick that they looked almost like welts. \"That is, why, he, and I, are here.\" \"...Yeah. I guess, you're right. We're all, here, together.\" The man and the girl gazed directly at La Christoph. Even though the end was upon them, he had patiently waited for the girl to make her decision. Eventually, she reached out her arm, grabbed the man's hand, and squeezed it tight. Thus, the ring was complete. The next moment, even though nobody had touched them, all the saints' shackles came free. They crashed to the ground, crushing snowflakes as they landed. With no signal, the saints began a chorus. Its solemn, mysterious tone caused the very air to ripple. \"Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A!\" A school of fish. Rainbow light. Drops of blood. In concert with the voices, they all spread out at once. They made for the center, where La Christoph stood. He solemnly spread out his arms, parting his long, black hair. Glittering lights began violently coalescing within his exposed rib cage. The fanciful animals and fluids the other saints had emitted were being sucked inside. From the very start, he'd had a flock of white skylarks kept within his ribs. Now those small birds were voraciously consuming everything else that came in. The skylarks in La Christoph's ribs melted together, then expanded. It was as though a new organ had sprung forth from within him, then became engorged and started encroaching on the rest of his body. Great pain seemed to accompany the transformation, as his body violently convulsed. La Christoph spat up an unseemly mass of blood and saliva. Even so, he managed to wring his voice out. \"We...gather...and...wait.\" As he spoke, his rib cage opened up. It was like a rusty gate being cast open. Eventually, his bones had completely blossomed. A pair of white wings shot out. It was a massive bird, larger than even the ones La Mules had once summoned. It split the air with a cry so high-pitched that human ears failed to register it. La Christoph, the Modest Birdkeeper, spoke with unnatural fluidity. \"We lay unto you our humble complaint, O Lord!\" \"Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A!\" The bird flapped its wings. Then it flew so fast that human eyes couldn't possibly make it out. The only things visible were the white feathers falling like snow in its wake. It barreled into the underlings that were stationed as the Diablo pillar's permanent guard. In an instant, the fly-shaped creatures were evaporated. This intense opening salvo instantly drew the enemy's attention. Taking full advantage of the opening, the beastfolk launched their attack as well. \"Ready\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire!\" Arrows rained down on the flies from their flank. Normally, physical attacks should have had little effect, even if they came from consecrated weapons. And all the more so, given how close they were to the Diablo pillar. Yet each of the underlings the arrows struck twitched and toppled to the ground. As she watched their deaths through her telescope, Valisisa let out a hearty laugh. \"Heh, just like we thought. The effects of that flesh-searing poison are indiscriminate.\" The beastfolk were using poison arrows. And the poison had come from none other than the underlings themselves. The healers had taken the recovered corpses, analyzed them, and reproduced the venom. Furthermore, Kaito had flooded all the poison with mana, doubling its potency. In order to prevent friendly fire, they could only use it at the very start of the battle. But as an opening move, the blow it dealt was more than telling. Countless underlings had been felled, and the wall surrounding the pillar collapsed. Three waves of soldiers began making their advance. Vlad murmured, as though he were a spectator at a sporting event. \"Both sides have started by advancing their pawns, it would seem.\" \"Yup. So far, everything's going according to plan. No problems yet.\" Kaito nodded. Beside him, two bat-like wings were beating against the air. The Kaiser was a beast who could change his size at will, so Kaito was sitting atop his gigantic demon alongside Hina and Vlad. At the moment, the supreme hound's physique surpassed even that of a dragon. Below them, the underlings' dwindling ranks were being divided into three groups. Kaito and his team were able to slip through the opening and rush toward the Diablo pillar unnoticed. As they did, though, the atmosphere began changing. A cloying, roselike aroma filled the air. A wicked smile spread across Vlad's face. As she held down her hair, Hina widened her eyes. \"Oh-ho-ho, here it is.\" \"Master Kaito...\" \"Yeah, I know. This is where the real fight starts.\" The Diablo pillar was getting ready for the sixth wave, so it was currently dormant. Even in the depths of slumber, though, it was still a destructive force meant to annihilate the world. It shuddered, as though it were alive. The roses decorating its mysterious surface all reverted to buds, like they were men's eyes or women's lips closing. However, they soon reopened, and when they did, something had been born amid their dozens of petals. Massive figures dripping with mucus descended from within the meaty petals. It was like some sort of horrific childbirth. They cascaded through the air, and when they landed, everything shook. The icy ground split open. Several soldiers screamed as they toppled into the abyss. Vlad stroked his chin, then let out an amused chuckle. \"Heh, I suppose that would make these knights or rooks, then.\" The things shook their bodies to clear themselves of the mucus. The sticky membrane covering them came off, too. Upon being freed, they rose to their feet. When Kaito saw their colossal, black figures, he was reminded of some words he'd once heard. He recalled the fragmentary memories the Saint had seen during her visions of the end-time. \"Azure blades cleaving through the earth. Black titans.\" The black titans were composed of intertwined briars. Thousands of bones were packed inside each of their bodies, reinforcing their contours from within. In their hands were huge, azure axes, designed to decapitate, with sizes befitting the titans' forms. It was like an encore of the old world's death being played before their eyes. Yet in a way, the black titans resembled the Torture Princess's Boondock Saints and Wicker Man, too. Each time the Diablo pillar created an unusual underling, it probably based it off memories from the person who was serving as its sacrifice. However, these things it had made looked even more executioner-esque. And because the axes had round, spade-like blades, the titans gave off the impression of a gravedigger as well. That analogy is probably accurate in more ways than one. After all, the black titans had appeared to bury the old world. They calmly strode forth, giving all the living cause to mourn. The simple truth of the matter was that size alone was sufficient to be threatening. The larger someone was, the more destructive their attacks would be. Conversely, any damage they sustained likely wouldn't be fatal. If enough ants gathered together, they could take down an elephant. But if the elephants' ranks swelled as well, it was a different story altogether. Sooner or later, the armies would be wiped out. And to make matters worse, the titans didn't have any obvious weaknesses. Ironically, the one trait the three races could capitalize on was how big of a target the titans were. In other words, any attack they launched was highly likely to hit. \"Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039a\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A\u00e2\u20ac\u2039A!\" The saints shot off yet another bombardment. White birds pierced through the abdomens of three of the titans. Each of them toppled over, scattering bones and flame as far as the eye could see. The vines making up their bodies came undone, and several uninjured titans were caught up in them. One even got completely entangled and toppled over headfirst. \"Attack! And if it starts moving, withdraw!\" Avoiding the fissures in the ground as they ran, the beastfolk swarmed the downed titan. Matters regarding vegetation just so happened to be their specialty. In the blink of an eye, the beastfolk had severed the vines that made up its limbs. Bones tumbled out and scattered around. After they'd surgically dealt with the vines, the beastfolk all fled. The titan writhed. However, its limbs sat motionless. Eventually, the fallen titan was crushed underfoot by its comrades. The beastfolk's attack pattern seemed almost comedic. However, Vlad muttered in admiration. \"Hmm... La Christoph, was it? It would appear the saint's shots were aimed with precisely that chain reaction in mind. The fact that he's playing the role of a cannon all on his own is astounding enough, but to think he's able to maintain his sanity, too... If only he weren't a saint... What a tragic waste of that man's talents.\" \"Hold up. You aren't planning anything sketchy like trying to recruit him, are you?\" \"Ha-ha! Worry not, my dear successor! As my king and my son, you are my one and only! My heart merely throbs when I see a talented individual, that's all.\" \"Dunno how happy I am about that, either... They're putting up a better fight than I expected, but...things are starting to get ugly.\" There were two reasons why La Christoph had taken up the role of a cannon. Attacking the Diablo pillar was like sieging a castle. They'd realized heavy artillery would more effective than small arms, and a sledgehammer would be better yet. That was the first reason. The other was how poor the saints' endurance was. They weren't accustomed to battle. They would recover with rest, but they simply couldn't just fire repeatedly. In other words, by serving as the main cannon, La Christoph could not only amplify their power, but he could also help alleviate their burden. But even so, the saints were starting to convulse. In middle of their group, La Christoph's robes were stained red. Fresh blood was trickling down his jaw. But the fatigue the saints in the circle were suffering was far more severe. They only have a few more shots in them, huh? And to make matters worse, the horror of the situation was eroding the soldiers' mental"}, {"text": "states. Pools of blood dotted the ground, some of them so large that they were like veritable swamps. The viscous, red liquid resembled overripe berry jam. These pools had once been members of the three races; they were the remains from where they'd been crushed by the massive feet and axes. If you looked closer, you could make out flattened bones and armor sitting in them. They were too misshapen to even be called \"corpses.\" Now then, what to do. Kaito pondered the issue. If he joined the fray, then things would undoubtedly take a turn for the better. However, he was also the sole person who had the power to topple the Diablo pillar. He couldn't let it notice him until he was right up next to it. After all, it was impossible to know how intelligently it would react. There was a chance that it would put its preparations for the sixth wave on hold and intercept the armies' attack by deploying any finished underlings it had. If that happened, the three races would be annihilated, and Kaito's ability to arrive at the pillar in time would be jeopardized. Consequently, he continued facing forward and asked a question. \"Can you handle it, Hina?\" \"Of course. As your heart desires.\" She didn't want to separate from him. However, she left that part unsaid. The hem of Kaito's black long coat waved about as he turned around. Behind him, his bride was standing with her halberd at the ready. Parting here would mean she wouldn't be able to participate in his plans for when he reached the pillar. Yet even so, she offered no objections. She just smiled the same way as always. And that precisely was why Kaito was able to fully entrust her with his brief order. \"Then I leave it to you, my love.\" \"And I serve with great pleasure.\" With that, Hina turned on her heel and unhesitatingly leaped off the black dog's back. The air resistance caused her frilly skirt to billow up. The ribbon on her back fluttered as she descended straight down. Hell lay beneath her. The saints' bombardment was falling behind schedule. However, the titans' ranks were only swelling. By now, there was enough blood to fill a lake. \"Don't stop moving! Spread out and\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" At that moment, Valisisa noticed the falling object. She frantically grabbed her telescope. She quickly realized it was one of the Mad King's allies, but she let out a dissatisfied murmur all the same. \"A...maid?\" And so the maid landed on the battlefield. The soldiers around her stared, their mouths agape. Hina paid them no heed. She took off at a run, her explosive burst of speed propelling her toward a titan. It raised its foot, then brought it down hard. The moment before its sole made impact, Hina leaped. In doing so, she was able to avoid the effects of the ground-shaking tremor. Then she brought her halberd down on the titan's foot. *** With an earsplitting battle cry, she buried her blade in its body, slicing through bundles of vines. The shock wave rippled through the titan and caused bones to fly out its backside. Unable to withstand the weight of its body, its severed foot started snapping and tearing. Then the titan toppled over, taking the one on its right down with it. A thunderous echo filled the air. Then the battlefield grew silent. As countless gazes landed on her, Hina wrenched out her halberd and murmured: \"Send as many as you please. Here, I shall display my devotion. Here, I shall display my love. Here, I shall vent my rage.\" A loud cry of joy rose up. The tide of battle shifted once more. As the black titans walked, two maidens wove between their earthshaking feet at top speed. One was swinging her ax about wildly and using its recoil to fling herself through the air, and the other was whittling away at the ice while skating atop it with her insectile, sicklelike legs. Their appearances differed greatly, but both their legs were mechanical in nature. One was a maid. The other was a paladin with over half her body mechanized. Hina and Izabella's movements surpassed anything a human could muster. \"I'm grateful you came! On my own, I had my hands completely full just guarding the saints and guiding the soldiers to cover. They're large, sluggish... Jeanne might refer to them as big ol' good-for-nothings, perhaps.\" \"I concur! When it comes to mobility, we're second to none! All we need to do is chip away at them without slowing down!\" As they ran, the two of them plunged their blades into the titans' legs, then continued dashing past them. Their weapons moved in tandem, slicing through the vines. The blows they dealt weren't fatal, but they were able to avoid pursuing any one target too hard. The two of them took an intentionally intricate path and circled their way between a number of their foes. Eventually, the vines reached their limit, and they loudly snapped. Thanks to Hina and Izabella's valiant efforts, the titans' advance slowed to a crawl. Their bodies may have been suited for crushing soldiers flat, but making tight turns wasn't exactly in their wheelhouse. The soldiers began their advance between the titans' crippled legs, rushing past them as though the limbs were large trees in a vast forest. \"Make haste! Don't look up at them and don't hesitate!\" \"Go! The titans are all gathered together! Let's leave them in our dust!\" At the moment, the bulk of the soldiers were riding astride the beasts their mages had summoned, without regard for what race their seatmates were. While Hina and Izabella had been fighting, the soldiers had been gathering up the titans' mana-rich bones, which the beastfolk then used to craft into magic tools. Meanwhile, the mages from the Capital had been investigating what summoned beasts could still act at the World's End. Thanks to their combined efforts, they'd been able to draw up summoning circles and call the beasts forth en masse. One of the elderly merchants gave a boisterous laugh. \"Ha-ha-ha! I love it! It's not every day that such vast riches pile themselves up on your doorstep for free!\" The creatures, which looked like crosses between lizards and horses, gripped the ice tightly with their claws as they galloped atop it. Eventually, they managed to leave the titans behind entirely. They'd gotten close to the Diablo pillar. The monstrosity that had loomed over them from afar was nearly at hand. Unnoticed, Kaito's team had quietly drawn near it as well. Perhaps sensing the titans were at a disadvantage, the Diablo pillar had stopped birthing new ones. Everything looked to be going well. However, Vlad suddenly crossed his arms. He spoke matter-of-factly as he reported on the situation. \"Hmm, it seems our smooth ride is nearing its end.\" \"Yeah. The enemy has a plan.\" And just as they'd said, the Diablo pillar began undergoing another transformation. The rose petals closed tight, then spun as their buds reopened. Something came pouring out, along with a shower of nectar. It called to mind an image of mantises hatching. One after another, they plopped down onto the frozen earth. After falling vertically, the \"women\" stood on their own two legs. The space in front of the pillar was packed to the brim with their pale, naked bodies. The \"women\" were like a human wall. Vlad let out a small laugh. \"I see, I see. The bishops, then.\" \"...Elisabeth? No, no, that's not right.\" \"So quick to retract your words, my dear successor. I think the resemblance is rather notable, myself. Although, I'll admit it's a bit mixed.\" The things' appearances looked a bit like Elisabeth. They were extraordinarily beautiful. However, their skeletal structures differed from hers. Overall, they were thinner than Elisabeth, and they looked to have an unstable, ephemeral quality to them. Kaito's conclusion, although he knew it would have incited Elisabeth's wrath, was that the Saint's form had been mixed in as well. More than anything, though, there was just something different about them, something that made it impossible to think of them as human. Something about them was overwhelmingly different. Their very existences seemed off. Their bodies were completely devoid of pigmentation. They looked like snow sculptures, or perhaps carved ice or glass. Their bodies were impossibly smooth and white. Their faces weren't covered in skin, but they didn't look like they were covered in raw flesh, either. Given the current situation, though, the strangest thing about them was the fact that they seemed to lack any body parts specialized for combat. Suddenly, Kaito was struck by an ominous premonition. An image shot through his brain like a bolt of lightning. Back when we were fighting the three fused demons at the Capital\u00e2\u20ac\u201d What happened then? Thanks to La Mules's bombardment, the mass of flesh had incurred severe damages. Its wounds had frothed like they were boiling, and body parts had smoothly protruded out from them. After they'd healed, a man's flaccid face had appeared in the muscle tissue. He'd opened his thick lips, then emitted a gray roar. As a result, the Church's strongest fixed battery, La Mules, had killed herself. Due to the demon's mental attack. \"Hina!\" \"Everyone, please, you mustn't look them in the eyes!\" Hina's response to his warning from on high was immediate. She shouted. But she was too late. All at once, the \"women\" had opened their eyes. Their eyes, like black pearls, swept over the soldiers. The darkness that had been hidden behind their ivory eyelids took on an unnatural light. Even though he wasn't looking at them directly, Kaito could tell. Reflected in them were two things: a turbulent rainbow, like a piece of the universe had been carved away, and a multitude of unborn possibilities. They blinked, and the darkness returned. All at once, the army froze. A great silence swept over the area. It was a stillness that was incompatible with a battlefield. The silence was broken in the worst way imaginable. A strange laughter had broken out from here and there. \"\"\"Hee-hee. Hee-hee-hee. Hee-hee-hee-hee. Heh-heh. Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh.\"\"\" The saints were laughing like children. The man with the fish in his belly, in particular, seemed pleased. He had immediately moved to cover the girl, and she was wriggling about in his arms. She shouted with her eyes shut tight. \"What, what, what is it? Hey, what happened, hey?\" That's bad. Kaito gulped. The vast majority of the saints held severe trauma deep in their hearts. If nothing else, their deep connections with God had shattered their minds. Even though some of them had managed to maintain their sanity, who knew what would happen if their memories from before they'd reached that state were returned to them? Kaito was reminded of La Mules's death. In an act of pure innocence, she'd bitten off her own tongue. After the saints, the soldiers began moving as well. Over the past few days, the constant battles had stretched their nerves to the breaking point. Many of the militia, in particular, had lost not just their families, but all their relatives as well. They took their swords in hand and turned them on themselves. Tears flooded from their wide-open eyes. *** Kaito couldn't think of any way to stop them. He raised his hand, planning on at least giving them a sudden shock. The moment he did, though, a terrible roar shook the air. \"Wha\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" Naturally, Kaito's eyes went wide. Cannonball after cannonball after cannonball had crashed into the women. At first, they didn't seem to have caused any change. Gradually, though, cracks began splintering across the women's bodies. Before long, they shattered. Eyeballs, which were perhaps their true forms, spilled out, screamed, and vanished. Immediately thereafter, the cannons turned on the summoned beasts the soldiers were mounted on. The creatures let out pitiful screams, and the vast majority of their riders were"}, {"text": "sent flying. Before the soldiers could stab themselves, they lost their grips on their swords. Confused shouts rose up in succession. Thanks to the noise and the impact, the soldiers had regained their senses. \"Wh-what is it? What's going on?\" \"What just happened? H-hey, you, what's wrong? Put that down!\" The few soldiers who were still deranged were stopped by their comrades. As for the saints, they'd been snatched up in a large net and were currently struggling in confusion. Kaito breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The cannon fire continued incessantly. The relentless, merciless bombardment served to illustrate the stubbornness, or to an extent, the ill nature of the ones unleashing it. \"Ready, aim, fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire!\" Thoom, thoom-thoom, thoom, kaboom! The successive impacts shattered the backup \"women\" as they came in. The repair and transport teams brought new cannonballs with them. As always, the manner in which they were sustaining their continuous fire hardly seemed possible. It was an impressive technique, one that took full advantage of the armies' ability to mass-produce gunpowder and metal. After soothing her steed, Valisisa confirmed the newcomers' identities and let out an astonished shout. \"Ha, I never thought you'd actually come, Aguina Elephabred!\" \"Just Aguina is fine. And what, may I ask, are you talking about? I was told this would be our daybreak. Surely, you heard the same. It isn't as though we merely realized the pureblood sectors would be overrun at this rate or anything.\" Aguina turned up the corners of his mouth as he adjusted his glasses. Valisisa replied with a scornful laugh. The bombardment went on, its raucous noise rocking the ground. Fragments and eyes from the \"women\" went flying. Izabella turned toward the titans approaching them from behind and dashed off to stop them in their tracks once more. At long last, the Diablo pillar finally lifted up its vines. Then it brought them crashing down on the beastfolk cannons like massive, thorny whips. \"Don't look down on us lower beiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiings!\" A group of paladins rushed forward, holding their consecrated shields overhead. With them, they caught the blow from the vines. The force of the impact drove their feet deep into the ice. As they endured the pressure, Hina swung her halberd. With it, she cleaved through a multitude of vines. The Diablo pillar's attention was completely focused on its chaotic battle against the soldiers. \"Well, if we want to press on, I daresay now's the time to do it.\" \"Yeah, you're right. Let's go.\" Kaito and his group made their way toward the Diablo pillar without stopping. The aroma grew even stronger. An azure rose in full bloom grazed his arms. Soon, they'd be able to see the human sacrifice at the pillar's core. Just a little longer until they reached their destination. Then the Kaiser, who'd been silent up until this moment, raised his voice. \"Hey, boy.\" \"Oh man, you startled me... What's up all of a sudden?\" \"Would you mind if I did some killing?\" \"Huh?\" Kaito let out a trite interjection. He couldn't understand what it was he'd just been asked. \"What do you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?!\" Suddenly, Kaito's vision inverted. Confused as he was, though, he managed to piece together what had happened. He'd been shaken off the black dog's back. Far above his head, he could make out the hound's figure and the hellfire burning in his eyes. Panicking, he tried to cast a spell of flotation. That moment, he was rocked by a sharp impact. It was a different sort of pain than the kind that constantly assailed his body. More delicate. \"...Huh?\" The supreme hound had sunk its fangs into his chest. The Kaiser bit down hard. \"I see, I see. Before you reach the queen, it seems you'll need to go through the king.\" Vlad murmured to himself as he floated alone in the air. It was unclear what he was thinking; he'd only curled his lips into a disagreeable smile. Blood surged. Organs tumbled out. The Kaiser snorted. And with that, Kaito's contractual partner ripped the bottom half of his body clean off. 11 The Mad King and the Kaiser \"Not one to die, then? Hmph, as I thought. You know, Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain, you really can't be called 'human' anymore.\" \"Thanks, I guess. So what's up all of a sudden?\" As he watched his own flesh get bitten off and swallowed, Kaito gave his calm reply. The bottom half of his body was being eaten as he spoke. However, new flesh rapidly grew forth from the foul cross section. Viscera wriggled and knit together like tentacles. Bones regrew, and skin and muscle fibers pasted themselves onto them. Kaito kicked off against the air with his newly regrown legs so he could face his demon. Back when the Kaiser had first given his opinion of him, Kaito had gotten one of his arms bitten off. Unlike back then, though, he didn't feel an ounce of fear this time. Ah... I get it. Now that things had gotten to this point, a visceral feeling finally hit Kaito. He was on an equal footing with the Kaiser. But a human existing on the same level as a demon was an aberration that the world couldn't permit. In other words, he was beyond salvation. \"'What's up,' hmm? Ha, you titter so casually, even when faced with a demon. Isn't that right, boy? O unworthy master of mine? O Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain?\" \"I'm asking you, what's going on? If you've got something on your mind, then out with it already.\" \"I could ask you the same\u00e2\u20ac\u201djust what do you intend to do from here?\" The Kaiser narrowed his burning eyes as he posed his question to Kaito. It was similar to the one Izabella had asked him. It was a rebuke, like one asked before making a final judgment. Far below them, the fierce battle raged on. The three races were putting up a solid fight, but it was clear that the scales would eventually tilt against them. The favorable position they held was temporary. At the moment, time was a treasure more precious than diamonds or gold. However, Kaito gave no answer. He simply smiled a silent smile. The supreme hound let out a low growl. \"Is it something you can't say, O master of mine?\" *** \"Something you can't say to me?\" Kaito persisted in his silence. In a way, that made perfect sense. It was just like that time with Hina. In fact, it might have been worse. He had nothing he could say to his hound, no excuse left to make. ...It's time for a story. It's the story of a boy who was brutally killed by another, and a story of a monster who cruelly killed others. Or perhaps it's a story of a child who was abandoned by his parents, and a hero who was abandoned by the world. Either way, it's a story of admiration and folly. It's a story of love, but not a story of romance. And it certainly isn't a story that demons have any place in. Consequently, the next words that came out of Kaito Sena's mouth hardly served as an answer. \"Sorry, Kaiser, but I'm gonna be making use of you until the bitter end.\" \"This marks the first time, boy. The first time I, the supreme Kaiser, have ever experienced hatred.\" The Kaiser bared his fangs. The flames burning in his eyes had changed color ever so slightly. For the first time, they bore the hue of true rage. Yet surprisingly, they also seemed somehow pleased. Perhaps it was the result of him bearing the influence of not just his mediator, but his master as well. The Kaiser let out a passionate roar. \"I took a liking to you. That madness, that perversion, the foolishness with which you seized despair in hope's name! Watching you fall was to be quite the show. But you\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou would sink to such depths?!\" \"Yup. And I'm gonna do what I need to do, whether you like it or not.\" \"You think I would allow such a thing?\" \"Not a chance, right?\" \"Then there remains but one path for me to take.\" The Kaiser opened his jaw wide. His neatly lined-up teeth flashed, and his vast oral cavity looked almost like a coffin. The smell of blood and carrion flooded the air. Kaito silently sighed. He knew what would come of this. Welp, this is gonna be unproductive. After all, no fight between the two of them would ever be settled. Whenever Kaito gathered pain, the Kaiser's mana was restored as well. In other words, the two of them were only growing stronger. All that would happen would be that they'd eternally shred each other to pieces and revive back to life. The Kaiser was no fool. He undoubtedly was already aware of that fact. Yet even so, he made no moves to temper his bloodlust. Despite himself, Kaito let out a chuckle. He called out to the higher entity in sheer amusement. \"Hey, Kaiser, have you noticed yet?\" \"Noticed what, O fool who proclaims himself a Mad King?\" \"You're acting just like a human.\" The beast's eyes burned bright. At least, it looked that way to Kaito. Then with no warning, the Kaiser launched himself like a meteor. The black streak ignored its muscles' limits as it descended on Kaito. The Mad King braced himself. When he did, though, he suddenly found another figure standing before him. \"Huh?\" \"Come now, this should hardly come as that much of a surprise.\" No, thought Kaito, this is definitely surprising. However, he didn't have time to put that thought to words. The black meteor was drawing nearer. The man standing before Kaito calmly thrust out his arm. Black darkness and azure flower petals billowed from his white-gloved palm, then transformed into a host of blades. But the Kaiser didn't stop. He just plowed right through them. His jaws were almost upon them. \"Hmm.\" Vlad Le Fanu muttered, seeming greatly interested. That was the only reaction he gave. Then a moment later, Vlad's right arm was bitten in Kaito's place. \"I see, so this is what it's like to have a dulled sense of pain. I knew about the whole getting burned alive thing, but still, this is most intriguing. And it's awfully convenient to be able to avoid dying merely by stopping the bleeding. Using that to render attacks invalid... My, you are strong.\" \"What are you playing at, Vlad? Buffoonery has its limits, you know.\" The Kaiser growled menacingly. Vlad, on the other hand, just waved his right arm. The bleeding had stopped. The hem of his aristocrat's coat rustled. Strangely unconcerned, he responded in an affected, operatic manner. \"You know, Kaiser, you and I were supposed to rule the world, once. But dashed as our dreams may have been, the vicissitudes of fate have led us here. Given that fact, isn't there something more pressing we should be doing than whiling away the hours killing each other in vain?\" \"What are you babbling about, He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind? Has your own hell finally consumed that mind of yours?\" \"Oh, please. Hell is but a place\u00e2\u20ac\u201done you can find just about anywhere. How could such a thing possibly hope to consume me?\" A twisted grin crept across Vlad's face. However, he made no moves to step away from his place before Kaito. Instead, he spread his arms wide, leaving the gnawed chunk of his arm as it was. He tilted his head to the side in the same strangely childish manner as he always did. Suddenly, though, his expression flooded with unbridled hatred. Kaito was taken aback. He hadn't seen him make that face in a long while. When Vlad next spoke, his voice was icy cold. \"I am a hedonist, capable of enjoying even the most bitter of hardships. But I was not born to lose.\" \"Just what exactly are you"}, {"text": "going on about?\" \"The end of days? Splendid. The destruction of all? Wonderful. I've no complaints in the slightest. And that pillar, in particular\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's the peak of beauty, the apex of ugliness. Truly, magnificent is the only way to describe it. And yet...\" Upon hearing those words, Kaito was reminded of something. It had been right after Elisabeth and Jeanne had been captured at the World's End. At some point, Vlad had moved over to where the two pillars stood. His arms were spread wide, and his eyes were glittering as he gazed at the Torture Princesses' transformations. \"It's magnificent... It's the peak of beauty, the apex of ugliness... Truly, 'magnificent' is the only way to describe it.\" His face was as innocent as a child watching a meteor shower. However, his expression suddenly took a more serious turn. As he began rapidly coming back to his senses, Vlad started thinking. \"...Still, though... Hmm...\" Back then, what was it he'd been thinking about? Now the answer to that question would become clear. \"Think about it. At the end of the day, the thirteen demons and their king were nothing more than the prelude to the end of days. What greater insult could there possibly be?\" \"You... Wait. Considering how oddly obedient you've been acting toward the Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain, you can't be... You were plotting revenge on God and Diablo?!\" \"Wait, you were?\" The Kaiser gnashed his fangs in comprehension, and Kaito let out an unsuitably plain interjection as he stared at Vlad's back. Vlad puffed up his chest magnificently. \"Quite! All this, all that I've done, has been for the sole purpose of obstructing God and Diablo and returning them to the nether! My dear successor's resolve just so happened to be convenient for carrying out my revenge, and fitting to boot! Go on, now, roar! Rage, seethe, madden! Those feelings are the sole fruit of the humiliation I supped on!\" \"Carrying out an act of personal revenge when faced with the end of days? Are you daft?\" \"Heeeee's a dumb-ass.\" Kaito was in no position to talk. In fact, he was by far the more foolish of the two. He himself was aware of that fact. But Vlad's tone was just so proud that he couldn't help but get in a quip. Not disheartened in the slightest by their assessments, Vlad went on. \"Oh, a fool I am, but none the worse for it! Our world is a farce, after all, not a tragedy! I was unwittingly cast as an actor, and once my precious daughter was snatched from me, my own death was reduced to a mere opening act! It stands to reason that such a stage would make a buffoon of its star, no?\" \"You're the same as ever, I see. The way you think is entirely deviant from the norm.\" \"And Kaiser, as the apex of what man's hands can reach, as a supreme hound, and yet as a demon who could no longer escape his master's influence\u00e2\u20ac\u201das you are now, surely you understand this thing we call hatred.\" \"Hmph.\" \"Whose neck should you truly be turning it on? Fruitlessly gnawing away at an unkillable man is hardly enough to satisfy you, is it?\" The Kaiser offered no response. Instead, he chose silence. The sounds from the battle down below echoed on. Up in the air, though, it was impossibly quiet. It was as though they had been completely cut off from the world. However, that, too, came to an end. Vlad opened his mouth to speak again. When he did, his tone was deadly serious. \"The proud should remain proud until the bitter end. For my sake, cast aside your anguish and wear your arrogance freely.\" *** \"It wouldn't do for the Kaiser to disappoint a mere human.\" The Kaiser didn't move. Vlad, too, stood still. Eventually, the Kaiser snapped his tail. Seeming wholly displeased, he spat out his words. \"Go, O unworthy master of mine.\" \"Kaiser...\" \"It's true. Gnashing at that madness of yours would accomplish nothing. So go, before I change my mind. O ye who bestowed hatred upon me. Know that to the end, your twisted mind remined clear.\" Kaito gave a brief nod, then started making his way forward. For a second, though, he stopped. He turned and looked back. Vlad was still standing beside the Kaiser. Vlad gently waved his right arm, which hadn't yet finished regenerating. He called out in an innocent tone. \"Farewell, my lord, my dear successor\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmy son.\" Just this once, Kaito chose to allow Vlad to call him that. For some reason, Vlad was smiling. A strangely childlike smile was spread across his face. \"Thanks to you, I enjoyed every one of my days.\" \"Is that...so?\" There were no lies or falsehoods in his words. Vlad was just indicating his gratitude as honestly as he could. And because that was the case, Kaito snapped his fingers. At this point, he didn't need the ability to convert pain into mana anymore. He unilaterally dissolved his contract with the currently inattentive Kaiser. The black beast's figure nearly vanished from existence. Right before he did, though, Kaito bound his knot to Vlad. Upon receiving the new contract, Vlad widened his eyes. \"My oh my, I suppose that means the Kaiser has now truly lost his reason to stop you, but... Are you sure about this, my lord? Do you truly think I won't terrorize humanity?\" \"Don't forget about that self-destruct device I planted in your head.\" After whispering in a deep voice, Kaito turned around for good this time. Leaving behind his black army\u00e2\u20ac\u201din a sense, the only subordinates who'd followed him this far\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe advanced alone. He didn't turn back. As he faced forward, though, he gave his hand a gentle wave. \"Bye, Vlad. At the end of the day, it was you who turned Elisabeth into the Torture Princess and gave rise to the reconstruction sect. I can't forgive you for that...but you did make my days pretty fun, too.\" \"Good heavens, will his rebellious phase never end?\" Vlad let out an exasperated moan. In all likelihood, he was shrugging. But Kaito didn't look his way. This time, he flew straight ahead. Not toward the Diablo pillar. But to the God pillar beside it. \"S-Sir Kaito!\" \"That's the wrong one!\" The voices came from the ice, far down below. Izabella and Lute let out cries of dismay in unison. Even though they'd been absorbed in their own battles, Kaito's flight path had caught their attention. After all, Kaito Sena was the Mad King, as well a servant of Elisabeth, the Diablo pillar's core. He was so dangerous, he might well destroy the whole world in pursuit of his objective. And for some reason, instead of going to the Diablo pillar, he was heading for the God pillar beside it. We should stop him... No, but how\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?! Lute ground his fangs. At the moment, Kaito Sena had reached the pinnacle of magecraft. He was standing atop a summit so high that no one else could stand in his way. He had perhaps even surpassed the Saint in her heyday. Thinking he needed to at least try, Lute opened his mouth and got ready to convey the situation and his orders to the demi-human cannoneers and the beastfolk archers. At that moment, though, almost like he'd sensed Lute's bewilderment... ...Kaito Sena suddenly looked down. Ah... Upon seeing his face, Lute remembered something. Now that they were in the game's final turns, it finally came back to him. I'd...forgotten... \"But I'm fine... I'm still me, after all.\" It was a scene from back at the World Tree. Lute's wife, Ain, had asked Kaito a question, and that had been his response. Then Kaito had given her an awkward smile. Upon seeing his face, Lute had secretly felt a tinge of relief. After all, that good-hearted expression had definitely been Kaito Sena's. At that moment, a strong thought had suddenly crossed Lute's mind. Perhaps... Perhaps he ought to make sure to remember that smile. It would be best if he made sure to remember it, no matter what happened. He hadn't quite known why, but he'd been certain of that. And yet I... Why had he forgotten? Why hadn't he called out to Kaito? Why hadn't he talked to him? Had he been overwhelmed by the sheer power commanded by that boy who'd become the Mad King? That was hardly a decent excuse. And just a short while ago, he'd even gotten a chance to remember. \"Take care, Lute! And try not to get hurt, or you'll make your wife sad!\" Those hadn't been the words of a man planning on forsaking the world. How could I have forgotten?! And that's not all; I...I forgot oh-so-many things! Lute howled internally, his thoughts racing. That expression Kaito had made hadn't been the only thing to slip his mind. He'd forgotten who Kaito Sena was by nature. Lute thought back over the information he'd once checked in the beastfolk lands. Kaito Sena came from another world, one where he'd been abused and eventually killed. Then the Torture Princess had summoned him as an Unsullied Soul to act as her servant. Originally, Kaito had been nothing but a powerless boy, a tragic child victimized without anyone to protect him. In this world, there were many his age who lived and worked as adults. However, he was different. And there certainly wasn't anyone as young as he who had scraped away at their own limits for the sake of the world like he had. Yet somehow, everyone had forgotten that simple fact. Not a single one of the adults who were supposed to be protecting the world had remembered. \"Sir Kaito!\" \"Sir Kaito Sena, you mustn't!\" As Lute shouted out to him, so did Izabella. Startled, Lute glanced to his side. Her half-mechanized face had sternly stiffened. In all likelihood, she'd come to the same realization Lute had. They had collectively placed the burden of the entire world on the back of a single boy. They were the ones who were soldiers. It should have been their burden to bear. Kaito Sena offered no reply to their cries of regret. All he did\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas smile a vaguely awkward smile. Then after thinking it over for a moment, Kaito reacted. He waved with big, childlike sweeps. The meaning of that gesture was the same across worlds. And because of that, Lute and the others gasped. Kaito kept frantically waving. He was saying one word. \"Good-bye.\" The God pillar was swathed in white feathers and red roses. Kaito hovered in the air before it. Hidden away between the tangled web of briars was a golden princess. She was sleeping, and her body was adorned with the same feathers and roses. Her form resembled that of both Sleeping Beauty and a crucified saint. As he faced Jeanne de Rais's cruelly bound body, Kaito snapped his fingers. Azure flower petals flashed across his wrists. After transforming his mana, blood and all, he sent it over through Jeanne's lips. As the petals melted in her mouth, she faintly opened her eyes. Kaito nonchalantly raised a hand in greeting. \"Hey, Jeanne. Long time no see.\" \"Mis...ter...why...?\" \"Sorry, Jeanne. All this time, I've been going on and on about Elisabeth, Elisabeth, Elisabeth. But I was worried about you, too. And if you don't believe me, then hey, Izabella's been concerned enough about you for both of us. Cut me a little slack, will ya?\" \"Are...you...quite...dense...? I'm ask...ing...why... you're...here...\" Blood dribbled from Jeanne's mouth as she spoke. Kaito didn't answer her question. Instead, he spoke as if he were chanting an incantation. His weak smile was still plastered across his face. \"'God desired a contractor so He could maintain His peaceful rest, but He wasn't picky about who that was. As long as there was someone there who wouldn't fall apart the moment the contract was formed, it would be possible"}, {"text": "to push the burden onto them.' And 'Even though God's supposed to exist to oppose Diablo, it sounds like He's clearly the superior of the two.' In other words, it's possible to use God's power to keep Diablo in check.\" Kaito laid out the information he'd heard from the Saint. Jeanne narrowed her eyes, seemingly unable to understand what he meant. However, Kaito didn't elaborate on his explanation. He simply snapped his fingers. All at once, a shower of white surrounded Jeanne as the feathers growing from her body burst off. Countless invisible shackles clattered as they successively came undone. This time, Jeanne widened her eyes in shock. Her contract with God had been forcibly transferred. The other party, of course, went without saying. \"Hanged Man, you can't\u00e2\u20ac\u201d!\" \"You did good, Jeanne. Time for you to go home.\" The way Kaito spoke those words, they sounded almost like a normal salutation. White feathers were sprouting from part of his cheek, but he had God's power under control and was keeping his transformation to the bare minimum. \"Izabella, your first love, is waiting for you.\" \"That ain't the problem here, you dumb motherfucker!\" In an uncharacteristic gesture, Jeanne frantically extended her hand toward him. But her fingertips met nothing but air. The briars had released her. The pillar itself was nothing but a husk now, so it had no more need for its sacrifice. Jeanne began falling. The golden girl descended like a bird struck out of the air. However, a bolt of light hurtled toward her landing point like a meteor. Before Jeanne could hit the ground, Izabella dashed up and caught her. It was the very image of a knight catching a princess in their arms. After making sure Jeanne was breathing, Izabella let out a sigh of relief and hugged Jeanne's wound-riddled body, golden hair and all. Jeanne, comically flustered, was saying something to her. As he gazed down at them, Kaito murmured in admiration. \"Well, that's nice... Seems like there's hope for her yet.\" As he stood on his tiptoes, Kaito gave a pleased nod. Then he grabbed the feathers on his face and wrenched them out by the handful. Blood gushed forth, but he ignored it. He turned toward the Diablo pillar and headed straight for its briar-enclosed core. A single woman was sleeping inside it. She had black hair, white skin, crimson eyes, and a radiant beauty. And she was the person Kaito admired most. \"Good work, Elisabeth. Don't worry, I'm here now. You're probably gonna be pissed at me, though.\" He'd once boasted that he'd save the world. That he'd rescue everything. However, killing Elisabeth Le Fanu was impossible for Kaito Sena. *** If he couldn't kill her, then... ...that would mean... At that moment, he gave voice to the sole, unspoken answer. \"Because I'm taking charge of God and Diablo both.\" That was the act of selfishness Kaito Sena had decided on. He'd take on a burden greater than even the Saint's. 12 Kaito Sena's Story It's time for a story. It's the story of a boy who was brutally killed by another, and a story of a monster who cruelly killed others. Or perhaps it's a story of a child who was abandoned by his parents, and a hero who was abandoned by the world. Either way, it's a story of admiration and folly. It's a story of love, but not a story of romance. Someday, it will likely be remembered as a tale from long, long ago. A horrible, tragic little anecdote. One that was far too twisted to pass off as a fairy tale. Kaito Sena raised his hand, extending it straight toward Elisabeth. He had no intention of exchanging final words of farewell. After all, what he was doing was nothing more than an act of selfishness. Elisabeth was definitely going to be livid. Because of that, he'd completely cast aside his desire to talk to her. Instead, he just burned her briar-entwined figure into his eyes. Then he prepared to snap his fingers. But when he did. He heard a painfully nostalgic voice. \"Ce...ase...this...non...sense...\" \"Wha\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" Kaito let out an involuntary yelp. The captive before him had moved. Normally, that shouldn't have been possible. Although the pillar was forcibly keeping her alive, she didn't even currently have a heart. In an absurd display of willpower, though, Elisabeth had opened her eyes. Their piercing, crimson gaze was directed straight at Kaito. Naturally, he let out a surprised \"uh...\" Then in his typical disrespectful tone, he spoke: \"Geez... Dial down the mental fortitude a bit. Or, like, the resilience.\" \"You...fool... 'Tis true, I did...give it to you... I even...told you...to save the world...\" \"That you did. You even gave me your heart.\" \"But I never...told you to...shoulder...such a\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Khagh!\" Then Elisabeth coughed. Instead of blood, feathers came pouring from her lungs. As the black feathers fluttered away, she glared at him. Kaito flashed her an awkward smile. The moment she'd been captured by the pillar, Elisabeth had handed her heart over to him with the following words: \"Drink them down or spit them all up, the choice is yours to make. But do try to live on, Kaito. \"And when you do, save the world. Your strength is equal to the task, as is your needless determination. \"You are the greatest fool this world has to offer\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand you are my dim-witted servant, my pride and joy.\" Her voice had been like someone trying to cheer up a dejected child. However, not once had she asked him to rescue her. Much to the contrary, she was probably planning on waiting there for her death, like a monster who'd bequeathed her sword to a hero. There was no doubt in his mind that she'd expected him to destroy the Diablo pillar. But she'd been naive. There had never been any chance that Kaito Sena would do as she wished. Even so, she repeated herself. The only thing powering her desperate movements was the rage his words had inspired in her. \"I told...you...did I not? 'Tis a heavy...thing...to shoulder sins...\" The sins of the various races had cultivated a flower, and its blooming was what had brought about this situation. The punishment for their sloth and their ignorance had finally caught up with them. Flocks of sheep were, fundamentally, stupid. Trying to bear the weight of their original sin on one's own was rash in the extreme. Also, living forever was too cruel a fate. Not to mention the fact that Kaito was an outsider to this world. He had no obligation to shoulder the sin that had existed since before the dawn of this world. Elisabeth closed her eyes as if in prayer. Then in a small voice, she continued: \"...'Tis too great a burden for you.\" \"I can bear it.\" Kaito's response came readily. His voice didn't have an ounce of hesitation in it. Elisabeth's eyes shot open as if she'd been slapped. She looked at Kaito's face. The moment she did, her own face contorted, as though she was on the verge of tears. She understood. Time's passage was cruel and unfeeling. Nothing remained the same forever. \"When did you...become able to...make such an...expression, you fool?\" \"Honestly, I don't know myself. But because I've changed, there are things I'm able to protect now.\" Kaito's expression wasn't that of the powerless boy he'd once been. It was the calm face of a person filled with resolve. The pain he'd experienced, the countless times he'd died, and the innumerable horrors he'd seen had completely painted over his fear and hopelessness. At this point, no words would make his heart waver. Elisabeth cast her gaze down. A faint murmur escaped her lips. \"I... This is not what I summoned you to do.\" \"...I know.\" \"I merely wanted you...to handle my chores.\" \"Ah yeah... I never did get the hang of cooking, did I?\" \"You did...one unnecessary thing...after another...my dim-witted servant...\" \"Yeah, and you're the only one.\" The only one who'd never called him the Mad King. And with that, Kaito nodded. He snapped his fingers, and his chest and ribs tore open. Chunks of flesh went flying off into space. His rib cage was in full bloom. A pulsating organ appeared from within. The organ transformed into crimson flower petals, then leaped into Elisabeth's mouth. Her heart had returned to its rightful place. \"I'm giving it back.\" *** Kaito's body didn't require a heart anymore. Such was the realm he now stood in. Elisabeth shuddered at that fact. As he was now, he was a fitting vessel to bear both God and Diablo. But... ...he was still Kaito Sena. He was just Kaito Sena. He'd completely changed, but he was still her same dull, kindhearted, foolish servant as ever. Yet he spoke in the voice of a grizzled veteran. \"Thank you, Elisabeth.\" \"What do you intend to do about your promise?!\" Suddenly, Elisabeth let out an articulate shout. She turned up her downcast face. She hadn't been crying. She glared at Kaito with eyes full of anger and indignation. \"You told me, did you not?! You said you would remain by my side! You and you alone!\" \"And hey, you bringing me back to life and summoning me here must have been some kind of fate... So until you start walking the road to Hell, I'll try and stick by your side for as long as I can, even if I'm the only one.\" It was a promise the two of them had exchanged long ago. Kaito had sworn it to her back in her castle, right after they'd finished subjugating the Kaiser. Throughout Elisabeth Le Fanu's bloody life, she was accompanied by a single foolish servant. Kaito thought that sounded just fine. Neither of them had mentioned the promise out loud. But both of them knew. They both knew the other had thought it. \"Don't worry, I plan on keeping it.\" Kaito spoke with complete composure. Elisabeth opened her mouth, as though to say, How? How do you intend on keeping it? But as she did, she suddenly realized the foolishness of the question she was about to ask. After the last rebuilding, the Saint had slumbered away inside a crystal. One who had taken that burden upon themself lost the ability to die. For the full span of Elisabeth Le Fanu's bloody life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat foolish servant of hers would never leave. *** \"Elisabeth. This foolish servant of yours will be by your side to the very end.\" Elisabeth extended a trembling arm. Kaito held his hand aloft. The Torture Princess struggled, trying desperately to grasp at his distant palm. But briars rose up one after another to stop her. Her already-broken fingers tore even further. She retched up blood. Yet just as she once had, she continued resisting. However, Kaito's figure remained distant. A smile crossed his face, and he got ready to snap his fingers. But suddenly, as if he'd just thought of something, he opened his mouth and spoke: \"That reminds me\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI told you once in a dream, but...I never said it to you in real life.\" \"What is it...? What...is it...?\" \"I love you, Elisabeth.\" His words pierced her like a long sword. There was a brutal, kind truth to them. Heartbroken, Elisabeth stared at Kaito. She studied his face. He was smiling like a child\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dhis eyes still glittering as though gazing upon a revered hero. \"For your sake, I could do or become anything.\" \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dYou can't! You mustn't!\" Elisabeth tried to scream. But Kaito wasn't listening anymore. He hadn't been looking to coerce a response out of her; he'd merely said what he wanted to say. He gently waved his other hand at her. \"Good-bye, Elisabeth.\" \"'Twould be far better it were\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" And without hearing her shout\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"'Twould be far better it were I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \u00e2\u20ac\u201dKaito Sena snapped his fingers. Countless invisible shackles clattered as they successively came undone. The ebony princess fell, as though she'd been struck"}, {"text": "by an arrow. She'd been extending her hand until the very end. She tried to shout something. Diamond-like tears glistened as they descended through the air. Lute successfully managed to catch her. As he watched over her, Kaito let out a quiet murmur. \"...It's unusual to see you cry, Elisabeth.\" For some reason, she started struggling. As he gazed down at her, another faint smile crossed Kaito's face. However, smiling naturally like that was now beyond him. Black feathers had sprouted from his cheek. He immediately grabbed them and ripped them out. The twin powers of rebirth and destruction were whirling within him. A detached thought crossed his mind. Summoning God without the proper conditions having been met would have been hard, even for me. But now, given that the summoning's already completed, using His power in ways God Himself wants me to is pretty doable. At the moment, two inhuman emotions were bubbling up inside him. One was a fierce desire to destroy everything and swallow it all up. To put it in human terms, it resembled hunger. The other was a fierce determination to confine the destruction. To put it in human terms, it was like a sense of obligation. Kaito intentionally chose to amplify the latter. Little by little, Diablo's power began settling down. The underlings' cries stopped. A silence returned to the world below, one it had nearly forgotten. And at the same time, it began. A clear snapping noise rang out. \"Yeah...I figured.\" The day of rebuilding was far in the future, so God was returning to His slumber. The Saint had been encased in a crystal. Now the same thing was happening to Kaito. A transparent layer had begun surrounding his still-living body. The snapping noise continued. Kaito murmured to himself. \"Looks like it's over, huh...? I guess I did it.\" He quietly raised his arm. Azure petals and black darkness whirled atop his palm, and he drew a jet-black long sword from within them. The runes inscribed on its slender blade flashed, and he affirmed their meaning. All things are pardoned unto me. But I am ruled by none. \"La (your job is done).\" The moment Kaito whispered, cracks ran across the blade. Then Nameless, the sword without a name that was birthed from the wish to save a single woman, shattered completely. At the same time, Kaito's uniform transformed as well. At times, clothes made by magic could change based on their owner's influence. As the nature of Kaito's volition and magic shifted away from battle, so, too, did his outfit. Its end state was that of the butler uniform he'd constantly decried as unbecoming. He'd completed his transformation back into a foolish servant. Kaito slowly exhaled, then closed his eyes. The Mad King had appeared like a tempest and had vanished just as suddenly. And the massive amounts of mana he'd obtained knew that as well. There was truly nothing left that he needed to do. He'd completed everything that he'd set out to. And so Kaito Sena got to thinking. Specifically, it was during the time right before his body was fully enclosed. Hypothetically, if Elisabeth hadn't summoned me, what would have become of me? He certainly wouldn't have had to repeatedly experience the pain of death. He wouldn't have seen all those horrible, gruesome things he'd seen, either. However, he also would have gone his whole life without ever having been glad he was alive. Then like an empty bowl being filled with water\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dmemories of the various things he'd experienced in this new world swirled within his mind. The Torture Princess, laughing innocently. And tumbling toward the ground while shedding tears like diamonds. Hina, smiling gently. And drifting peacefully in and out of sleep atop a warm bed. The Butcher. Izabella. Jeanne. Lute. Ain. Vyade. All the people he'd met, all the expressions they'd made, and all the things they'd said to him. They had all been there\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand Kaito had lived within each of them. And Kaito hadn't forgotten the words Neue had said to him as he'd stood on death's door. \"I guess...I was just hoping you could find happiness in this world.\" Even now, I'm still not totally sure what happiness is supposed to look like. But there's one thing I do know. The first time he'd wept with joy at having been born\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dhis death had gained meaning for the very first time. And even if he'd ended up under the same curse the Butcher had been bound by\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dno matter how foolish the decision had been, Kaito didn't regret it at all. He had no regrets. If he had but one, though... *** A crisp noise rang out as the crystal shattered. Somebody had used all their might to rip open part of the film surrounding him. Of course, it would quickly reform. Who would have done such a silly thing? And why? Flustered, Kaito turned around. Outside the gap in the crystal, he could see a black spot in the sky. It was the Kaiser. It was unclear what he'd come for, but he was wordlessly beating his wings. However, the reason for his arrival soon became clear. The Kaiser had been carrying someone. *** Kaito's bride was before his very eyes. His beloved bride had flown up to meet him. \"Hi...na\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"You did as you pleased, Master Kaito, and now I intend to do the same!\" Her maid uniform fluttering, Hina beamed. She had already cast aside the halberd she'd used to break the crystal. She was simply reaching out her arms. She embraced him, as any would a deeply loved one. \"I won't let you be alone.\" \"Hina\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"After all, we're a family.\" Her smile was as radiant as a flower in bloom. Kaito trembled in surprise. He knew. He had to hurry. The crystal's opening still hadn't closed yet. If he shoved Hina away, he could still make it in time. He couldn't drag her into this. He needed to let her be free. With that thought in mind, he reached out his arms. And with all his strength\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe hugged his wife tight. Holding your beloved in your arms. That had to be one of the purest forms that happiness came in, Kaito Sena mused. She's warm, she's lovely, and I don't want to let go of her. For if we separate, I will surely die. And he was certain she felt the same way. Kaito Sena was terrifyingly free of regrets. If he had but one regret, though... ...it was in regard to his bride. And thus, Kaito now turned to his wife with a teary smile on his face. \"Hina...will you stay with me forever?\" \"Yes, gladly. In sickness and in health, till death do us part. I shall be by your side forevermore!\" They pressed their lips together, as resolutely as when they'd exchanged their vows. Then they smiled at each other like always. Kaito hugged Hina tight. The crystal snapped and popped as it closed up. Their bodies were steadily being surrounded. As they rubbed their cheeks affectionately against each other, Hina whispered: \"Master Kaito, I'm very, very happy right now.\" \"Yeah, me too.\" Their field of view gradually shrank and shrank. They were being cut off from the outside world. Despite the unfathomable pain and pressure invading his body, Kaito Sena whispered from the bottom of his heart as well. \"I'm so glad...that I was born.\" And then with a snap\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe crystal sealed completely. Epilogue Two pillars stood atop the World's End. Feathers, white and black, and roses, azure and crimson, fluttered down from them onto the frozen earth. They cascaded below like beautiful drops of rain and flakes of snow. At that florid scene's center, a massive crystal was enshrined between the two pillars. Two humans were sleeping inside it. Or to be more precise, one was from another world, and the other was an automaton. The two were nestled up close to each other, and their faces looked downright blissful. They were like a symbol of all the joy the world had to offer. The soldiers gazed dumbfoundedly at the crystal. The power that had threatened to destroy the world was gone, and all the underlings had turned to ash. The burning-black sky, too, had reclaimed its original milky-white, rainbow hue. The snowflakes drifting to the ground were clear and pure. Amid all that, the soldiers had come to realize something. Something about the person whom they'd all relied on yet had borne fear and bloodlust toward behind their smiles. Something about the Mad King, the man they'd feared they would need to kill someday. \"...Was he always such a frail-looking boy?\" He was nothing more than a thin little man. Still holding Jeanne, Izabella looked down. Vlad was still smiling. Lute struck the ground and let out a wordless roar. Valisisa spat on the ground. And there was one woman who sat down in front of the crystal. Her lustrous, black hair fluttered in the wind as she gazed at its two sleeping inhabitants. Nobody moved to approach her. Eventually, though, La Christoph came up behind her. Blood was flowing from his still-open rib cage. However, there was no pain in his voice as he made his solemn statement. \"This world has sustained a grave blow. Humanity has no leeway, and the Church's authority has crumbled. I have no intention of committing the folly of killing someone as useful as you. Your execution is hereby permanently deferred, Elisabeth Le Fanu. That is the least we can do to repay the debt we owe that stranger.\" \"Is that...so?\" \"Before the day of your death, try to do some good at least.\" With that, La Christoph closed his mouth and turned. Then he left to go help treat the wounded. Elisabeth remained silent. Suddenly, though, she moved. She extended her arm and touched the crystal. She pressed her hand firmly against its transparent surface. However, she was unable to make her way inside. As she gazed at their two resting figures, she let out a small whisper. \"Hina... Perhaps this is the best for you. 'Tis a good thing, I suppose, that no tears need come your way... Aye, perhaps 'tis the best for both of you. And perhaps living alone is yet another of my punishments. No, as you said, I suppose I'm not alone.\" \"Elisabeth. This foolish servant of yours will be by your side to the very end.\" Elisabeth thought back on the words she herself had been told. She curled her lips upward, just a hair. She knocked her forehead against the crystal. \"You fool... You complete and utter fool.\" No voice rose up in reply. Nothing came back to her. Even so, she wore a smile as she spoke: \"'Tis true\u00e2\u20ac\u201dno matter how much time passes, you shall always be my foolish servant.\" Feathers, white and black, and roses, azure and crimson, rained down on her incessantly. They rained down over the world, as if to congratulate it for its survival. And with that, Kaito Sena's story came to an end. It was a tale from long, long ago. A tale of admiration, folly\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand love. Afterword Winter's cold wave has given way, and spring is upon us. And with it, Volume 6 has been released. Truly, an auspicious season. Thank you all so much for buying the sixth volume of Torture Princess. In regard to how I'm arranging this afterword, I thought I'd lead with the acknowledgments this time. To Saki Ukai, for these six volumes of wonderful illustrations; to my editor O, for putting up with all the trouble I've caused you; and to Hina Yamato, for the two volumes of the manga adaptation, I would like to thank you all so much. I'd also like to extend deep thanks to everyone else involved in the process, as well as my beloved family, particularly my sister. And more than anything, I would like to"}, {"text": "express my gratitude to my readers once more. The curtain has finally closed on Kaito Sena's story. Thank you all so much for accompanying me on his journey. I was able to write almost everything about him that I wanted to, a fact that fills me with emotion. As for Torture Princess as a whole, it will continue. It will continue. (That part's important.) To tell you the truth, after I submitted my plot outline for Volume 6, my editor mentioned it would make for a good stopping point, so if I absolutely wanted to end the series there, I could. But I still had various things I wanted to write about her and her acquaintances, and about this event and that event, and the various characters doing this, that, and the other thing, so I asked to be allowed to continue writing. Since then, I've submitted my whole outline for the plot to come, and I got my editor's seal of approval. The content and pace should be just about the same as it has been up until now, so I hope that news brings you all some relief. However, if you want to just close the book here and call that the end, that's a perfectly valid choice, and this would be the volume to do it. As an author, though, it would bring me utmost joy if you were to come along with me, watch over the characters, and see the fate of this world until the true end. I intend to keep writing to the best of my ability, so I hope you'll join me. Please, I beg of you. The story up until now has been for his sake. From now on, though, it will become a story for the other protagonist's sake\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor her sake. And as long as the story continues, there's one thing I feel I must say. The true hell\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dhas only just begun. Part 2\u00e2\u20ac\u201dThe Torture Princess Arc Prologue The red sun had just sunk in the sky, and darkness was beginning to overtake the area. A single figure was running through the night. It was a man, clad in a dark mage's stereotypical droopy hood. He was frequently glancing about as he ran. It seemed the magical traps he'd been laying about had completed their tasks, as he didn't see any sign of his pursuers. Certain he'd successfully made another escape, he breathed a sigh of relief. That caused him to let his guard down. A slender figure fell on him from above. Someone had descended like an arrow from the rooftops, mercilessly landing on him high-heels-first. Although he narrowly avoided having his neck broken, he let out an ugly scream when his attacker trampled on his stomach. The voice that rang out was as cold and as sharp as a knife. \"Squealing like a pig is unbecoming. 'Twas obvious your crimes would catch up with you. So why did you think you could escape me? 'Tis precisely what's so irksome about you weaklings who fail to grasp the difference in strength between you and your superiors.\" The man frantically looked up at his foe. Her resplendent, black hair glittered in the moonlight, and her skin, which her risqu\u00c3\u00a9 bondage dress laid bare, was captivatingly awash in the light as well. The man let out a cry filled with awe and despair. \"E-Elisabeth!\" \"Precisely. I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu.\" A sadistic smile spread across the beautiful woman's face. As she pressed her foot down on the man, she made her bold declaration. \"I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow.\" \"I caaaught him.\" \"Excellent work!\" As she made her listless announcement, Elisabeth kicked the bound mage forward. The beastfolk replied with their thanks as they approached their captured foe. A deer-headed soldier dragged him down to the dungeons. Elisabeth rotated her shoulders in exasperation. Lute walked up to her and handed her a hot cup of tea. \"I would expect nothing less. With this, we can strike another name off the most wanted list. He gave us the slip when we busted up the last demon-worshipper site, you see, and sniffing him out was beyond us.\" \"Well, the blame for that hardly rests with you. I was conveniently able to trace his traps back to him, but...such a trick can only be performed if one possesses a proper grasp of magic. Anyhow, that's all, correct? I shall be taking my break now. And my dinner, albeit a late one.\" \"Oh, Ms. New Captain! We're getting off, too, so if you don't mind, we could eat togeth\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Hwah!\" The new recruit, with his characteristic notched ear, let out a jovial remark. However, Lute immediately snatched him up by the nape of his uniform. The legs of the coyote-headed recruit dangled. Lute shook his head, as though instructing him not to get in her way. The recruit didn't seem to understand, but he obediently went quiet. Elisabeth drank down her tea as though nothing had happened. After giving the cup back to Lute, she began walking. The moment she did, though, the door was violently kicked open. The voice that rang out seemed somehow puppetlike, yet at the same time, it was strangely obnoxious. \"Pardon me. Elisabeth! Is Elisabeth Le Fanu around? Listen to what I gotta say for a minute, ya bitch!\" \"Ah. 'Tis Jeanne... I see you've made your way here from the Capital again. When you leave, I do expect you to mend the door on your way out. How many times does this make, anyhow?\" \"Don't worry about that; just listen. I don't understand what's going on in my little lady's head. On some days, she's kind to me, and on others, she seems wholly uninterested. Why, today and yesterday, she barely even greeted me. Women, I'm tellin' ya! Like, does she hate me? She doesn't hate me, does she?\" \"The way I'd heard it, Izabella's been up to her ears in work since yesterday. And besides, she's never been much of a clingy type. I'm off now. Good-bye.\" Waving her hand in exasperation, Elisabeth grabbed the basket from the table. Jeanne seemed to be on the verge of launching into another tirade, but Lute signaled to Elisabeth with his eyes that he could take it from there. She left the room. Then after successfully escaping into the hallway, she dropped a jewel onto the floor. It was a magical device she'd created by taking a gem already rich in mana, then carving spells and pouring blood into it. The moment it landed, a teleportation circle appeared on the ground. Crimson flower petals and darkness sprayed up as far as the eye could see. Cylindrical walls the color of fresh blood formed around her. Then fine cracks ran across them. Once the circle had vanished, nobody remained within. Thus, Elisabeth vanished from the beastfolk lands. She arrived in a place that had neither day nor night. Elisabeth surveyed the pure land crafted from snow, water, wind, and mana. Above her was a milky-white sky blanketed in a rainbow-colored film. Neither the sun nor the moon was visible. Everything around her was beautiful and empty. The delicate snowflakes crunched under her feet as she walked. Eventually, she arrived at a strange sight. There were two pillars of ivy toppled over, like corpses of giants. The two of them were lying on top of each other and propping each other up. Because of that, there was a shrine-like cave at their center. She boldly sat down in it, surrounded by ivy decorated with azure and crimson roses. While magically maintaining her body's temperature, she opened up her basket. Inside it were a variety of sandwiches packed with fruits, vegetables, and meats. She nodded as she glanced fondly at them. Normally, the beastfolk preferred mild flavors. Compared with the dishes in the early days, though, Elisabeth's meal was seasoned fairly heavily, and the serving size had gone up as well. She gestured at it and spoke: \"Behold this transformation. And I uttered nary a complaint. Kind, isn't he? 'Tis little wonder you all got along so handsomely.\" Her tone seemed to indicate she was talking to someone. However, there was no response. As she imagined Lute going out of his way to pop into the kitchen, Elisabeth began eating her sandwiches. As she did, she snapped the fingers on her free hand and retrieved the personal documents she'd been secretly keeping. She went over her recent thoughts. \"Little has changed from the information I reported previously. No incidents of note have occurred, at any rate... Ah, but there is some good news. Although they yet continue, the mixed-race murders have subsided dramatically over the last year. 'Tis a natural result of the situation calming down, but still. That said, there is something strange that's caught my attention about the way it's subsided. The result itself is auspicious, but I shall have to analyze it later. Now, as for today...\" The way she was talking really did make it seem like there was someone else there. However, the only reply she received was silence. At Vyade's suggestion, she was working under Lute's command to preserve the public order. The world's wounds were deep, and the new way people perceived God and Diablo had given rise to a number of new catastrophes. The reconstruction sect had scattered across the land and acquired greater influence, and demon worshippers had begun running rampant. The Torture Princess's job was to operate behind the scenes and bring them to justice. However, there was no shortage of paladins and other humans who refused to accept her, so she was working out in the beastfolk lands. The soldiers who'd survived Ragnarok seemed to carry a certain sense of guilt, and they were generally kind to her. And the new recruits held a great deal of admiration toward the actions she and her servant had taken, so they tended to approach her with a degree of familiarity as well. It was, all things considered, not entirely unpleasant. However, Elisabeth did her best to keep to herself. In order to best protect the world, 'tis best to avoid nurturing new bonds. There was no way of knowing whom or what she would eventually have to sacrifice. And there was also the possibility that everyone would eventually find themselves needing to kill the Torture Princess. Such were Elisabeth's concerns. For the moment, though, unstable as the world was, things were peaceful. She secretly found that miraculous fact quite pleasing. After all, this ugly, selfish world was the very one he'd chosen to protect. \"Now then, I suppose dinner's over. 'Twas a fine meal, but...surely, not a dish exists in this world that compares to the ones you made, Hina.\" Elisabeth quietly murmured, but after a moment, she shook her head and withdrew the thermos from her basket. She heartily drank down its contents. Suddenly, she let her body go limp. A small thump rang out as her back collided with something. As she leaned against the transparent crystal, Elisabeth quietly closed her eyes. Two people were sleeping inside the crystal at her back. They were as silent as ever, and unchanging smiles adorned their faces. Elisabeth remained facing forward. She refused to look back. However, because nobody was listening, a few words suddenly fell from her mouth. Her words were like a drop of blood, shed straight from the heart. \"...I wish I could see you.\" Of course, from within the crystal, Kaito and Hina offered no answer. It had been three years since that fateful battle. \"You can see them; you can!\" The voice that echoed through the castle sounded like a bell ringing. As she heard those words, which seemed almost to be a response to the murmur she'd made a while back, and gazed at the scene spread out before her, Elisabeth narrowed her eyes. What had happened? For a moment, she wasn't totally sure."}, {"text": "Over the past three years, Vyade had moved back from her secondary residence to her original home. The lighting throughout its entire audience chamber was dim. Furthermore, the room's daintily embroidered curtains cast whimsical shadows atop the stairs leading up to the throne. The curtains' large, floral design was gorgeous, yet they possessed the same solemnity as a large, aging beast. The room seemed undefended at first glance, but a number of skilled soldiers were hidden away in its nooks and crannies. Or at least, they were supposed to be. Now, though, not a single one of them seemed to be present. Lute and the others standing behind her hadn't noticed yet, but Elisabeth could tell. They've all been knocked out already. Earlier that day, Valisisa had come to visit Vyade. The first imperial princess had been busy pursuing a group of reconstruction-sect members who'd gotten their hands on some surviving transfigured paladins, but she'd gotten back a few days prior. The way Valisisa had ordered Elisabeth, Lute, and the others to come greet her as well had been haughty, yet friendly at the same time. That was what they'd been on their way to the audience chamber to do. However, the room they'd been heading toward was steeped in the scent of blood. Elisabeth glanced around the room with her crimson eyes. Within, the worst possible result was awaiting them. Two beastfolk lay toppled over. Sitting motionless in the throne was a white wolf with her head drooping low. Atop her was a red fox who was dressed in a military uniform and looked like she'd moved to cover the wolf. Their red and white fur was matted thick with blood. And standing before the two imperial princesses of the beastfolk were two humans. The lovely voice from before had come from one of them, and as for the other\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"The true value of information lies in its ability to set people's minds in motion.\" The man began speaking in a detached tone. He was tall and possessed a distinct sort of melancholy. Although he was attractive, the bottom part of his face was concealed behind a crow mask. Wearing just half of a mask was a rather strange choice. The rest of his body was garbed in a thick, black outfit. Curiously, it made him look almost like a doctor or a researcher. For some reason, instead of fleeing, he chose to begin making a speech in the bloodstained room. \"Moving, how the three races managed to come together for a common goal. But the information that was shared among them and subsequently leaked can be described as nothing but a gross error. The possibility of people appearing from other worlds and the details regarding demon flesh, in particular, should have been concealed. Now everyone knows that by summoning from another world a soul that's accustomed to pain, placing it in an immortal body, making it form a contract with a demon, and giving it the heart of an individual who's ingested demon flesh and accumulated a massive amount of pain, it's possible to artificially create an entity capable of revolutionizing the world.\" His voice was just as heavy and gloomy as his melancholy appearance would imply. Lute and the others were still stunned. The man's speech, which had been wholly inappropriate for the time and place, had only served to exacerbate that. However, Elisabeth knew exactly what he was talking about. She clicked her tongue. The possibility of people appearing from other worlds and the details regarding demon flesh. That was, without a doubt, one of the things she'd been afraid of. But how would someone arrive at that thought before the information faded from memory?! Only someone who reared hell within their mind the way Vlad did should have been able to notice that fact. Furthermore, Elisabeth had feared even that faint possibility and had taken steps to prevent it. However, the man spoke to no one in particular. \"It may seem trivial, but in truth, the fact that this person comes from another world is surprisingly crucial. The people of this world don't realize it themselves, but their imaginations are narrow, causing their potential to be limited. One would have to destroy their very ego to escape the shackles they themselves are unaware of. However, people from other worlds are different. I died, but I got a second chance at life. This time, I'm going to accomplish everything I set out to do. That conception serves as an almighty justification. It gives them that magical quality that allows them to obtain limitless power.\" \"But you need the First Demon's flesh for that, and I made certain to retrieve it all! It should no longer be possible to obtain meat from a demon that powerful!\" Elisabeth let out a shout. The man nodded magnanimously, as though congratulating her. \"An apt measure. That was what posed the largest problem for me. You all put down the reconstruction-sect members who'd carried off the meat before I could get to them. An impressive display. However, that was where another piece of information became crucial. Specifically, the records from the battle at the Capital\u00e2\u20ac\u201din particular, the ones regarding demon crossbreeding.\" Elisabeth's eyes shot open. That was a piece of information that not only she, but everyone had overlooked. After their egos were destroyed, two demonic contractors were able to have a powerful child within their fused mass of flesh. It had been exceedingly unprecedented. However, upon being faced with the end of days, nobody had paid it much heed any longer. Upon seeing Elisabeth's agitation, the man nodded to affirm her fears. Then as though lecturing a group of incompetents, he solemnly went on. \"I summoned a pair of weaker demons into a man and a woman, then destroyed both their egos. They had two children. Then I bred the children together. By repeating that process, it was possible to create a pure, powerful demon. Eventually, I created a demon powerful enough to meet my needs. Of course, the whole process was a little more involved than merely breeding mice. As you can see, it took me three whole years to reach this point.\" The man hung his head sadly, his heart apparently filled with grief. However, someone stroked his arm to console him. It was the owner of the first voice, the one standing beside the throne. \"It's okay, Father. Please don't be sad. We made it, didn't we? That's what matters. All's well that ends well! And really, we're just getting started!\" The voice belonged to a young girl. She was wearing a blue bondage dress, but it was so covered in ribbons and frills that it was difficult to recognize it as such. In Elisabeth's opinion, it was a bit much. However, she was certainly cute and girly. Her hair was white, and her eyes were red. It was unclear if it was innate or not, but she seemed somewhat lacking in pigmentation. Her voice matched her lovely appearance, and her tone was practically singsong. \"I heard your story, Elisabeth. It's a very sad story. That's what I think. I'm thinking about you, even if no one in the world is. And you know, I think it would be better if your story didn't end like that. After all, sad things are sad. No matter how much you patch them up, they still make you want to cry. That's why you'll be able to see them!\" Although the girl was surrounded by the smell of blood, the smile that spread across her face didn't have a hint of malice in it. She extended her pale hand in front of her, then called out to Elisabeth in a gentle voice. \"I'll help you! I'll help you, Elisabeth! I'll help you meet the people you care about!\" \"...Who the hell are you?\" Elisabeth growled out that lone question. The girl stared blankly at her. After she blinked, though, she suddenly grabbed the hem of her skirt. She performed an awkward, yet adorable bow. \"That's right; I have to introduce myself first. That's what you did. So I should do the same. My name is Alice Carroll. I am the ideal girl of men and the sinful harlot who deserves to be stoned. However, that's the name Father gave me, and the words I thought up. My real name, the one I lost, is Sara Yuuki.\" \"Sara Yuuki? Wait... That strange pronunciation... That self-introduction... No, you can't be\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"You're the Torture Princess, so... Yes, it would be strange to be the same. Being the exact same would be odd. So as someone who was reincarnated, I suppose I should say it like this: I am...\" The girl let out an amused chuckle. And with purity in her voice, the girl\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe one unburdened by that world's original sin\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmade her proclamation. \"...the Torture Princess from Another World. The Fremd Torturchen, if you will.\" Thus, the curtain rose on a new stage. On a cruel story, one that may or may not eventually be told as a tale from long, long ago. It's time for a story. A story of repentance, dreams\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand hatred. An Oath of Rebellion Hear ye, ladies and gentlemen! Let my words be a record of our subservience. Let them be heard as a lamentation of the humiliating lives you've forced us into. Let them be heard as a cry of rage at the cruelty of the fates you've subjected us to. And let them be heard as a hymn of joy. We have wept, and we have wept, and we have wept, and we have no tears left to shed. What choice do we have, then, but to rejoice in your tyranny? We have surpassed resignation, we have transcended despair, and at long last, we have found our answer. But reaching it cost more lives than you will ever know. You people cannot even begin to imagine the cruelties we have suffered. You see, most people are nothing more than ignorant, stupid animals. And why wouldn't they be? After all, anyone unfortunate enough to be saddled with wisdom and reason would inevitably be forced to confront this world's contradictions and inconsistencies. And without ignorance to shield them, the discord would cause their hearts to shatter. So in order to protect themselves, the living reduce themselves to base animals. When it comes to your own pain, you people are as sensitive as fledgling birds. But when it comes to the pain of others, you're as dull and senseless as swine. You only see what you want to see, only hear what you want to hear. And it's because you're all weak. For most of you, your only crime is cowardice\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut I don't give a damn. You don't get my sympathy, we're never going to see eye to eye, and I find the thought of acknowledging you repulsive. True, each tragedy was born from the weakness of individuals. But you people don't deserve my pity. For it is in weakness that people have room to grow. Surely, there was something to be learned from all those horrors you witnessed. Yet you persisted in your ignorance. So, so many of you insisted on maintaining your inane foolishness. Who allowed you to be so stupid? So cruel? Why should we have to forgive you? Make no mistake\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwe have been called on to forgive you time and again. A thought crossed my mind once\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif the end of days truly had been upon us, maybe it would have all been fine. On the brink of annihilation, I could greet even your malice with a smile. All your atrocities could be forgiven, written off as isolated incidents of fear-induced derangement. But God and Diablo failed to bring down the hammer\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dso I must do it in their stead. I'll take this world, I'll make it my own, and I'll kill every last fool who walks upon it. I don't need a reason. After all, justice"}, {"text": "died long ago. At this point, what use does anyone have for something so decent and proper? And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if I choose to act or watch from the sidelines; it won't affect our ultimate fate. Salvation isn't coming, ladies and gentlemen. Not for you, and certainly not for me. Ah...I do grieve like a child sometimes. If only God were more merciful. Were that the case... ...there might have been another way. 1 A New Stage Three years ago, the world very nearly met a tragic end. However, that seemingly immutable fate was altered by a single person. And the one who accomplished that miraculous feat wasn't a grand hero of any sort. He was a boy who had reincarnated from another world following a life of abuse and a meaningless death. He got a chance at life, then had a number of experiences, some horrifying and some irreplaceable. Then after a long series of battles, he obtained a colossal amount of mana and used it to save someone precious to him. And while he was at it, he saved the world. By sacrificing himself. After burdening himself with God and Diablo, the boy fell into a deep slumber at the World's End. Thanks to his deeds, the people of the world managed to avoid the apocalypse. The greatest good for the greatest number was, surely, the greatest outcome. One could say they all lived happily ever after. And that would be all well and good. But whenever someone's story ends, there are some things that yet remain. With its lease on life renewed, the world continued on. But the bells would eventually toll on a new curtain's rise. For that is the way bells and curtains are. The play's continuation was unveiled in the beastfolk lands. And the new stage was the audience chamber of Vyade Ula Forstlast. The chamber was a tranquil space with a pedestal atop a short flight of stairs, complete with a throne in the center of the area. Curtains decorated with delicate embroidery hung gracefully on both sides. Their large-petaled floral patterns afforded the hall a gorgeous air, and their heavy, thick cloth gave the chamber the sort of solemnity one would associate with a majestic beast. Normally, each curtain would have a number of skilled soldiers standing guard behind it. Now, though, their presence was nowhere to be felt. All of them were dead. The throne room had been transformed into a grisly crime scene, its mystical atmosphere broken by the smell of blood and the grim pall of death. And worst of all was what lay on the throne itself. The two imperial beastfolk princesses were breathing their last. The pure-white, wolf-headed second imperial princess sat atop the throne, unmoving. Her hand hung low. The red-haired, fox-headed first imperial princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201dperhaps having tried to protect her sister\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlay sprawled atop her. Their white and red fur, as well as their dress and military uniform, were soaked in fresh blood. Neither was likely to open her eyes ever again. A pair of humans stood before the sisters' bodies. \"The true value of information lies in its ability to set people's minds in motion. Moving, how the three races managed to come together for a common goal. But the information that was shared between them and subsequently leaked can be described as nothing but a gross error. The possibility of people appearing from other worlds and the details regarding demon flesh, in particular, should have been concealed.\" The first one to speak was the man garbed in black standing by the throne. He was tall, well-proportioned, and, aside from his melancholy ambience, relatively attractive. However, part of his face was hidden beneath a white crow mask. It really was peculiar, seeing a man wear only half of a mask. His outfit, which oddly resembled that of a doctor or a researcher, was black from top to bottom. He continued his lecture in a level tone wholly unfitting for the situation at hand. \"I summoned a pair of weaker demons into a man and a woman, then destroyed both their egos. They had two children. Then I bred the children together. By repeating that process, it was possible to create a pure, powerful demon. Eventually, I created a demon powerful enough to meet my needs. Of course, the whole process was a little more involved than merely breeding mice. As you can see, it took me three whole years to reach this point.\" \"It's okay, Father. Please don't be sad. Really, we're just getting started!\" At the end of the man's speech, his tone took on a hint of chagrin. His partner, an adorable little girl, offered him words of encouragement. Then she turned toward Elisabeth. Her hair was long, full, and white, and her eyes were red. She was somewhat lacking in pigmentation, but perhaps she had just been born that way. \"I heard your story, Elisabeth. It's a very sad story. That's what I think. I'm thinking about you, even if no one in the world is.\" Her blue bondage dress was garnished so heavily with frills and ribbons that it was barely even recognizable as one. It was cute, but it was also so egregiously girly that some would consider it over-the-top. Even for a world where magic existed, her outfit looked like it had come straight out of a fairy tale. And it wasn't just her clothing\u00e2\u20ac\u201dher expression looked unnatural, too. Her bloody surroundings made the broad smile on her face come across as warped and twisted. The girl innocently extended her pale hand. \"I'll help you! I'll help you, Elisabeth! I'll help you meet the people you care about!\" \"...Who the hell are you?\" Elisabeth's reply was concise. The girl gave her a blank stare. However, after pulling herself together, she grasped the hem of her skirt and gave an adorably awkward bow. \"That's right; I have to introduce myself first. That's what you did. So I should do the same. My name is Alice Carroll. I am the ideal girl of men and the sinful harlot who deserves to be stoned. However, that's the name Father gave me and the words I thought up. My real name, the one I lost, is Sara Yuuki.\" \"Sara Yuuki? Wait... That strange pronunciation...that self-introduction... No, you can't be\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"You're the Torture Princess, so... Yes, it would be strange to be the same. Being the exact same would be odd. So as someone who was reincarnated, I suppose I should say it like this: I am...\" The girl let out an amused chuckle. And with purity in her voice, the girl\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe one unburdened by that world's original sin\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmade her proclamation. \"...the Torture Princess from Another World. The Fremd Torturchen, if you will.\" Thus the curtain rose on a new stage. The performers, who'd finally found peace, were given no say in the matter. \"The Fremd Torturchen? A new reincarnation?\" Elisabeth verbally reviewed the astonishing information. So someone had reincarnated other than Kaito Sena. And there was a Torture Princess other than herself\u00e2\u20ac\u201dElisabeth Le Fanu\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand Jeanne de Rais. But combining the two defied every shred of logic in the world. Such a being should not exist. Elisabeth was struck by a sensation much like vertigo. However, she quickly pulled herself together. After forming a small vortex of darkness and flower petals, she thrust her hand in and withdrew a long sword. The inscription carved on its crimson blade flashed as she cried out its name. \"Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal!\" In short, she was completely rejecting Alice's greeting. However, the girl in question didn't seem offended in the slightest. She merely broadened her smile. Beside her, the man placed a finger on his jaw and stroked the line where mask met flesh. \"You are free to act as you will. But pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. Its appearance and inscription match the report to a T. It's odd, though\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI've never seen it in person before, yet somehow, it feels like I have.\" \"Ah, you know of my sword. But a thousand reports will tell you nothing of the sting of its blade. Come, then, have your fill of it. 'Tis an honor rarely granted to fools such as yourself, but I'm prepared to make an exception.\" Elisabeth spat out a naked threat, to which the man in black nodded with a strange, scholarly composure. Then he retreated a step and gave Alice's back a little push. Her cheeks flushed scarlet as she stepped forward. \"Father? I can go? Really and truly?! Yippee, I'm so happy!\" \"Pendulum!\" Elisabeth pointed at the ceiling, immediately launching her attack. Darkness and flower petals swirled up high. Then a massive sickle-and-chain shot out from the black and crimson. Thanks to the momentum from its fall, the blade swung backward. Right before it hit the wall, though, the fiendish Pendulum stopped and swung back the other way. In other words, straight for Alice. It accelerated toward her at a far greater rate than gravity should have allowed. A number of chains shot at her back, too. Then Alice Carroll was impaled between the two\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor rather, she should have been. Yet no spray of blood filled the air. Everything was just still and quiet. Elisabeth frowned. Out of the blue, Alice and the man had vanished from atop the stairs. A large black egg sat in their place. Its sleek shell seemed to have repelled all the attacks. Then a young voice echoed from within. \"Humpty Dumpty\u00e2\u20ac\u201donce it breaks, 'all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put it back together again.' But it won't break unless it 'has a great fall.'\" \"Hmph. A rhyme I've not heard, and a most peculiar rule. Influence from your original world, I take it?\" \"Yeah, that's right. There's this story, see, and I used it as a base for all my Fremd Torturchen\u00e2\u20ac\u201d H-hey, you startled me! What did you go and do that for?! That was too\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Eek!\" Alice let out a little shriek\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe egg had just risen into the air atop a stone Pillory. Elisabeth had completely abandoned the device's intended purpose and was instead using it to give the egg its prescribed \"great fall.\" Alice looked decidedly alarmed. She and the man burst out of the shell. The chains attempted to follow them, but Alice repelled the attack with a spray of flower petals. The man remained calm throughout, but Alice's eyes soon grew wide. Elisabeth had prepared a mountain of pins at their landing site, too. \"Just let the skewers run you through and be done with it.\" \"Huh? What? Pins, too? Eeeeenough already!\" But the moment before Elisabeth's lethal trap came to fruition, Alice drew a circle. Hers wasn't made of darkness and flower petals; it was just a black disc, like a rabbit hole. She drew a checkered tablecloth like one might use for a tea party from within it, then draped it gently over the needles. The ground beneath returned to its original flat state. Alice and the man landed with a thump. As she caught her breath, she wiped away beads of cold sweat. \"Pant, pant... Now, listen here, Elisabeth. You're waaaaaay bigger than me, so I think surprise attacks like that are quite unbecoming of a lady like you. Didn't your father ever scold you and tell you it was uncivilized? Wha\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? Hey! I'm trying to talk to you!\" \"Scold me? To the contrary. My foster father, for one, is a brute who's rather fond of surprise attacks himself... My, my... You blocked my strike with your bare hands? Your words may be dull, but your reactions are quite another story.\" \"Oh, are you mocking me? Or are you complimenting me?\" \"Both, much as the latter pains me. Fool.\" Elisabeth clicked her tongue as she attempted to put more strength"}, {"text": "behind her sword swing. The moment Alice landed, Elisabeth had dashed up the stairs and tried to lop her head off. But Alice had caught the deadly blow with one hand. And after the Pendulum made its way back after bouncing off the egg, she blocked it in the same manner as well. At the moment, Alice was perched on her tiptoes and grabbing a blade in each hand. Amusingly, her entire body was trembling. Less amusing, however, was the complete lack of openings in her defense. Her technique defied all reason. \"Hmph.\" Elisabeth let go of Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal, then kicked off the edge of its handle and somersaulted backward through the air. After landing halfway down the stairs, she leaped back once more and returned to her original position. Alice continued smiling. She made no efforts to pursue. Elisabeth thought back to the girl's introduction. Fremd Torturchen, eh. Apparently, that had been more than just a sick joke. That was what made it all so nightmarish. Now then... What to do...? Elisabeth shot a glance behind her. Lute and the rest of his men were frozen in shock. They were doubtless still trying to process the combination of the grisly spectacle, the imperial princesses' deaths, and the man's speech. After making sure Alice wasn't readying a follow-up attack, Elisabeth snapped her fingers. Her sword, which Alice was still clutching in her hand, burst back into flower petals. Suddenly, Alice stuffed them into her mouth. She licked her lips, spreading blood all over them. It was like looking at a cat who'd just eaten a mouse. \"Mmm, it's sweet! It tastes like dessert. Yeah, like cookies and candy! Sugar is so expensive in this world, though... Say, what kind of dessert do you like best, Elisabeth?\" \"What are you people aiming to achieve?\" Alice seemed to be babbling, so Elisabeth ignored her and directed her question at the man. She'd noticed something out of place during their exchange of blows. Compared with the demon contractors she'd fought in the past, there was something decidedly unnatural about the man. It wasn't that he looked like a good person, per se. It was that he looked downright absurd. He seems oddly calm, yet that alone is nary the half of it. The look in his eyes is one I've not often seen. The man's eyes were cold and hollow. It was like someone had drained all the emotion from them. He wasn't relishing his current situation, and none of the death and pain he'd caused seemed to delight or excite him in the slightest. Given the grisly spectacle he'd created, that fact was peculiar in the extreme. The man offered no answer. Elisabeth pressed on. \"You realized that 'by summoning from another world a soul that's accustomed to pain, placing it in an immortal body, making it form a contract with a demon, and giving it the heart of an individual who's ingested demon flesh and accumulated a massive amount of pain, it's possible to artificially create an entity capable of revolutionizing the world.' So, what, your aim is revolution, then?\" \"What an odd question. In fact, I don't understand why you would ask something like that. Why would I go to such pains to create a revolutionary, if not to start a revolution?\" The man raised an eyebrow. Nearly landing on a bed of pins hadn't so much as fazed him, but the stupid question seemed to have rubbed him the wrong way. Elisabeth nodded. There was a logic to that. Yet due to the peculiarity of the man's demeanor, she had to ask. As far as she could tell, he had nothing in the way of passion or avarice. Whatever drove him, it almost certainly wasn't ambition or lust for power. Frankly, 'tis ludicrous for a man such as him to speak of revolution. Scorn filled her thoughts as she began laying out her endless list of questions. The man's goal was to \"revolutionize the world.\" However, it was unclear what specifically that entailed. Furthermore, he seemed utterly devoid of passion, making it unclear what had driven him to assassinate the imperial princesses. And also, it was a mystery why he hadn't long since fled the scene. Hoping to get some light shed on those points, Elisabeth opened her mouth to speak. The moment she did, though, a low voice sounded from behind her. \"...And that's why you cut those two down?\" \"Lute, it gladdens me that you've finally joined us. But for now, calm yourself. The situation calls for discretion.\" \"You killed our noble princesses for the sake of some flimsy, fleeting whim?!\" Lute bellowed, his rage flaring up like an inferno. Elisabeth, still facing forward, extended an arm to the side to prevent him from charging. He let out a low growl after just barely stopping in his tracks. The man in black cocked his head to the side a little. In what appeared to be a habit of his, he stroked his jawline. \"There seems to be a misunderstanding. Allow me to amend it. It wasn't just 'those two.' Alice...how many was it again?\" \"A hundred and eighty-seven, Father! Including the fox's twenty attendants!\" Alice replied in a lively tone. The man praised her by stroking her cheek. A hundred and eighty-seven, including the fox's twenty attendants. What do those figures mean? Elisabeth frowned. The words had an ominous ring to them, but she couldn't figure out what they meant. Behind her, though, Lute and the rest of her men gasped. This time, it would appear they'd landed on the answer first. \"A hundred and eighty-seven...including twenty... But that's...\" \"What is it, Lute? What are you all...? What's got you all so shaken?\" \"A hundred and eighty-seven\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnot counting us, that's the number of staff who was working here at Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast's primary residence.\" One of her subordinates, a dog-headed beastman who was quite proud of his short, black-and-white-spotted fur, filled her in. He was often lauded for his composed temperament, but now even he was speaking in a trembling voice. Elisabeth swiftly turned to the man in black. He gave her a leisurely nod, then elaborated in an unsettlingly calm tone. \"Your men are impressively quick on the uptake. It's a rare blessing, being able to think so clearly under such adverse circumstances. They're absolutely right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe only ones on the premises still living... No, let me amend that. The only ones we let live were you, Peace Brigade Captain Elisabeth Le Fanu, and the men accompanying you.\" In other words, everyone but them...had been massacred. It was only then that Elisabeth Le Fanu finally understood. The situation they'd been placed in was far, far grimmer than she'd imagined. They slew everyone in the residence, many of them skilled military veterans, without my even noticing it? A sick joke if ever there was one! And yet... Elisabeth pressed down on her temple. The man certainly didn't seem to be lying. Try as she might, she couldn't sense anyone besides them in the building. And at any rate, he had little to gain from deceiving her and her men. Given the situation, there was no logical reason to doubt the man's grisly proclamation. Elisabeth dispassionately acknowledged that fact. The moment she did, a series of faces flickered through her mind. The cook who prepared her basket each morning. The lady-in-waiting who tidied her room so diligently. The soldier who came to her when he needed training advice. Now, Elisabeth hadn't been particularly close to any of them. The Torture Princess was a peerless sinner\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe never knew when the world would turn against her once more, and because of that, she avoided ever getting too close to anyone. But even so, between Vyade the Wise Wolf's influence and the debt they all felt toward Kaito Sena, the beastfolk were all exceedingly polite and friendly to her. They had worn smiles in every memory she had of them. Every day, she'd been surrounded by friendly faces. Yet now...most of them are dead. They hadn't even gotten a chance to say good-bye. And now they would never speak again. Elisabeth felt a faint pang in her chest. However, she quickly made sure to crush that frail sentimentality. In the past, she herself had piled corpses as high as the eye could see. It would be the height of absurdity for her to be shaken by them now. And neither grief nor remorse was going to help them out of their current predicament. 'Twas a stroke of good fortune that Vyade dispatched her healers across the land as part of her charity initiative... 'Tis a useful group of people we avoided losing, Lute's wife among them. Elisabeth silently thought of the survivors. All the while, the beastfolk in attendance trembled. They'd been quick to grasp the situation, but doing so had given them such a shock that it had frozen them in place all over again. However, their rage was sure to surpass their shock and boil over before long. The man in black, on the other hand, casually went on, not showing the slightest hint of remorse. \"I see you gentlemen understand the situation correctly. However, I do ask that you amend your 'flimsy, fleeting whim' comment\u00e2\u20ac\u201dalthough, I will concede that the trials you've overcome were most noteworthy.\" \"That's right! Like a hero from a story, and the native people who fight alongside him!\" \"Alice, if you really want to become a proper lady, you're going to have to learn to control yourself. I'm talking right now, and it's rude to interrupt. Do you understand?\" Upon being scolded by the man in black, Alice puffed out her cheeks, then began spinning in circles instead. Her blue dress flared out around her like a blooming flower. The man, leaving her to her strange devices, went on. \"The first trial was when the fourteen demons, led by Vlad Le Fanu, rose up against you. The second was the advent of the Torture Princess. The third\u00e2\u20ac\u201dironically brought about by her actions leading to Vlad's successful capture\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas having to subjugate the thirteen demons after they scattered and fled. And the fourth was avoiding the world's orchestrated demise. Your efforts in each of those grand battles were noble enough that even I find myself forced to acknowledge them. My actions today, disgraceful and violent though they may be, served a crucial purpose. You see, while you all were fighting for salvation in the light, a tragedy bleak enough to warrant revolution was playing out in the background.\" \"I see. 'Twas most illuminating. I now know that, much like Vlad, you're a tad too fond of the sound of your own voice. Just get to the point and say what you're trying to say, damn you!\" If Vlad were present to hear that, he would doubtless go on a long, pointless diatribe about how the comparison was unjust, thereby immediately proving it. However, Elisabeth swiftly banished the image of her foster father that had welled up in her mind on its own accord as she gave voice to her candid anger. The man stroked the border between his mask and his jaw, then nodded with the same unshakable composure as always. \"I acknowledge that I'm not being very specific. Do understand, though, that that's somewhat intentional. In order to discuss particulars, we should first change locale. That's related to why I left you alive, Elisabeth Le Fanu. We see you as someone important for us to talk to.\" \"...'Someone important for you to talk to'?\" Elisabeth scowled. Those were hardly the words she'd expected to hear from the man who'd massacred her beastfolk comrades. Alice, not noticing Elisabeth's contemptuous gaze, hopped up and down like a white rabbit. \"That's right, that's right! We wanted to talk to you! Because I think we can understand each other, see? I told you, didn't I? I'll help you meet them! You can count on us, you know."}, {"text": "'Cause, 'cause Father and I are amazing! I promise, you'll be able to meet with the people you care about!\" \"That's twice now, Alice. Control yourself already. I'm talking right now, and besides...\" The man scolded Alice once more. Elisabeth bolted toward them. \"Umm,\" Lute tried to interject, but the man went on matter-of-factly. \"...hearing you say that will do nothing but send Elisabeth into a rage.\" Elisabeth drew Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal as she dashed forward. Then she brought it down on the man's neck. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dWhat do you aim to do?\" As her question rang out, so too did a high-pitched metallic noise. The darkness had exploded out once more to block Elisabeth's blade. If this guard had been thrown up a second slower, the man's head would have gone flying through the air. It was a splendid display of defensive talent, to be sure. Yet the one who'd summoned the darkness, Alice, seemed completely dumbfounded. She must have acted on reflex alone. \"What do you aim to do to Kaito?\" Elisabeth continued pressing down with her sword. The darkness creaked. Thinking it an opening, the Peace Brigade's coyote-headed rookie cried, \"Captain!\" and rushed forward. Wanting to back her up, he took his first step up the stairs\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthen abruptly recoiled with his tail balled up. Elisabeth's murderous aura was simply that intense. There was only one person the Torture Princess cared enough about to be worthy of being described as such. Well, technically two. But at the moment, the two in question were inseparable. Aye, like a single, tender being. Elisabeth had no intention of allowing anyone who planned on bringing them harm to continue living. And when dealing with a would-be agitator, she had no intention of living up to the moniker of Torture Princess. The punishment for that particular crime would be swift, capital, and absolute. It didn't matter if she fully understood the situation or not. Beyond the darkness, the man spoke freely. \"Your anger is legitimate\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI fully endorse it. The way that information was laid out didn't take your feelings into account in the slightest. I do beg your pardon for that. Alice, you were in the wrong there. Apologize.\" \"Wh-whaaaat? B-but, Father, she just tried to kill you! Yet I'm the one who has to apologize? That can't be right. Why, it's wrong as wrong can be!\" \"That was one thing, and this is another. When you do something wrong, you have to apologize. So apologize.\" The man's voice left no room for argument. Alice clutched the hem of her skirt. Her lips trembled, but she did bob her head downward. The white ribbons on her blue hat, which resembled rabbit ears, flopped forward. \"I'm sorry, Elisabeth. It was all my fault. Please forgive me.\" \"A fine jest, coming from you.\" Elisabeth spat out the words, but in truth, her homicidal inclinations were dampened a good deal. Insipid as it was, the other two were both serious. It may have looked like a comedy routine, but they were being quite earnest. In particular, the man's admonition that \"when you do something wrong, you have to apologize\" had come from the heart. Ergo, he considers his massacre here and his murder of the imperial princesses to be in the right. The man's thought processes and morals were fundamentally broken. That was all too clear to her now. Meanwhile, the man in question was putting his earnestness on display and covering for his indelicate ward. His voice sounded out from lower down. It would seem that he, too, was bowing. \"And there you have it. Could you find it in your heart to forgive her? I do hope we can see eye to eye here. All Alice said was that she wants to help you meet them. Please don't misunderstand her. I promise you, it's nothing like what you fear. All we want is to reunite you with them, and by all accounts, that's something you seem to want quite a bit.\" \"I'll ask that you kindly refrain from assuming you know what I want. 'Tis aggravating.\" \"A tragedy is a tragedy, Elisabeth Le Fanu\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut it doesn't have to end as one.\" ...What? The man's appeal was sincere, but Elisabeth furrowed her brow. Something about it seemed off. Emotion had begun creeping into his voice at some point. There was something unsettling about that sudden shred of humanity, but it was gentle and honest, too. And what's more, his heartfelt tone stirred something in Elisabeth's memory. It reminded her of someone else, whether she wanted it to or not. And the moment she realized who, she froze. Of all people, 'tis...! Kaito Sena. That was who the man's tone reminded her of. That sincerity, backed with compassion and empathy for the powerless, was just like his. It was a voice that only someone with deep, deep wounds could possess. But that didn't explain why he was using it now... \"You would speak to me in that tone of voice?\" \"Of course.\" The man made to continue but paused at the last moment. For the first time, he seemed to waver. The silence persisted. \"You will get mad, though,\" he eventually murmured. However, he made up his mind and spoke. \"After all, Elisabeth, you're weak, and you've had everything taken from you.\" \"Hedgehog.\" The Torture Princess immediately snapped her fingers, and the hundreds of needles she launched at the man served as her reply. An endless stream of metallic noises rang out. The darkness had repelled each and every one of Elisabeth's needles. However, she'd expected as much. The attack's sole purpose had been to vent her rage. Unless she launched either a surprise attack or a repeated barrage of powerful blows, she suspected the darkness would hold. However, the latter was easier said than done. Letting the imperial princesses' bodies get caught up in her torture devices wasn't an option. The beastfolk held corpses in high regard, and with things as tense as they were, trampling on their culture would only make matters worse. Yet her rage refused to subside. 'Tis unacceptable... Utterly unacceptable! Once all was said and done in the battle for salvation\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat had Elisabeth Le Fanu been left with? Posing that question to her was a taboo that must not be broken. At the battle's end, her fleeting, peaceful days had been taken from her. She wouldn't admit it, but she had lost everyone she loved. But she herself had been rescued. The world had been saved. Everything had ended for the best. And they all lived happily ever after. The greatest good for the greatest number was, surely, the greatest outcome. So what matter is it? Elisabeth Le Fanu had been left with nothing. But to say she had had everything taken from her was a bridge too far. He had saved her. And because of that, she hadn't had everything taken from her. She'd had everything given to her. That was what she'd forced herself to believe. For what other choice did she have? If she didn't, she'd be betraying his smile. She'd be betraying that final expression Kaito Sena bore. She replied to the man in a tone as cold as ice. \"You and I have naught to talk about\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnow, kindly perish.\" The man was on the other side of the darkness. He shouldn't have been able to see what she was doing. Sensing an opportunity, Elisabeth pulled her sword close to her chest. Then she silently aimed its tip. After infusing it with her mana, she thrust it forward. The darkness shattered. However, she didn't feel the soft give of flesh on the other side. A metallic sound rang out, but it wasn't that of sword on sword. \"Oh?\" \"Please, Elisabeth, control yourself. You're a proper lady, not a bad girl, right?\" Shards of darkness tumbled through the air like mirror fragments, and the other side came into view. Alice, who appeared to have moved instantly, was standing before the man in black. And she was holding, of all things, a teaspoon. \"I see, I see... Inane, aye, but deft nonetheless.\" Elisabeth gave a small nod. Alice had diverted her blade with the teaspoon's curve. No normal piece of silverware should have been able to survive that blow. Alice's white ribbons rustled as she looked up. Her red eyes burned with a strange sort of irritation. She shouted loudly. \"If you keep being bad, I can't invite you to my tea party! What are we to do? Oh, I have an idea! We can pluck off your arms and legs and leave just your mouth to talk with. I'll even feed you cookies and tea myself. What do you say, Elisabeth? If you don't want that, where's your I'm sorry?\" \"Ha, hearing an ill-mannered brat prattle on about ladies is fine humor indeed. I shall have you know, I'm no lady\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand for all I care, you can take your cookies and tea and feed them to the pigs. Who would go to a party with the likes of you lot?\" \"Why, you're not even sorry! You're not even sorry, Elisabeth! And after I apologized so nicely! That's not fair! You're supposed to be older than me! You're supposed to be older, but you're just being mean!\" Alice stamped her feet childishly. For whatever reason, the ribbons on her hat bristled up menacingly. Elisabeth snorted once more. Tears welled up in Alice's eyes, and she swung her teaspoon about. \"You're a bad girl and a meanie! You know, Elisabeth, bad girls get shoved down in the tub, and beaten hundreds of times, and tied up with packing tape, and stuffed in garbage bags, and\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand...all sorts of even worse things! And when that happens, no one will listen to you, no matter how many times you apologize!\" \"Packing...tape? I've not heard of... Wait, no, don't tell me...?\" Elisabeth furrowed her brow. The fear in Alice's voice was real. Elisabeth opened her mouth, wanting to follow up on her train of thought, but before she could, Alice shouted once more. \"If you keep being like that, you're going to die along with everyone else in the world!\" \"I'm sorry to interrupt you when you're having such a nice time with your prospective friend, Alice.\" The man in black suddenly admonished her. Alice puffed up her cheeks and looked over at him. It looked like tears of dissatisfaction might spill forth from her eyes at any moment, but the man pacified her with a glance. Then he gestured at something with his chin. \"But it's time.\" Alice followed his eyes, then let out a small gasp. Elisabeth and the beastfolk were at a loss for words, too. For the person who'd grabbed the man's wrist was someone none of them had expected. \"...Y-you're kidding, right?\" \"Oh, not in the slightest... As you can see...this...is no joke.\" Alice's murmur elicited a quavering response. Each time the woman spoke, blood trickled through the thin cloth covering her chest, further staining her once-white fur. Her life was quite literally draining away before their eyes. Yet she smiled at Elisabeth and her men all the same. \"For I...do yet...live.\" It was Vyade Ula Forstlast. The second imperial princess whom they'd all written off as dead. 2 The Imperial Princesses' End Down, down, down. Alice fell down a very deep hole. After being shoved down in the tub, beaten hundreds of times with a rolling pin, having my arms and legs tied up with packing tape, being stuffed in a garbage bag, and being locked in a car trunk for several hours, I suddenly found myself falling down a very deep hole. No one would listen to me no matter how many times I apologized. No one would hear me no matter how loud I shouted. I was so sure I was being a good girl this time, so I thought and I thought and I thought, but I had no idea how I was going to"}, {"text": "apologize. I didn't scream. I didn't get mad. I didn't cry. And I properly apologized. But he got mad at me anyway, saying that my apology was annoying, that it was creepy that I wasn't crying, and that his arm hurt from hitting me so much. But even though I was hot all over and my body hurt and ached, and even though rain and mud and bugs were getting in through the holes in the bag and rustling around and crawling in my mouth and ears, and even though I wanted to throw up and my tummy was empty and I was freezing cold and my teeth were chattering and chattering and chattering and my mind felt like it was going to snap\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor some reason, I recalled a certain passage over and over again. \"Down, down, down. \"Alice fell down a very deep hole.\" Um, when was it I read that, again? Was it back when Mama was still nice and pretty and smiled every day? Was it back when my original papa was still alive? Was it before the first time we moved? And after Alice fell down, down, down\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat happened to her at the bottom of the hole? My head feels so heavy. I can't remember anymore. But it doesn't, hurt, anymore, so may be, th is, was for, the bes t ye, ahmay be, th,is, was f or the, best best est est? best? \"Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast, you're alive?!\" \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dYou murdered her?\" Lute cried out in surprise and joy, but Vyade, uncharacteristically, didn't respond to him. She merely glared at the man in black, voicing her own question. She sat up straight, her body trembling in pain all the while. When she did, her red-haired, fox-headed protector slid off her chest. Valisisa fell to the floor with a loud, hard thump. Fresh blood slowly spread out around the first imperial princess. Elisabeth narrowed her gaze. The first imperial princess had dropped like a rock. Naught remains of Valisisa Ula Forstlast but a corpse, then. After coolly making her assessment, Elisabeth shifted her gaze to the second imperial princess, Vyade Ula Forstlast. Just as she'd said, she did in fact yet live. However..., thought Elisabeth. Those wounds are deep. By the looks of it, she was stabbed with a spoon. Elisabeth had drawn that conclusion from the ghastly state Vyade's chest was in. A large swath of her thin dress, fur, and flesh had been completely scooped out. Her ribs, as well as the pulsating organs beneath them, were visible. The blow that had caused that wound must have been excruciating. As she studied the wound, Elisabeth began thinking of how she could save Vyade. The beastfolk have little skill with magic. I could try healing her myself\u00e2\u20ac\u201d No, such spells are hardly my forte. But there are no healers left in the residence, either. And even if escaping and bringing her to someone with enough talent to heal her were an option, given the burden the teleportation would take on her\u00e2\u20ac\u201d No, 'twould be meaningless regardless. No healer alive could mend a wound that severe. There was no point trying to lie to herself. The situation was beyond hope. Elisabeth had to plainly acknowledge the truth of the matter. Vyade was going to die. No sense in trying to save the doomed. Her men seemed to have realized that, too. When they'd found out the second imperial princess was alive, they'd immediately rushed forward, but upon seeing her wound, they'd all frozen in their tracks. Several of them crumpled to their knees. Hollow cries spilled into the air. \"Oh... Oh, Lady Vyade...\" Normally, it was the height of disrespect for a subordinate to omit the surname of a member of the imperial family. And sitting down in front of one's master when that master was gravely injured was the height of absurdity to begin with. But that was just how horrifying Vyade's wound was. The man in black seemed to realize the state the second imperial princess was in. Perhaps as a show of mercy, he made no effort to shake free from her grasp. After tilting his head to the side, he finally spoke. \"There are a lot of people that could refer to. Who in particular is it you're asking about?\" \"My sister.\" A look of surprise crossed the man's half-visible face when Vyade gave her answer. With his free left hand, he rubbed the line where his mask met his skin. Leaving his right hand in her grasp, he responded. \"If you had answered the first imperial princess, I was prepared to criticize you harshly for it, even though my deeds don't leave me in much of a position to do so. I wouldn't have looked fondly on your treating members of the imperial family differently from your subjects. Asking about your own family, though\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat's entirely reasonable. As a sister, you have every right to question me, and every right to despise me.\" The man's voice was tinged with respect as he spoke to the dying Vyade. However, it was also free of shame. \"To answer your question, yes. I murdered your sister.\" \"You killed Valisisa Ula Forstlast?\" \"I did. I killed Valisisa Ula Forstlast.\" Vyade asked. The man answered. And Elisabeth was struck speechless. Not at the answer. At the change in Vyade Ula Forstlast. The moment she heard the man's response, Vyade contorted the corners of her mouth. A fierce smile spread across her face, one full of grief and hatred and bloodlust and rage. It was an expression hardly befitting the Wise Wolf\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit was something you'd expect to see on a monster or a demon. The second imperial princess began speaking like a woman possessed. \"Valisisa Ula Forstlast had the capacity of a dynast. Back before the end of days, she would have prioritized surviving even if it meant sacrificing me. But because we've entered an era of peace, she sacrificed her body to protect me. She determined that the fear and confusion over losing Vyade the Wise Wolf would threaten the stability our country has finally gained over these past three years. How truly gallant. Heh, although, it would seem that my wound is plenty fatal as well. Apparently, even my sister can make mistakes. Who would have thought?\" Much to everyone's surprise, Vyade began laughing in amusement. With each chuckle, blood spurted violently from her mouth. But her fluid speech seemed hardly to be that of a dying woman. It seemed downright bizarre. Alice looked to the man, her eyes wholly frightened. The white ribbons on her hat began trembling as well. \"Father...isn't it weird? Why is the dying dog talking so normally? She's all covered in blood, and yet... I think it's a little creepy.\" \"Oh yes, this normally wouldn't be possible. It may not seem like it, young miss, but I'm trying very hard right now.\" Alice's face froze. She peeked timidly at Vyade. Vyade gave her a gentle smile. Ah, thought Elisabeth, nodding, so that's it. Vyade, ignoring the fact that Alice had just called her a dog, winked charmingly. \"I needed to buy time, you see.\" \"Hmm? ...Wha\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?!\" Alice looked down, then let out a little yelp. At some point, light-silver ivy had begun coiling around her ankles. And the same had happened to the man in black. However, his expression remained unchanged. Vyade calmly let go of the man's wrist. \"I wasn't able to stop your raid...so perhaps I'm in no position to talk. But if you wish to be on top, you need to constantly consider the possibility of having the carpet pulled out from under you.\" She quietly opened her palm. Sitting atop its pink pad sat a gorgeous, shining ring. \"Right before she passed, my sister made sure to entrust this to me.\" While Valisisa was alive, it was the one ornament she had always kept on her person. That silver loop was where the ivy was coming from. A pink flower bud was sealed within the crystal at its center, like spring itself had been frozen in ice. And now that crystal had undergone a major change. The bud within had burst into magnificent bloom. The pink crystal-flower's gold center was glowing. As it did, tiny sparks burst off it as the compressed mana within whirled like a tempest in a teacup. *** Alice swung her teaspoon down and smashed it into the vines binding her ankles. However, doing so simply made a sound like she was striking dragon scales and caused her teaspoon to twist at an odd angle. That was largely what Elisabeth had expected to have happened. Those vines clearly had an abnormal hardness and flexibility to them. Alice bit her lip, visibly shaken. Vyade opened her mouth to speak to her men, her gaze fixed on Alice all the while. \"Lute. My surviving soldiers. This will be your final order from Vyade Ula Forstlast. Take Madam Elisabeth and flee, now. And no matter what, don't stop running. I have no desire to get you caught up in what I'm about to do.\" \"Wh-what are you talking about, Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast?! We could never abandon our\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"You would have me repeat my final order?! Run!\" Vyade's sharp reprimand cut through the air, her intonation reminiscent of Valisisa's. Lute and the others reflexively straightened their backs. Unlike her dynast sister, however, Vyade followed up in a gentler tone. \"You all are fine soldiers, but there is no meaning in protecting a dying woman. We are all children of our Three Kings of the Forest, and it is your duty to live long so you may continue serving the people.\" Even if she died, there were some things that went on. There were some things that had to. She urged them forth, her voice as tender as a sister's and as firm as a mother's. \"Now go and don't turn back.\" All at once, the beastfolk soldiers cried out. They looked up at the ceiling and howled in unison. It was as though they were paying their respects to a star in the sky. Alice covered her ears, and her hat's white ribbons folded themselves over in kind. The man offered no response. Elisabeth stood wordlessly. The howls continued, then suddenly stopped. Then as their echoes yet reverberated, the beastfolk leaned forward and took off from the stairs and floor at a dash. The rookie was still on his back on the floor, but one of the Brigade's more veteran members grabbed him by the collar and pulled him along. \"Come now, run!\" \"Pardon the impropriety, Madam Elisabeth!\" Lute scooped Elisabeth up and slung her over his shoulder. As she obediently let him carry her, Elisabeth continued watching Vyade. The second imperial princess faced their enemies alone and opened her mouth once more. Blood spilled from it as she spoke. But this time, her words were not a last will made to her comrades. They were a bitter curse, spat at her foes. \"For the crimes committed against my subjects, I would have you die a thousand times over. But most unforgivable of all, you murdered my sister. Valisisa Ula Forstlast was a precious treasure chosen by the Three Kings of the Forest, as was I. We were royalty, chosen by the Three Kings to serve as special pawns. We were this country's greatest treasures, as well as servants to its people.\" \"...Hmm. While I'm still not fond of the special status you seem to assign royals, your recognition of your role as 'servants of the people' still merits praise... No, forgive me. I'm just talking to myself. Please go on.\" \"I don't recall asking for your permission. But for those who destroy such treasures, the only fitting punishment is death. For such an act is unforgivable. Till the end of days, you shall never be forgiven\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand thus, you shall perish here and now.\" Vyade's fur, stained crimson, bristled with malice. Her blood pressure"}, {"text": "must have risen, too, as blood began spilling from her chest even faster. The Wise Wolf's long-hidden fury filled the room with its terrifying presence. As she stood, still dying, she curled her lips into a grim smile. \"None of us are leaving here alive.\" \"Father...\" Alice yanked on the hem of the man's coat in fear. However, he didn't stir. For a moment, the room was still. Then Vyade glanced to the side. Her and Elisabeth's gazes met. Vyade nodded, as though saying she was leaving the rest to her. Elisabeth nodded back. Perhaps that came as a relief to her, as Vyade's expression softened a little. For just a second, it looked like she was about to cry. Elisabeth could tell there were two emotions waging war inside her. A deep rage\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe desire to take her enemies down with her, even when faced with certain death. And a childlike fear\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe fear of dying, especially after having just watched her subjects and adoptive sister get struck down in front of her. The two emotions were at stark odds. As long as they stayed inside her, they could coexist. But the dying woman only had room on the outside to express one. *** \"Consider it an honor to die alongside me, villains!\" Without a shred of hesitation, Vyade chose the former, stifling her fear and raising her voice high. There was no falsehood in the proud, elegant figure she cast. Yet at the same time, it seemed unbearably tragic. 'Twould be a slight of the highest order to voice that thought, though. Consequently, Elisabeth chose to remain silent. She just continued watching the second imperial princess. Vyade didn't cry. She glared majestically at her foes, not shedding a single tear. The man, seemingly in response, gave a slight nod. Then he moved with intention for the first time and shifted his fingers. A small shuffling noise sounded out. The man had removed his half mask, as one might take off a hat as a show of respect. From Elisabeth's position, all she could see was the half of his face that had been visible all along. However, when Vyade saw the rest, her eyes went wide. Then something remarkable happened. All the malice drained from Vyade's face. Seemingly having come to understand something, she let out a quiet murmur. \"You're...\" The man appeared to smile. There was no animosity in it. Then Elisabeth and the others passed through the audience chamber's entrance. Lute and his men hastily rushed into the hallway. And as though it had been waiting for that, the crystal's glow reached its zenith. A sound like that of glass shattering rang out. A flash of lightning filled the room, burning the curtains away. The ivy twisted and cracked like whips. The pink flower twirled. The air began turning silver. Elisabeth's retinas burned. Then she stopped being able to see altogether. She saw nothing\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand no one\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dnot even the face\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the imperial princess made in her final moments. Vision slowly returned to her seared retinas. However, the world still appeared the same\u00e2\u20ac\u201deverything in front of her was completely white. Curious, she reached out her hand. When she did, her fingertips quickly went flat. The whiteness was solid. At that point, she finally realized what had happened. She was in front of the audience chamber's entrance, and every square inch of the chamber before her was packed with pale-silver ivy. That was why it had felt like her vision hadn't come back yet. The plant within the crystal grew at an explosive rate, I take it. As she made her conjecture, she reached out and touched the densely packed vines once more. They were cold, firm, and soft, like a corpse that was just coming out of rigor mortis. It reminded her of a graveyard. And in a sense, it was one. After all, nobody within the audience chamber could have survived. No one inside could have escaped being crushed. \"Ah, I see. 'Twas a self-destruct device, to be used in the event an imperial was captured by any who meant to do the nation harm... Ha, that was the item generations of imperials took such painstaking care to pass down?\" Elisabeth murmured in exasperation, but the voice that came out was tinged with anger at the absurdity of it all. She frowned. She'd had no intentions of getting emotional over the situation. Suddenly, her frame of view swiveled. \"Hmm?\" \"Pardon me.\" Lute, who must have wanted to check for himself, had turned around. Elisabeth was still facing backward over his shoulder. Having no desire to be spun about any further, she hopped down. Lute stared silently at the silver mass. Suddenly, though, he pounded his fist against the ivy wall. \"Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast...\" He was clearly reflecting on each syllable as it came out of his mouth. He closed his eyes and caught his breath. Then after practically tearing himself off the wall, he thumped his chest, assumed a salute, and knelt. The rest of the beastfolk followed his lead. It was their way of showing their grief, as well as their respect for their late master. Elisabeth, the lone member standing, waited for them to finish their prayer. Eventually, the silence ended. Lute shook his head as he solemnly rose. \"That's all the time we can spare lamenting our cowardice and helplessness. Lady Valisisa Ula Forstlast and Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast, the first and second imperial princesses, have fallen. We need to make sure the Three Kings of the Forest and the rest of the imperial family are safe.\" \"Not just them. 'Tis important we check the status of the other races' dignitaries as well.\" Elisabeth amended Lute's statement with a warning. Startled, he turned to look at her. What makes you say that? his eyes were asking. Elisabeth's reply came dispassionately. \"Alice Carroll told us as much. 'If you keep being like that, you're going to die along with everyone else in the world.' The beastfolk weren't their sole target.\" Alice hadn't said that with any sort of agenda in mind. She'd simply been mad. Yet even so, her childish outburst had been akin to a proclamation of war. They wish to revolutionize the world. It was still unclear what their exact goals were. But given that they'd summoned the Fremd Torturchen to facilitate their revolution, something told her that they weren't just planning on handing out pamphlets. Whatever they were planning, it was going to have a substantial body count. Vyade took those two down with her...but I doubt things will end so easily. Her intuition as the Torture Princess told her that worse developments were yet to come. Blood would flow. People would die. And their screams would give birth to despair. Just now, she'd gotten a whiff of the embers smoldering in the world's dark underbelly. She was on high alert, like an animal reacting to imperceptible signs of a coming calamity. Something was coming. Something comparable to the end of days. She didn't know what it was, but there was one thing she was certain of. It was the same as what Kaito Sena had known all those years ago. \"If things go on like this, we'll all die.\" Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Suddenly, a strange noise cut through the tense air. Everyone looked up to see what was going on. The sound was coming from the window farthest down the hallway. It was sunny out, so the waterproof leather flap atop the window had been rolled up, and some sort of round object was smacking into its bare wooden lattice. Bang, bang, bang. It pounded against the window in a pointless display of perseverance. Elisabeth nodded. Lute, puzzled, spoke up. \"That's... Is that a...?\" \"Aye. 'Tis.\" Elisabeth was well-acquainted with those winged white orbs. It was one of the Church's communication devices. 3 The King's Resolve It's time for a story. There's no need to be alarmed. I promise, there's nothing to be afraid of. It's just a little story about a simple equation. Let's say we have \"someone who was cruelly oppressed\" and \"someone who gleefully oppressed them.\" The former will never forgive the latter, no matter what they say or do. There's no way for them to apologize. Not the slightest chance for atonement. Given those parameters, there's a pretty clear answer. You multiply hate by resentment, then subtract those pesky ethics. Then once the first party carries out their revenge on the second party, the story comes to an end. And they all live happily ever after. But here we add another parameter. One that throws the whole situation into chaos. The new parameter is as follows. Let's say we have \"people who did nothing\" and \"people who knew nothing.\" Let's say we have a generous, openhearted world that allows the ignorance to persist, saying, These things happen. Now, how do we solve that one? It looks tricky, doesn't it? After all, so many of the perpetrators are innocent. But there's no need to think that hard. By changing the way you look at the problem, it becomes easy to find the solution. All you have to do is cut through all the tangled-up strings. In other words\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat is what it means to hate the world itself. \"The Capital was attacked by an unidentified group. We request that Elisabeth return from her foreign dispatch at once.\" Runes scrolled rapidly across the white orb's surface. The message was concise, but unsettling all the same. Elisabeth turned the communication device in her fingers to double-check she'd gotten it all. There weren't any specifics\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe message must have been written in a hurry. She let out a deep sigh. \"They timed their attacks together, hmm? No surprise there.\" She'd more or less expected the possibility of a coordinated strike. Up until then, their foes had evaded notice from the three races' joint defenses. There was no way an army could have avoided detection so perfectly. In all likelihood, the enemy's numbers were small. It made sense they were able to move so efficiently. When your targets drop their guard, 'tis best to strike them all at once. Was it that the past three years' peace had made them all complacent? Not quite. After the calamity, the world was met with famine, poverty, ruin, and disease. Law and order eroded, and greater public knowledge of the menace God and Diablo posed gave rise to all sorts of new problems. The scattered remnants of the reconstruction sect began regrouping and gaining power, and demon worshippers began popping up all over the place. However, none of them rose to the level of a serious threat. In part, it was because nobody paid them that much heed. People had the power in them to create hells. But at the end of the day, man-made hells paled in comparison with the real thing. The hells demons made were beyond fathoming. During the end of days, everyone experienced that fact firsthand. It took a lot to shock people now. As a result, the three races devoted themselves wholly to their reconstruction efforts. And the peace they now enjoyed was the fruit of that labor. No one had even considered that an enemy other than a demon might rise up. In fact, not even Elisabeth had predicted the Fremd Torturchen's arrival. \"Hmm... Between the summons itself and the paucity of information, 'twould seem that time is of the essence. Now then.\" Elisabeth ruminated as she rotated the orb. She had to make a choice. As the Torture Princess, should she return to the humans? Or should she stay with the beastfolk? Her execution had been delayed indefinitely, but she still belonged to the Church. By all rights, she should have been helping out with the restoration efforts in the Capital. However, that would have earned no small amount of backlash from the paladins. As a result, she'd come to the beastfolk lands on Vyade's suggestion to work with the"}, {"text": "Peace Brigade. She owed a debt to the two late imperial beastfolk princesses. On the other hand, she had a number of acquaintances in the Capital. But neither of those factors constituted a legitimate reason. If what they were going up against was on par with the end of days, then there was no room for personal feelings in her calculations. We've naught but guesses and speculation as to the enemy's numbers or nature...but I wager that those two were integral to their plans. If there are many more with power like theirs, our chances of victory are slim to none. They struck at Vyade's residence. In short... In short, the World Tree likely hadn't been raided. The home of the Three Kings of the Forest was easy to defend and hard to attack. It didn't matter what kind of forces the enemy possessed\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif their goal was total subjugation, then they'd want to avoid losing troops on high-risk endeavors. In other words, the Fremd Torturchen and the man in black had chosen to prioritize the attack on the sisters' residence. But why? As Elisabeth racked her brain, Alice's voice echoed in her ears. \"We wanted to talk to you! Because I think we can understand each other, see?\" \"I promise, you'll be able to meet with the people you care about!\" Bite your tongue, fool. Elisabeth responded with a silent epithet as an image drifted to the forefront of her mind. Two people, sleeping inside a translucent crystal. It was a beautiful sight\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut nothing more. She could speak to them, but they wouldn't respond. She could extend her hand to them, but her fingers would never reach. Did she want to meet with them? There could be but one answer. One single answer. One that had never changed. And one that never would. But you lot made a fatal mistake. Elisabeth clicked her tongue. If their plan was to try to entice her with prospects of a reunion, slaughtering the beastfolk was a poor way to lead into it. The boy in question would never accept a reunion forged atop a mountain of corpses. At worst, he might even return to his slumber on purpose. Back during the end of days, when he was forced to choose between the world and the person he cared about most, he chose instead to balance the scales by sacrificing himself. That was just the kind of person he was. That was the kind of person her dim-witted servant was. He truly is a peerless fool... But I suppose that hardly matters right now. Elisabeth shook her head to get her thoughts back on track, then frowned in confusion. The two assailants had referred to her as \"someone important for them to talk to.\" But while it was true that a Torture Princess was a valuable piece to have on one's side, there was no particular reason it had to be Elisabeth. Given that the man in black had created a Torture Princess of his own, the reason for his fixation on her remained a mystery. Pondering the matter likely won't get me anywhere. Elisabeth moved on to another consideration. She decided to trust her earlier hypothesis and assume that the World Tree was safe. For one, aside from Vyade and Valisisa\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Wise Wolf and the Dynast\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnone of the other members of the imperial family were particularly impressive. To put it bluntly, they didn't make for the juiciest targets. On the other hand, while the Capital\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand particularly the newly established royal residence\u00e2\u20ac\u201dcertainly wasn't easy to attack, its defenses were nothing compared with the World Tree's. Their greatest weapons, the saints, were spread across the land protecting refugees, and on top of that, most of them were basically living cannons. They were powerful, true, but they were weak against surprise attacks, not very smart, and only able to operate for short periods at a time. Their current jobs revolved primarily around the emotional support their presence provided to the faithful. The Capital's defense was left primarily to the paladins and Royal Knights, but they had their hands full putting down the reconstruction sect. And most of the mages who fought in Ragnarok, aside from the few who were making good on their contracts, had left on a journey to establish a new workshop. Compared with the beastfolk, the humans were probably in much more danger. After all, the human race was no stranger to blind spots. They were the ones who'd unwittingly fostered those who'd tried to bring about the end of days. \"Very well, then. The choice is made.\" The communication device slowly spun to a stop. Elisabeth popped it into the air, then threw it off into the distance. It soared out through the lattice-free window. The sound of its wings regrowing and an angry voice expressing its objections filled the air. Elisabeth ignored both, instead turning toward Lute. \"I've thought it through.\" \"I see.\" \"'Tis unlikely the beastfolk lands have suffered any greater attacks than this. As such, I entrust you with confirming the imperial family's status and informing them that we have lost the first and second imperial princesses, in addition to a great number of valuable lives. As for me, I'm departing for the human lands. Now, the Peace Brigade is predominantly composed of Ragnarok survivors from the second squad of Vyade's private army... Your skills are true, but your numbers are lacking. Take no unnecessary risks. Should an emergency arise, call for me. And receive help from the World Tree's guard squad where you can get it. Then once our grasp on the situation is firmer, we'll rendezvous. Understood?\" \"Yes, ma'am.\" He was still probably shaken up about the imperial princesses' deaths, but the moment his captain informed him that she was splitting off, Lute nodded without hesitation. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes to check if he was sure. He responded to her gaze with a salute. \"You're our captain, Madam Elisabeth, entrusted to Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast by mankind. But you're also this world's proud sword. If a crisis on par with the end of days is upon us, then it is your duty to defend humanity, too... Back then, if not for our three races' squabbling, there would likely have been far fewer victims. We should have been able to do something before Sir Kaito was forced to make the decision for us.\" His final words were tinged with pain and regret. Elisabeth thought back. At the World's End, right after Kaito descended into slumber, Lute had grieved the most of anyone. \"I promised myself I wouldn't forget,\" he'd repeated over and over. No one had known what he'd meant by that, but it was clear that he never wanted to regret shirking his duty ever again. Choosing not to ask him about the specifics, Elisabeth nodded. \"If you've no objections, I'll be off. I leave the rest to you.\" \"Then I wish you luck. And may the blessings of the Three Kings of the Forest be with you.\" The rest of the beastfolk followed Lute's example. They probably all had their doubts, but no one voiced them. Elisabeth frowned. She still couldn't get used to dealing with her men's deep loyalty and simple honesty. She'd never been fit to lead in the first place, and to be frank, she shared their misgivings. To overlook a tragedy's beginning is to be blind as to how it will unfold. The end of days, the great calamity that had befallen the three races, had been the end result of a long series of smaller tragedies. And the silver vines filling up the audience chamber were undoubtedly there because of the seeds of evil that had been sown long hence. They needed to pull them up by the roots before it came time for harvest and the flowers within bloomed. Lest this time, we truly perish. The situation was unclear in every respect, yet a part of Elisabeth knew that if they did not address the matter appropriately, there would be no coming back from the fallout. Once, a stupid, simple love had saved the world. If someone had come to destroy it, then they were undoubtedly driven by the opposite emotion. And between their earnest voices and their tearless eyes, one thing about the Fremd Torturchen and the man in black was clear. The two of them possessed that quality. For those who've sustained such bitter wounds\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Elisabeth cut herself off midthought. Spinning theories based on emotion could come later. It was time for action. Elisabeth drew a jewel out from within an eddy of darkness and flower petals. It was a magical device she'd created by taking a gem already rich in mana, carving spells, and pouring blood into it. She tossed it into the air. It spun as it fell, then let out a loud kshhhh. The moment it did, there was a torrent of black and red, and a teleportation circle manifested at Elisabeth's feet. A cylindrical wall of blood rose up around her, filling her vision with crimson. Eventually, the wall cracked. Elisabeth closed her eyes. Then as the crimson shattered, she opened them. She was standing in a wide passageway. Although it wouldn't be obvious to someone with only a shallow knowledge of magic, the passageway was actually constructed out of a combination of several rare minerals. The blood and the melted jewel spun in a circle at her feet. Suddenly, she heard a chorus of loud voices. Normally it was silent in this area, but now there was quite a commotion. People were shouting in every direction and passing by to and fro. Paladins rushed past her. A female official tripped, dropping the documents she was holding all over the floor. Perhaps they'd already been informed that the Torture Princess was coming, or perhaps they had bigger fish to fry, but nobody paid her a second glance. It was an unexpected reception, and an unusual spectacle altogether. Elisabeth crossed her arms. \"Hmm, 'tis rather lively indeed... For all their fluster, though, 'twould seem the worst has failed to pass. I suppose I should take that as a blessing, but I would still prefer it were not so damned noisy in here!\" She looked around in annoyance but soon realized her protests were in vain. For one, a large part of the clamor was due to how resonant the walls' material was. The place hadn't exactly been built with noise abatement in mind. After all, the building Elisabeth had teleported to was underground. She was standing in the human king's new residence, the ill-omened cradle that had once housed the First Demon. The royal family's ancestral graveyard. The king was living in a tomb. And the tomb the Church had used to hide the First Demon, no less. It might have passed muster as a sick joke if it weren't in quite such poor taste. However, there was a good reason for why the Church had chosen the graveyard. As Kaito Sena had once pointed out, the Capital had suffered severe damage. Repairing and replacing buildings was expensive. But while their labor and material shortages went without saying, dealing with all the corpses had been their biggest struggle of all. After deeming it impossible to store the colossal number of unidentified bodies long-term, they'd cremated them. Despite that, an epidemic had still started near the section of the capital that was submerged underwater, then spread from there. Thanks to the warning Kaito Sena and Hina had left them, their prompt sterilization and their efforts to maintain good hygiene had allowed them to nip the disease in the bud. But some people still took it as a sign that restoring the Capital would be too difficult and began petitioning to relocate it in its entirety. However, there was one fatal flaw in that plan that made it impossible to carry out. The frank truth was that it was a matter of cost. Being broke was an"}, {"text": "extremely worldly problem to have, but it was a grave one nonetheless. They turned to the aristocrats, the Church, and the mercantile guilds for help, but they were met with harsh criticism each time. As was rightly pointed out, many people\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfaithful or not\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad responded to the tremendous damage from the repeated demon attacks by endorsing the reconstruction sect's particular brand of \"salvation.\" As a result, the Capital found itself forced to remain put. Their boon was the beastfolk's offer of temporary lodgings, technical assistance, and food in exchange for deploying some mages to their lands. From a national-security standpoint, though, having the king stay in that temporary housing wasn't an option. And having the royal family and key aristocrats living away from the Capital would give rise to a whole host of issues. But given their financial situation, it didn't look like they had much of a choice. Then after countless meetings, someone proposed using the royal graveyard. It was a last-ditch Hail Mary borne out of sheer desperation. However, a cursory investigation revealed that this insane proposition might not be so insane after all. While its barrier was broken and it certainly didn't hold a candle to the World Tree, the underground tomb was surprisingly easy to defend. In fact, while the Faithful King\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmankind's third king, and the one who'd given the Grave Keeper her authority\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad concealed the documents asserting as such, they also learned that the graveyard had originally been designed to serve double duty as an emergency shelter for the royal family. Then they discovered and unsealed the tomb's myriad escape routes, functional bedrooms, and spirit-powered cistern and water supply. While it was a problem that the material the building was constructed from prevented teleportation, they were able to catch the mages before they left and have them work together with the saints to analyze it. After a long series of heated arguments between the two groups, they successfully set up a number of spots where teleportation was possible. At that point, the only problem left was what to do with the old kings' bodies. However, they'd just forcibly cremated piles and piles and piles of commoners, and the shock of it all had shifted their ethics regarding corpses. As far as they were concerned, the dead were all the same, royalty be damned. And thus, they cleaned out the mausoleums and moved all the bodies. After sealing up the Room of Pain, which the First Demon had been kept in, they installed an altar in front of it and placed the coffins in a row atop it. They then closed off the graveyard's lowest floor, with an exception made for royalty coming down to pay their respects, and moved into the upper floors in earnest. No shortage of people reported seeing a displeased-looking ghost of the third king, but in Elisabeth's view, such reports were utterly beneath her interest. At the moment, her sole concern was meeting up with the communication device's sender. \"Now then... Where in all this clamor might I find the one who called for the Torture Princess?\" \"Madam Elisabeth!\" The moment she made to stride off, though, she heard a dignified voice call out to her from behind. Elisabeth turned and glanced through the throng. The first thing she saw was a beautiful head of silver hair. Shortly thereafter, though, it was followed by a number of peculiarities. The paladin's pale cheeks had gears spinning in them, and various parts of her body had been supplemented with strange pieces of metal. Her tied-up silver hair fluttered as she walked over to Elisabeth. \"Thank goodness, you responded to our summons.\" \"You called, Izabella, so here I am.\" Elisabeth replied dispassionately, and the woman gave her a smile. It was stiff due to the metal plates, but gentle nonetheless. Elisabeth responded by raising the corner of her mouth ever so slightly. The woman's name was Izabella Vicker. She was the leader of the paladins, and she'd fought alongside Kaito Sena during Ragnarok. Thanks to her fusion with Deus Ex Machina, her appearance hadn't changed much over the past three years. However, the white-lily coat of arms on her armor was stained black with blood. \"I see... From the state of your armor, I take it the news of the Capital being attacked was true.\" \"Indeed. We wouldn't call for you as a mere prank. Still, you did well to respond to such a vague summons. Once more, you have my thanks.\" \"So why in the blazes was it so vague?\" \"Several of the civil officials panicked, and the one in charge of communications sent the dispatch without waiting for my go-ahead. I'm sure you found the hasty missive alarming, and for that, I am sorry.\" Elisabeth nodded in understanding as Izabella apologized. It certainly seemed like enough of a situation had arisen to cause such a panic. However, she then planted her hands on her hips. \"So is time of the essence, or is it not? If it isn't, I ask that you let me return to my squad. I may not be fit to serve as a captain, but I took the role, so I intend to fulfill my duties to the best of my ability.\" \"Unfortunately, it very much is. This way.\" As Elisabeth followed Izabella through the underground graveyard, she glanced around the corridor. The place looked completely different than it had three years ago, when she'd come to learn the truth of the world. The Capital residents had taken full advantage of the mausoleums' original construction to turn them into living quarters and offices, and for better or for worse, none of the tomb's original solemnity and sanctity remained. For one, much of the building was decorated with plants they'd gotten as gifts from the beastfolk. The glowing moss, flowers, and wind-current-producing leaves both ventilated the graveyard and regulated its light and humidity. These amenities helped reduce the sense of claustrophobia immensely. As Izabella and Elisabeth went through the passageway, they passed by people of all sorts and statuses. There were young maids strolling adorably, dukes and ladies walking annoyedly, and paladins marching with wide strides. Due to the way the tomb was laid out, it was impossible to fully segregate the rooms for people with different roles. They were making do with what they had. Thanks to that, people of all social classes were forced to mingle. It was an odd sight to see in the Capital, and a fairly amusing one at that. And I imagine the current commotion is only making things messier. As that idle thought crossed her mind, Elisabeth continued descending the seemingly endless stairs. Originally, even the paladins had been lied to and told the tomb only had five floors. Because of that, the sixth floor had no mausoleum, which meant they could use its full space as they pleased. At the moment, several rooms designed for specific purposes had been built inside it. Izabella approached one of them, then knocked on its conspicuously plain door and spoke. \"It's me. I've brought Madam Elisabeth.\" \"Oh? I hadn't expected you to get here so quickly, little lady. I figured you were fucking off in the sunshine like a retired watchdog, but I guess I was wrong.\" She was met with a strange tone. Elisabeth would have almost considered it nostalgic if not for how tired she'd grown of it. Izabella opened the door, and Elisabeth followed her in. The walls inside were piled high with shelves full of documents, and the room's floor was bare, with no carpet or rug covering up the rare minerals it was made from. All in all, it was extremely cramped. It looked more like a storehouse than a proper room, and the pi\u00c3\u00a8ce de r\u00c3\u00a9sistance was the boorish stone desk plopped right in the center. The person who'd spoken so rudely was standing before it. In contrast to her tone, she was an adorable girl with doll-like features. Her hair was honey-blond, her eyes were like rosy jewels, and her skin was as white as porcelain. She was wearing a bondage dress, although it only qualified as \"clothes\" in the very loosest sense of the word. It was exactly who Elisabeth had been expecting. The girl's expression didn't change in the slightest as she welcomed Elisabeth. \"Greetings and salutations, little lady. They say, I'll see you in Hell, and whaddaya know, here we are.\" Waiting for her was Jeanne de Rais, the golden Torture Princess. Hmph. For a reunion, it wasn't a particularly nostalgic one. Elisabeth and Jeanne had seen quite a lot of each other over the past three years. Now that Elisabeth was looking at her head-on, though, she was once more reminded of a certain fact. Jeanne had grown a little. Her shapely limbs were now even longer, and when she stood still, she could have passed for a piece of fine art in a museum. Compared with other girls her age, though, she was growing up rather slowly. As long as they didn't get as old as Godd Deos had, skilled mages could more or less stop their aging at will. It was unclear why, but Jeanne was choosing to have her body develop slowly. Unlike her physical development, however, her sharp tongue hadn't been dulled in the slightest. \"What's wrong? You've been staring quite intently at me for some time. We last met not that long ago, remember? Didja hit your head or somethin'?\" \"Aye, true, that we did. But who would've thought the situation would grow so incomprehensible in just those few short hours? Not I, certainly.\" \"Oh, I very much agree. Having the Capital come under attack right after I returned caught me rather off guard. Like, fuck that, man! Feels like I'm livin' in a bad play. The script is shit! This writer's a hack!\" This time, Jeanne gave a reasonably frank nod. Earlier, when night had yet to fall completely, she'd been over in the beastfolk lands herself. Incidentally, she'd come because she'd been worried about her relationship with Izabella. Then after rambling on mostly one-sidedly, she'd returned to the Capital. The tragedy with Vyade had occurred almost immediately thereafter. In other words, the attack on the Capital must have gone down at the exact same time. If Jeanne had stayed even a little bit longer, she'd have ended up facing off against the man in black. The golden Torture Princess's honey-blond hair swished as she shrugged. \"The Capital's been peaceful these past three years. Our enemies must be quite proficient, not to have tipped their hands even once. I figure shit got crazy on your end, too. What's the sitch?\" \"Your intuition is correct. Izabella. You ought to hear this, too. I have grave tidings... No, wait, before that.\" Nothing was more important than giving her report about the imperial princesses' deaths. But even though she knew that, Elisabeth cut herself off anyway. She strode briskly over to the desk and glared at what was sitting atop it. \"What is this?\" The \"this\" in question resembled a baby. However, it also looked like just a plain old lump of meat, or perhaps a sculpture made out of clay. While it was clearly some sort of corpse, it was also difficult to imagine it ever having been alive. Jeanne, her back to the horrifying, loathsome object, replied flatly. \"You should know better than anyone, shouldn't you, lady? Hell, don't tell me ya forgot already! You merc'd one of these fuckers yourself!\" It was true\u00e2\u20ac\u201dElisabeth did recognize it. She'd seen one herself, back before the end of days when the Monarch, the Grand Monarch, and the King merged into a single mass of flesh and swallowed up the Capital. At the end of that battle, she and Kaito had had to face off against the exact same creature inside the fleshy monstrosity. They'd faced off against a grotesque, ashen baby. \"A demon child, eh?\" The King and the Grand Monarch's contractors"}, {"text": "had been a man and a woman. When their bodies broke down and melded together, it had served as a sort of pseudointercourse and given birth to a horrible child\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe child of two demons. True, the two bear a striking resemblance. Elisabeth glanced over at the horrid creature. The thing in front of her looked almost identical to the baby she'd fought. They both had the same broad, winglike shoulder blades. However, Elisabeth felt as though something was out of place. \"'Tis a good deal smaller than the one I fought, though. And the one from back then vanished corporeally upon death, as all demons do. What makes this one different?\" \"You're absolutely right, Elisabeth\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmost of the demon children that attacked us disintegrated on death. However, through a miraculous stroke of fortune, we were able to capture this one in a comatose state and preserve it. \"A few days ago, we raided a demon-worshipper temple and apprehended a mage who'd been researching how to preserve underling corpses. We were able to preserve this baby using information and techniques from his documents. Perversion's the mother of invention, baby! It doesn't take a genius to guess what the fucker was doin' with all those underling corpses in his bedroom, I tell you what!\" Jeanne made no effort to mince her words. Izabella's eyes went wide, visibly flustered. As the skin visible beneath the metal plates on her face flushed scarlet, she let out an affected cough. \"A-ahem. Now, Jeanne, I understand that the circumstances of your upbringing make it difficult to change that tone of yours. I really do. But as I've asked you time and again, could you please try to keep the vulgarity to a minimum? A charming young lady like yourself shouldn't be saying such vile things.\" \"Yes, ma'am. I'll be quiet.\" \"Oh?\" Jeanne snapped her mouth shut\u00e2\u20ac\u201da most irregular occurrence, given her usual arrogance and brashness. Elisabeth rubbed her eyes at how unexpected the exchange she'd just witnessed had been. As she did, Jeanne straightened her back, as silent as a model pupil. Elisabeth couldn't help but ask: \"So how long has, um...this relationship dynamic between the two of you been a thing?\" \"You're being boorish, little lady. We're in the middle of a crisis right now, so we should do our best to avoid frivolous conversational detours. Now, the problem is that we were attacked by several of these things. I mean, they were poppin' up like the damn flies from when we couldn't get rid of all them corpses!\" \"I'm sorry, Jeanne, but could you please try to avoid making light of the situation as well?\" \"I'll be quiet.\" Jeanne snapped her mouth shut. Is that how you intend to dodge the question?! Elisabeth thought indignantly. However, Jeanne's evasive words had a degree of truth to them. She was right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnow wasn't the time for that. Elisabeth focused and turned to Izabella. \"I wager the babies didn't act alone. Did they have a handler?\" \"They did; they were led by a single mage... No, we don't even know that for sure. We can't make any assumptions. However, they did have some sort of leader.\" \"You don't know? That is to say, you failed to capture the handler? Surely you recovered a body, at least? With you and Jeanne together, I find it hard to imagine they escaped.\" \"You're right, they didn't escape...but there was also no body.\" \"What?\" Elisabeth narrowed her gaze in confusion. Izabella frowned as she recalled the event. Her next words came out hesitantly. \"Ever since the end of days, people have been absolutely terrified of demons. So when the attack happened, everyone flew into a panic. Things almost turned ugly, but Jeanne and I managed to turn the tide. But the moment the handler saw that things weren't going their way, they took their own life. And to make matters worse, the demon babies ate their corpse. There wasn't so much as a shard of bone left afterward.\" \"Everything that might have helped identify them got completely devoured. It was all very purposeful on their part, but still, I'm surprised. Purposeful or not, you gotta be fucking crazy to pull a stunt like that!\" \"Was there anything distinctive about their appearance? Do you even know what race they were?\" \"They were wearing a jester mask and a dark outfit. We don't even know what they looked like.\" \"...A mask and a dark outfit?\" Elisabeth went quiet and thought. There was no way that could be a coincidence. The Capital's attacker must have been from the same group as the man in black with the half-crow mask. And the fact that the man in black was probably the only person in the world who'd noticed the significance of demon crossbreeding only served as further proof of that. \"I summoned a pair of weaker demons into a man and a woman, then destroyed both their egos. They had two children. Then I bred the children together. By repeating that process, it was possible to create a pure, powerful demon. Eventually, I created a demon powerful enough to meet my needs.\" She thought back over what he'd said. Instead of \"demon children,\" perhaps it would be more apt to call the Capital's attackers \"demon grandchildren,\" the failed by-products of the man's iterative quest for sufficient power. That explained why their bodies were so small and weak. Satisfied, Elisabeth spoke again. \"I've a decent grasp on the situation now. I believe I have information that may shed light on the attack.\" \"Are you serious?\" \"Indeed. But first, I have grave tidings.\" Suddenly, the three of them heard a muffled voice through the door. \"The first and second imperial beastfolk princesses, Valisisa Ula Forstlast and Vyade Ula Forstlast, were murdered... Does that about sum it up?\" Elisabeth turned around to see who it was. As the door slowly swung open, the voice went on. \"The World Tree just sent word of the sad news. It really is a tragic loss.\" A young man with a freckled face came in. He was dressed all in finery, from his extravagant standing collar down to his silk loafers, and he carried himself suitably. However, his simple facial features were more the sort one would expect to see on a clerk in some quiet village's bookstore. Elisabeth frowned. For some reason, she felt like she recognized him, but he must not have left much of an impression. \"Hmm, I can't seem to recall who you are... Name thyself.\" \"Your Majesty, you needn't have forced yourself to come all the way down here!\" \"Your Majesty?\" Elisabeth let out a shocked cry. Izabella knelt. Jeanne initially offered no reaction, but after Izabella shot a glare at her, she hurriedly dropped to one knee as well. The young man raised a hand, gesturing for them to stop. \"All is well. At ease... That goes for you, too, Izabella Vicker. It's been some time since we've met in person, but I heard of your deeds earlier. Fine work, as always.\" \"You honor me, sir. But...if I may be so bold, what brings you down here?\" \"Well, well, well, if it isn't the child who spent the end of days cowering in the World Tree and refused to come out until after things were all settled. Found yourself a backbone yet?\" Elisabeth crossed her arms. The skin beneath Izabella's metal plates went pale at the spiteful remark. During the end of days, Elisabeth had served as Diablo's pillar. She was in no position to judge anyone, nor did she really intend to. But the king was the one individual she couldn't help but lambaste. He had made the choice to leave everything to the Mad King, Kaito Sena, and flee to the World Tree. If things had gone a little worse, his actions would have led directly to mankind's annihilation. Then after leaving the safety of his people and country up to Kaito's goodwill, he'd hidden away until it was all over. Upon seeing that Elisabeth had no intention of retracting her statement, Izabella shouted in indignation. \"Madam Elisabeth, show some respect!\" \"No, no. She has the decency to say it to my face, which is as much as I can ask for. I know full well what my subjects\u00e2\u20ac\u201deven my retainers\u00e2\u20ac\u201dcall me behind closed doors. 'The Craven King.' 'The Royal Family's Stain.' 'The Yellow-Bellied Frog.' That's me. Maclaeus Filliana, in the flesh. The man who fled his country and the worst king in our nation's history.\" The young man spoke firmly, but he wasn't being combative. He was simply acknowledging his ignoble past\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhich was surprising, given how truly pathetic it had been. Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. Seeing her reaction, the young king couldn't help but grin. \"There's really no need to be so suspicious. It took me a while, but I finally learned how to face my flaws. People really can change, no matter how pathetic they once were. All they need is a trigger.\" \"Oh?\" \"For me, it was finding a hero I admired.\" A hero? Who could that possibly be? Elisabeth scrunched up her face in thought. Surely, there was no one in the world powerful or benevolent enough to warrant the title. If heroes existed, Kaito wouldn't have had to become the Mad King. Before she could ask Maclaeus to clarify, though, he stepped forward. After reaching out and touching the corpse of the demon grandchild, he gave a short speech about the sin it had committed and the people it had hurt, then finished with a prayer. Afterward, he turned back to Elisabeth. \"Let's talk, Elisabeth Le Fanu. That's what I came down here to do. The Capital, as well as my dear friends the beastfolk, have come under attack by a new threat. Now then...\" Maclaeus paused to take a deep breath before finishing his question. His tone was that of a man thinking of a hero he'd caught a glimpse of long, long ago. \"...what would Sir Kaito Sena do, if faced with this crisis?\" It happened just a short three years ago, but it felt like it had been a century. \"After I returned to the Capital, I researched Sir Kaito Sena in some detail. I'll be honest with you\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmy goal was to find some sort of flaw in mankind's savior, the Mad King.\" Maclaeus spoke as though giving a confession. He closed his dull-green eyes partway. Even without his elaboration, Elisabeth could have guessed at his impure motives. After the end of days was averted, Maclaeus no doubt came to a harsh realization. False, twisted stories about a savior earned far more praise than the real thing ever could. And there was no glory to be had for a king who had deserted his people. Unofficial rumors about the Mad King spread like wildfire among the populace, to the point where they were still being echoed in fervent whispers to that very day. For that was simply how rumors were. But to the young figurehead of a king, that harsh reality was too much to take. And so he began his investigation. If he wanted to protect his own pride, he needed to be able to look down on Kaito Sena. But things didn't quite play out that way. \"The more I researched, the more I was struck by my own ignorance. Even as the reconstruction sect solidified their positions around me, I was blind to the Church's insanity until the end of days actually came. But it was the next thing I discovered that truly filled me with despair. The man who stood atop that round table, the man who determined the fate of the world, was no man at all. He was just a boy, younger than even me. When I learned about Kaito Sena's age, I finally ran out of excuses. He saved the world, while I ran away. And nothing I did could ever change that.\" Upon learning who Kaito really was, Maclaeus had"}, {"text": "lost yet again. He shook his head in resignation. Elisabeth remained silent. It was only natural for an incompetent king to be scorned. The powerful had the ability to tyrannize others, but so, too, could they be mocked and, if they were unfortunate, even executed by those they ruled. With how far Maclaeus's position had sunk, the wise choice for him would probably have been either to shut himself away or to abandon his shame and take the offensive. But he wasn't finished talking yet. \"Two imperial princesses lost their lives to this disaster, and I suspect I may be in danger as well. In fact, I'm sure of it...but...I-I've spent my whole life running away. This time...\" Maclaeus's voice trembled with fear. He seemed almost to be talking to himself. He tightly squeezed his eyes shut. But then as though he'd shaken something off, he opened them back up. \"This time, I'm going to stay in the Capital and handle the disaster from here. As the Craven King, the only reason I avoided impeachment was because the three races were all too busy with the restoration efforts to waste time on me. But if I screw up this time, they'll oust me from the throne for sure.\" \"So the useless incompetent is obsessed with his own status? How utterly pathetic.\" \"You think I give a damn about my status?! If I could get away with it, I'd love nothing more than to abdicate the throne and retire in peace...\" This time, Maclaeus reacted to Elisabeth's ridicule with a shout. The moment the words left his mouth, though, his face went stiff. His expression frozen, he turned to Izabella. However, she merely shook her head, pretending she'd heard nothing. Elisabeth shot him a glance. Why fight so hard to keep it, then? Maclaeus gave his answer. \"After the Church lost its authority, my advisers began leaving in droves without even giving notice. At this point, the Church's support means nothing. But without a strong organization backing someone, the issue of who'll take the throne next will cause no end of conflict. There are several people I can imagine ignoring my designated successor and trying to name themselves king instead, and it's a delightful bunch of racial purists, closet reconstruction-sect supporters, and warmongers who think we should prioritize strengthening our army over rebuilding our nation. And even if they weren't like this, mankind doesn't have the strength to survive a succession dispute anyway.\" Maclaeus clamped his hand down on his chest. It seemed the pressure of it all filled him with nausea. After steadying his breathing, he went on. \"However, there are some roles only a buffoon can play. I may be little more than a crowned jester sitting on the throne, but for now, that's enough. My job is to serve as a 'heavy butt.' And I am prepared to fight to fulfill that role.\" \u00e2\u20ac\u201dAs Sir Kaito Sena did to fulfill his. Death is oblivion. But it isn't the end. Suddenly, Elisabeth was reminded of something. Even if someone died, as long as the world was still there, a part of them lived on. People's lives were short, but their accomplishments outlived them. Now, Kaito Sena wasn't technically dead. Given his current state, however, it was hard to say he was alive, either. So even though his life hadn't ended, he was, in a sense, \"dead.\" Yet still, traces of his life remained etched into the world. And it would seem the painful way he'd lived his life had influenced a most unexpected individual. Maclaeus's reverence toward Kaito was the real deal. A painful tinge of nostalgia struck Elisabeth as she ruminated on something he'd once said. \"For your sake, I could do or become anything.\" His confession had been incorrigible, foolish, one-sided, and horribly arrogant\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut it had been beautiful, too. There came times when people admired beings who defied morals and revered individuals who weren't heroes. It was baffling. But those childish emotions had the power to bring about change. For example, they could even save the world. What now, Kaito? 'Twould seem you count a king among your admirers. Elisabeth, still silent, posed a question to the \"dead.\" If Kaito were present, he'd probably have given her a bewildered look and replied, ...But why? She grinned faintly upon imagining his reaction but quickly wiped the expression off her face. Then Elisabeth Le Fanu calmly opened her mouth. \"Your resolve means little to me. All I care for are results. But know this\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" The king's determination might well lead to deeds that could mend his tarnished reputation. However, there was also the danger that it would destroy him from within. The Torture Princess had no intention of weighing in on that matter, but when she went on, her voice was tinged with annoyance. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dKaito Sena was my dim-witted servant. He was a servant\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnot a king. If you wish to admire that self-proclaimed Mad King of a dunce, then such is your prerogative. But you would do well to quit puzzling over what he'd think or how he'd act. You are the king. If you're finally aware of that fact, then act the part and make decisions for yourself. If you've cast off your right to flee and decided to take up the crown, then live as the arrogant, honest slave you are and rule. For that is what it means to be king.\" After delivering her statement out in a single breath, Elisabeth closed her eyes and thought of Vyade. Vyade had acted as an imperial princess to the bitter end, stifling her fear of death so as to maintain her pride. It was unclear if that decision had truly been a blessing for her. From the perspective of an observer, the act of killing off part of one's heart seemed both foolish and tragic. But so, too, did it reveal a tenacity worthy of praise. Folly seen through becomes conviction. 'Tis impossible to fault her decision. Once you made that choice, you had to rise up. Otherwise, you would merely crumble. But to be anything other than regal would be unforgivable. Elisabeth lowered her voice. \"Make no mistake; you are the king. Not a jester. And nothing anyone says can change that fact.\" *** \"But never rely on admiration for another. The masses will string people up, and even God can kill. Let pride be your sole nourishment. I have the power to carry out my will. Grind that thought into your brain. And no matter what the world throws at you, never lose sight of that which is inside you\u00e2\u20ac\u201delsewise, you shall remain the half-wit swine you are for the rest of your days.\" Silence descended on them. Elisabeth clicked her tongue, half-annoyed at herself for going into such detail. Izabella gesticulated frantically at the string of abusive remarks. Maclaeus, on the other hand, merely blinked as he curled the corners of his mouth upward. \"Thank you for being so frank\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit would seem I still have a lot to reflect on.\" \"Ha. The fact that you failed to immediately cast me in a dungeon for my remarks is proof enough of that, fool.\" \"That's true. When it comes to l\u00c3\u00a8se-majest\u00c3\u00a9, you certainly don't hold back.\" Maclaeus nodded in agreement, causing Izabella's gesticulations to increase in intensity. In contrast to his words, though, he continued smiling. Elisabeth scratched her cheek as a mixed expression crossed her face. With a shake of her head, she snapped her fingers, causing a pair of a cabriole-legged chairs to manifest out of darkness and flower petals. She picked one and plopped herself down in it. Then she crossed her shapely legs up high. \"Never mind that, though! I've news, so listen well.\" Maclaeus nodded and sat down in the other chair. Jeanne summoned a pair of simple chairs of her own, and she and Izabella took a seat as well. They sat at quiet attention. Elisabeth nodded. \"There's several key facts, most of which shall no doubt sound like crude jokes.\" Then she began telling them. About Alice Carroll, the Fremd Torturchen, and about the man in the crow mask. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dThen I received word via the communication device and came to the human lands.\" Elisabeth finished recounting her short, dramatic tale. It really had been a peculiar turn of events. Taken in aggregate, there could be no doubt it was a tragedy, but the individual aspects each seemed more like a comedy. And furthermore, they all felt surreal. It had been miserably vivid, yet at the same time, ludicrously ambiguous. When he heard the specifics of the imperial princesses' deaths, Maclaeus bit his lip. A sorrowful look appeared on Izabella's face. Jeanne crossed her legs, exposing an alarming amount of her crotch. Her honey-blond hair rustled as she shrugged. \"The importance of those who've reincarnated and demon meat, revolutionizing the world, demon crossbreeding, the Fremd Torturchen... I see. It would seem there was some carelessness regarding information leaks during the end of days. But hey, why's that jackass gotta zero in on all the nasty bits?!\" \"Indeed, and all bits no normal man would even notice, to boot.\" \"I know he's our enemy, but I can't help but be a little impressed. No one knows jewel prices like a burglar, huh?\" Jeanne's doll-like expression didn't change in the slightest as she spoke. Elisabeth nodded. The gears in Izabella's cheek spun quickly, and she spoke in a tense voice. \"Revolutionizing the world? I don't fancy the sound of that one bit. Do those people really intend to continue causing these tragedies? We need to figure out their plan so we can adjust the Capital's defense to match it.\" \"I haven't the faintest. Given that we don't know the aim behind this revolution of theirs, any conjecture we come up with will be half-baked at best. We dealt with the attackers this time, but I've little hope they'll stop there. However, the abruptness of their appearance makes investigating them difficult. The Capital's attacker was eaten, and Vyade's audience chamber is sealed off.\" \"What about the demi-humans? Now that I think about it, how're them shady-ass lizard bastards holdin' up?\" \"No need to worry. We just received word that they're fine. It would seem they managed to avoid being attacked. However, I'm told they deployed a cannoneer squad to be on the safe side, and La Christoph went to provide them with reinforcements,\" said Izabella. Elisabeth gave Izabella's answer a nod. Ever since the end of days, the restrictions on saint dispatches had been dramatically relaxed. Given that La Christoph, the one saint who excelled in both leadership and combat, had gone to help, the demi-humans should be fine. With that matter settled, Elisabeth got back to thinking. She propped her chin up with an elbow that rested her chin atop her crossed legs; then she closed her eyes. There was a fire burning up from the bottom of the world. Someone was crying out. A calamity on par with the end of days was coming, and everyone would be powerless to resist their impending demise. That grim premonition of hers hadn't changed. Yet she still had no idea how exactly things were going to play out. I overlooked the gravity of the information on demon crossbreeding. Some Torture Princess I am... Still, though, the fault doesn't lie solely with me\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat man's way of thinking is simply perverse. One might even say he reared hell within his mind. That was simply how striking the difference between the man in black's thought processes and inventive prowess were from a normal person's. He was similar to a demon in that respect\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey, too, exceeded mankind's imagination with ease. And Elisabeth could think of another person who met that description as well. ...I'd hoped to be able to consign my memories of that man to oblivion, but alas. She scrunched up her face. However, now was no time to get hung up on personal feelings, and she didn't"}, {"text": "have the luxury of worrying about what would happen afterward. The sad truth of the matter was that they were woefully short on manpower. Sometimes, the only thing that could defeat evil was a different brand of evil. The Torture Princess was evil; there was no doubt about that. But there were realms of evil not even she had transgressed. Elisabeth gave in and accepted the idea that had flitted through her mind. \"Well, if I must, I must. I'm off. As I said earlier, referencing Kaito's thought process will provide us no help in the slightest. However, there's another individual who may have some insight into our situation.\" \"You think they can help? Who is it, might I ask?\" \"Oh my, how unusual. You would visit the Harlequin of your own accord? Damn, now there's a sign of the apocalypse if ever I saw one!\" Maclaeus reacted with curiosity, and Jeanne let out a perversely amused cry. Then catching herself, she clamped her mouth shut and glanced timidly at Izabella. Fortunately for her, though, Izabella was busy trying to figure out who Elisabeth was talking about. \"Whew, thank goodness,\" Jeanne murmured. After glancing over at Jeanne, who was playing the part of the henpecked spouse, Elisabeth stood up. She snapped her fingers and dispelled her chair. Darkness and crimson flower petals whirled up as she gave her answer. \"He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind.\" It was a name given to the man in question by the Kaiser, the most powerful of the fourteen demons. Maclaeus must have been familiar with it, as he immediately gulped. Izabella's eyes went wide. Jeanne curled her lips ever so slightly. Elisabeth then finished her reluctant proclamation. \"I'm going to see Vlad Le Fanu.\" 4 The New Grave Keeper I have to write I'm sorry. It sounds so very easy, but it's oh-so-very hard. The fingers on my right hand got broken, you see, and because of how they knit, I can't bend them very well anymore. They're twisted all funny. And because he peeled my fingernails off, the blood drops get in the way. The cigarette burns hurt, too. My elbows are all swollen, so I can't feel them anymore, but that only makes it scarier. And my tummy is empty, so my body doesn't move the way I want it to. It hurts just holding the pen. But I'm a bad girl, so none of that matters. I'm a \"little shit\" who \"doesn't know how the world works,\" so I have to \"whip my character into shape\" \"as fast as possible.\" I have to say I'm sorry. I have to write it over and over and over. Until they forgive me. But I'm not really sure how to apologize any better. It doesn't look like there's anyone left in the whole wide world who doesn't think I'm bad. But if that's the case, then it must mean I've been very, very bad for my whole entire life. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. That's right, I have to apologize. I have to keep writing it. Even if the paper gets covered in blood. Even if no one forgives me. But now I don't have anything to write on. I'm sorry, me. I'm sorry, Sara. I'm, sor, ry. \"I...should have never...been born.\" And that's whyI became Alice. The man who had burned to death had risen from the ashes. However, that wasn't to say he'd come back to life. The current Vlad was nothing more than a degraded replica of his soul, which he'd created while he was still alive. Then Kaito Sena had taken that replica and moved it from its jewel home to an artificial body. Even if he hadn't been truly revived, though, any version of Vlad that could move on its own power was a threat to the three races. After all, he was the man who'd led the fourteen demons and created the Torture Princess. Degraded as he was, his very existence was the embodiment of hell itself. However, the fact remained that he'd played a key role in saving the world. Without him on their side, defending the World Tree would have been a major challenge. As a result, opinions were mixed on what to do with him after Kaito Sena passed. Getting rid of someone they could still use seemed premature, and the self-destruct device Kaito Sena had installed in Vlad's head was still in good working order. Furthermore, the man himself claimed he no longer bore any hostility toward mankind. \"Why did I form a contract with the Kaiser and lead the other thirteen demons on a quest for world domination? I mean, you can call the dream childish, but wasn't it oh-so-splendidly evil? Come now, what kind of villain sees a chance to turn the world on its head and doesn't take it? ...But the living 'me' failed. I'm certainly not immature enough to reattempt a challenge I failed at in my prime, considering my current state. And honestly, I've grown tired of the riffraff anyway. Hmm... You, though, I'm prepared to make an exception for. Tell me, have you ever considered dabbling in dark magic?\" The above was Vlad's testimony from his interview with La Christoph. Afterward, the Church had decided to leave him \"alive.\" They claimed it was out of respect for Kaito Sena's wishes, but in truth, there was a much more important reason\u00e2\u20ac\u201done that was kept a closely guarded secret from all but a select few. Either way, though, the fact of the matter was that Vlad was permitted to continue existing. However, he was the kind of person who couldn't help but incite malice in others. Leaving him to his own devices was a recipe for disaster. So as a compromise, it was unanimously decided that Vlad would be imprisoned. Unless an emergency arose, never again would he see the light of the sun or the twinkle of the stars. However, he never once complained about his treatment. After being confined, he simply took quietly to his new job. \"Here, was it?\" And now in the present, Elisabeth was visiting his place of incarceration. \"...Hmm. 'Tis been some time since I was here last.\" Elisabeth struck a daunting pose with her arms crossed. A very tall door loomed before her. Long ago, it had been covered with a dangerous barrier that would annihilate any who touched it. Jeanne had dispelled that barrier, leaving the door unprotected, but it had later been replaced with a less destructive version to prevent anyone from entering. With Izabella and Maclaeus's permission, Elisabeth had retrieved the new barrier's key. She inserted it into the opening, and when she turned it, the barrier weakened. When it did, the door swung open with a horrible scream-like creeeeeeeeeeak. A rush of cold air billowed up to meet Elisabeth as she strode inside. She looked around. Much like the rest of the graveyard, the room looked nothing like its former self. Before, its walls had been covered with ominous feelers on account of the half-white owl, half-pink mass of flesh it had housed. Elisabeth had heard that Izabella had been instrumental in getting the room's grotesque gatekeeper, as well as the victims' corpses from the Room of Pain beyond, interred in a well-ventilated mass grave. Now, though, the walls of the room created by the Saint were empty of feelers. Their smooth curves, free of joints and seams, were in full view. The room was lit by a number of crystals hanging from its hemispheric ceiling, their gentle flickering reminiscent of a riverbed. One of the walls so lit was home to an amazingly well-crafted carving of the Saint. She was cradling a lump of flesh swaddled in cloth, and her demi-human attendant stood beside her. Elisabeth let her gaze linger on this attendant. But no matter how long she stared, the carving remained still, and his expression remained hidden beneath his hood. A few seconds later, Elisabeth looked away. Then as though nothing had happened, she looked toward the center of the room. Coffins belonging to kings of old were lined up one after another atop the wide floor, and there was a single man sitting among the procession of departed royalty. He was seated atop a luxurious chair and reading his book as if he were the very picture of elegance. He appeared to be alive, yet he seemed oddly accustomed to the deathly silence that surrounded him. He carefully turned the white page over. Then all of a sudden, he snapped his book shut. A dry noise echoed out from its leather cover. As the book itself transformed into darkness and azure flower petals, the man turned to face her. \"Why hello there, precious daughter of mine. What brings you to this tomb of kings, which holds but death, silence, tedium, and this lone sinner?\" His description of the place was accurate. After the kings' corpses were interred there, the chamber before the Room of Pain at the bottom of the royal graveyard was sealed off. And after being locked away with the dead, Vlad had been given the task of watching over them. In short, Vlad Le Fanu had been assigned as the new Grave Keeper. If his late predecessor heard of that, the conniptions she'd have might well have proven fatal... No, given that girl, she'd probably just have smiled, then proceeded to wring Vlad's head from his neck. An idle thought passed through Elisabeth's mind, accompanied by no small amount of exasperation. The girl who'd preceded Vlad had been so pious, it had warped her irredeemably. Taking that fact into account, the succession was ironic in the extreme. However, the new Grave Keeper's role differed greatly from that of previous generations. The First Demon was gone from the tomb, and there was no secret left to hide. At the moment, the Grave Keeper's job was literally just that\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto keep the graves. And thus, Vlad kept an attentive eye out for grave robbers while watching over the dead kings' slumber\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhich was a roundabout way of saying he spent his days immersed in books. Annoying as it was, he lived a rather refined life for a man in confinement. And as always, he lacked not just piety, but any respect for God whatsoever. Instead of praying for the dead, he was more likely merely to point at them and whisper, Why, just look at this sad sack of rotting flesh and bone. As far as Vlad was concerned, corpses were just objects, and God was just a phenomenon. Elisabeth was inclined to agree with him on both points. Their value systems were actually fairly similar, but she also held a grudge against him so intense that no amount of torturing him would get it out of her system. That said, she, too, was a criminal, and she had no intention of going against the Church's decision and killing him. Instead, she'd decided never to interact with him again. Due to their present unforeseen circumstances, however, she had no choice but to give up on that plan. She opened her mouth, wanting to finish her business and be out of there as soon as possible. \"The human Capital and the second imperial beastfolk princess's residence were attacked by a group using demon grandchildren and someone claiming to be a Torture Princess from another world. Of the assailants, one had a way of thinking that much resembled yours. I'm here to seek your counsel.\" \"Oh my, my precious daughter, relying on me for help? This assailant must have been quite a scintillating fellow indeed.\" Vlad nodded several times, then stood. He gave his fingers an elegant snap, and his chair swirled up into a whirl of azure flower petals and darkness. Vlad, at the vivid, shadowy vortex's center, looked up at the ceiling with a face full of emotion. \"Three years, though? That's a good deal faster than I expected.\" Predictably, he bore"}, {"text": "a demonic smile upon his lips. \"...You mean to say you anticipated this attack?\" \"Come now, precious daughter mine, what are you talking about? It goes without saying that it was obvious, no?\" Vlad let out a laugh so free of malice that it was actually unsettling. He clearly wanted to express how odd the question had been. As always, he had a perverse talent for getting on people's nerves. Elisabeth responded with silence. Vlad strode forward, practically dancing. The hard sound of his footsteps echoed through the room as he passed between the coffins. \"Sooner or later, this was bound to happen\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut surely, you knew that, didn't you? The stage was set. To compare it to a play, all the curtain needed to rise was a suitable actor.\" \"True, we let too much information slip out. 'Twould be little surprise for someone to take it and turn it to nefarious\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Oh, goodness, no. That's not even the half of it.\" \"...What?\" Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. That wasn't what she'd expected to hear from him. Vlad shrugged in a theatrical display of disappointment. He gave his head an exaggerated shake. \"What in the world happened to you? Why, even my dear successor was sharper than that, you know. It's as though you've taken dullness and dullness and piled yet more dullness on top.\" \"As always, you talk much but say little\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif you've something you wish to tell me, then out with it already.\" \"Then I shall put it simply, my dear Torture Princess!\" Vlad placed a hand atop his chest and raised his voice like an opera performer. Then after taking a few broad steps forward to close the gap, he brought his face in close to Elisabeth's. His crimson eyes gleamed directly before her, and he spoke in a low, sultry whisper. \"Whenever did you go so soft?\" *** His voice was full of scorn, and when he exhaled, his long breath lingered on Elisabeth's lips like a kiss. The moment he did, she twisted her wrist and pulled a dagger out from a swirl of darkness and crimson flower petals. Then in one fluid motion, she tried to gouge out his flank. He leaped backward to dodge the slash. He'd clearly anticipated the attack. After looking down and seeing she'd cut his coat's hem, he nodded. \"Your temper's still the same as ever, hmm? I must say, I can't really endorse losing your merits but leaving your flaws. Though, perhaps you'll be better off this way. Becoming an ignorant sheep and joining the flock will certainly make your life easier; that much is for certain. It's not the most desirable change for you to make in this situation, though. Not unless you want to find yourself served atop a plate.\" \"Yet again, you ramble about insignificant drivel.\" \"It's entirely related! I'm 'telling you a story' here! A 'tale of God and Diablo'!\" Vlad began inflecting his voice as though he was giving a speech. Elisabeth went quiet. The man was acting like a buffoon. What was frightening, though, was that Vlad was no idiot. There was a good chance that a grain of truth lay festering beneath those nonsensical words of his. Elisabeth, knowing that, dispelled her dagger. As flower petals cascaded around her, she spoke flatly. \"There are some things only a jester can see clearly. Go on.\" \"Three years ago, the world very nearly met a tragic end. However, that seemingly immutable fate was altered by a single person. After burdening himself with God and Diablo, the boy fell into a deep slumber at the World's End. Thanks to his deeds, the people of the world managed to avoid the apocalypse. The greatest good for the greatest number was, surely, the greatest outcome. One could say they all lived happily ever after. And that would be all well and good.\" But whenever someone's story ends, there are some things that yet remain. Vlad raised the corners of his lips, his mouth curled into a crescent smile, and he spread his arms wide. When the light from the crystals struck him, his shadow spread in every direction like the room's long-absent monster. \"With its lease on life renewed, the world continued on. But the bells would eventually toll on a new curtain's rise.\" For that is the way bells and curtains are. His grin was unpleasant, bordering on demonic. Yet for all his posturing, he didn't seem to have any intention of ever getting to the point. Irritation and bloodlust swelled within Elisabeth. Vlad, perhaps sensing that, changed his tone. \"And oh, how they toll! Come now, precious daughter mine, think about it for a moment. God and Diablo\u00e2\u20ac\u201dentities with the power to destroy and rebuild worlds\u00e2\u20ac\u201dexist. And now all three races are fully aware of their existence!\" \"Aye, they are...but surely, that goes without saying by this point, no?\" \"Ah, but look at it this way\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnow everyone knows there's a way to destroy the world.\" *** Elisabeth gasped. No normal person would have arrived at that realization. But of all the people who'd been narrowly saved and were now diligently going about their lives, the man before her, and he alone, saw things in a wholly different light. Vlad, speaking as evil incarnate, continued. \"Sharing details on the particulars was an error, to be sure. But the true menace, the true threat, was the survivors' changed perception. Now everyone knows that the world is 'something that can be ended.' The end of days is no longer a pipe dream or a legend. It's oh-so-very real.\" Had you really never noticed just how horrifying that was? He's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dafter the end of days was averted, people began conceiving of the world differently. Vlad's voice was tender and filled with a sort of pity. Elisabeth squeezed her fists tight. She and the Church had tried to purge information on the fourteen demons' uprising, but even that paled in comparison with the gravity of knowing that the end of days was something that people could cause. It was the kind of information that changed how people viewed the world. And as the man in black had said, \"the true value of information lies in its ability to set people's minds in motion.\" \"So not only was this situation bound to arise, and not only is it occurring as we speak, but it will keep happening\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis that what you mean to say?\" \"That it is. The end of days cometh, and destroying the world is an attainable feat. With that fact proven, people will undoubtedly come out of the woodwork to try it for themselves. And in a sense, they won't even be doing it maliciously. For you see...\" Vlad deepened his unpleasant smile. Then in his most irreverent tone yet, he gave his sinister proclamation. \"...what kind of villain sees a chance to turn the world on its head and doesn't take it?\" \"You understand now, I hope. The calamities will keep coming, and the world will yet again find itself cowering as the end of days' footsteps draw ever nearer. Of course, my dear successor is the one who sealed away God and Diablo, those with dominion over reconstruction and destruction, so the process and conclusion will depend greatly on how he's handled. For now, though, our efforts would be best focused on dealing with the crisis at hand. No sense worrying about the future when we're about to join these pitiable fools, after all.\" Vlad gave the coffins a pointed glance and let out a contemptuous laugh. Elisabeth nodded. Now wasn't the time to figure out what they were eventually going to do about Kaito. She forced herself to think about something else. The fact that a number of people had reported seeing the ghost of mankind's third king while they were getting rid of the Saint statues and moving the coffins came to mind. Given the new Grave Keeper's attitude, though, it seemed only reasonable. Meanwhile, Vlad continued talking. \"Now then, with my considerable detour out of the way, let us turn our thoughts to the attackers, shall we? This man in black wearing a bisected crow mask, this Fremd Torturchen, and this impression you had of them as being 'tyrannized'... I must say, it's all most fascinating, and all deeply troubling. If they were mere villains, it would have been one thing, but if they're avengers, then it's a whole different story entirely. The more righteous a man's motives, the deeper his obsession and the crueler his methods.\" \"Avengers, eh. Hmm... Hmm? Now just wait a moment...\" Elisabeth cut herself off midthought. Something about Vlad's words had caught her attention. As of yet, she hadn't told him any specifics about the attackers, yet he'd made a direct reference to one of their appearances. With an obvious \"oops,\" he went silent. Elisabeth let out a deep sigh. \"Ah yes, I should have known you wouldn't just sit down here quietly. You're eavesdropping on the entire graveyard, I take it?\" \"Ha-ha-ha, it's an honor indeed that you're as sharp as ever when it comes to me, my precious. Guilty as charged! Please, you didn't think literature would be enough to stave off my boredom, did you?\" Vlad snapped his fingers, and the book from before plopped down into his hand. He proudly opened up its leather cover. Letters were scrawling themselves automatically onto its white pages. Presumably, they were writing out conversations occurring within the castle. And upon closer inspection, the cover wasn't leather at all. It was made of countless sheets of processed human skin pressed together. Vlad snapped the book shut. It transformed into flower petals as he spoke. \"It's a magical device I made during my life that I was fortunate enough to avoid having confiscated. Thanks to this little number, I've assembled enough blackmail material to make dozens of the castle's staff into my pawns. Delightful, isn't it, how people of every social standing have just as many flaws?\" \"Ah, I understand now. Truly, there really is no option but to cut you down and burn your remains to ash.\" \"Oh dear, precious, don't trouble yourself. I'm well aware of how your sensational moniker and garb clash with your strange overabundance of scruples, but I ask that you overlook this indiscretion of mine. I burned to death once already, and I can't say I fancied it.\" Vlad raised his hands in surrender. Elisabeth glared daggers at him. For as volatile as the situation looked, though, neither of them was actually being serious. If Vlad's speech had been a solo act, then their little exchange was akin to its intermission. Vlad was annoyingly fond of verbally sparring with his \"beloved daughter,\" and Elisabeth, knowing that, had chosen her words so as to entice him into coughing up more information. Sure enough, Vlad playfully closed an eye and placed a finger atop his lips. \"All right, all right. Ah, what a helpless child you are.\" \"Don't take that affectionate tone with me. I'll torture you till you breathe your last.\" \"Hmm, your bloodlust is a little more on the nose than I'd expected. Ah well, tolerating his daughter's rebellion is the mark of an ideal father, so I suppose I'd best give you my helpful warning anyhow. And in exchange, you can overlook my little hobby. How does that sound?\" \"Not information, but a warning, eh? I haven't the foggiest idea what you're getting at, but very well. If this warning of yours proves useful, I'm prepared to consider it. Prove your worth, and you may yet keep your head.\" \"Then here it is\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwould the likes of Vyade's suicide bombing have been enough to kill you?\" Suddenly, Vlad's voice grew very quiet and very cold. Elisabeth's eyes went wide. His words were a slight against the dead, and if Kaito Sena were there, he probably would have gotten mad. But Elisabeth didn't care about that. Her memories of what transpired in the audience chamber raced through"}, {"text": "her mind. The plant inside the crystal had grown explosively, filling every nook and cranny of the room without giving those inside a moment to escape. However, she herself had once fought her way through a similar situation. In the Capital, she'd survived a blistering-fast avalanche of flesh pouring down upon her. There were any number of ways she could think of to survive the vines. However, Vlad's vague statement was hinting at something even more specific. Elisabeth dug even deeper through her memories, just to be certain. The cheeky face of Alice\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe girl calling herself the Fremd Torturchen\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfloated vividly to the forefront of her mind. Elisabeth came to an abrupt realization. I see... As the Torture Princess, I really have gone soft. Even the dullest knife would have been sharper than her. How could she not have seen it? \"...Humpty Dumpty.\" \"Precisely. Once it breaks, 'all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put it back together again.' But unless it 'has a great fall,' that break will never come.\" If those two were still alive, the entire situation was fundamentally different. Elisabeth immediately spun on her heel. When she broke off into a run, she ended up kicking one of the coffins. It looked as though she'd dislodged the third king's lid, but that was hardly her concern. She shot off like an arrow. Vlad's voice came chasing after her, his low, smooth bass bouncing off the walls and striking her from all directions. \"Seeing someone beautiful succumb to sentimentality is like gazing at a work of art. And if they were a cruel woman, then all the more so. But as you are now, my precious, you're hideous. Back when you were filled with grim resolve, you were far lovelier, far greater, far more radiant, and far more beautiful.\" Elisabeth almost yelled back for him to silence his fool mouth, but she held her tongue. It was only reasonable that he'd mock her\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Torture Princess had grown as slow as a heifer. She had no comeback. When Vlad went on, though, his voice was tinged with sadness. \"I thought you swore a vow.\" You were the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. The proud wolf and the lowly sow. You were to live the cruel and haughty life of a wolf, then die like a lowly sow. Ah, that was my vow\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand my pride. The Torture Princess's lot was to be cursed by all, shunned by all, despised by all, and to accept her unseemly fate of dying alone. And at the same time, she had the cold resignation required to shrug off anyone's death, no matter who had passed. On a long enough timeline, everyone would die. Nobody would be saved\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey would all became carrion alike. And until then, all they could do was choose a way of living and carry it out. Even if that way carried a gruesome end befitting their life's ugliness. Such is the proper way of things, so when did I get so\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? Elisabeth shook her head to clear the muddy, unproductive thoughts from it. Losing her composure and debasing herself any further would be unforgivable. After swallowing down her self-loathing and disparagement, she reached for the door. The moment she did, it opened of its own accord. She stopped in her tracks so as not to crash into the honey-blond radiance before her. The other party spoke in a voice as hard and high as a bell's chime. \"Now this is a rare sight, lady. Not every day I see your ass runnin' around all flustered.\" \"Jeanne, hmm? What are you doing down here?\" \"Oh, did you hear the news already? Eh, I figured the punk woulda been eavesdropping on us.\" \"If you knew, then why not do something about it?! ...Wait, what news?\" What now? Elisabeth asked her question, her voice low. Jeanne's honey-blond hair rustled as she blinked her rose-red eyes. Her doll-like beauty remained wholly undisturbed as she spoke flatly. \"We received word from a number of sources all at once. First, they detected a massive magical reaction at Vyade's residence. Immediately thereafter, a man wearing all black and a girl wearing a frilly dress appeared in the demi-human lands. A battle broke out, and the demi-human side lost. I'm told that La Christoph was taken hostage in exchange for the safety of their royalty, officials, and highest-grade pureblood citizens.\" Elisabeth clicked her tongue. Thanks to her oversight, the situation had taken a drastic turn for the worse. However, she didn't have time to lament her foolishness. Jeanne slumped her head to the side. When she went on, her voice was just as cold and unfeeling as before. \"Our enemies have requested to see you, alone. So what's the plan, li'l princess?\" Will you go\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dor won't you? 5 Wonderland I wanted to have a talk with you. Amicably, as a pair of friends would. You probably don't know who I am. Just as a human wouldn't know the name of a bug crawling on the ground. But I know who you are. Just as even livestock on their way to the market would hear the name of a saint. Such is the difference between the value of your life and mine. I know that all too well. But facts are facts, nothing more. It isn't the saints' fault, and it isn't your sin to shoulder. I'm not here to reproach you, not in the slightest. I just want to talk. As I said, amicably. As a pair of friends would. You and I can grow close. I'm certain of it. Though, ever since I lost my friend in childhood, I've never grown close to anyone. As such, I have no proof. But I really hope you'll believe that my desire to get closer with you is genuine... Thank you. Your understanding means the world to me. Hmm? Why you, you ask? It's simple. You too are weak, and you too have had everything taken from you. Do you find it humiliating, being pitied by me? No? Ah, of course, you would never take it that way. But you say you don't understand what I mean? I must say, I find your line of thinking rather hard to follow. As I see it, you saints have had so much taken from you. Take you, for example. Where did your lungs vanish to? When was your heart absconded with? What became of the flesh carved from your chest? As a human being, was your life not degraded? Have you never lamented that fact? If only God were more merciful. Were that the case, there might have been another way. Will you pray for me? Will you cry for me? Will you grieve for me, as one would lament a close friend's tragedy? I don't need forgiveness. I would never ask that of anyone. But even I have times when I want a close, distant friend to whisper in my ear. To whisper, This was the only way, so that I might find some delusive reassurance. What do you say to that? What do you say, La Christoph? The demi-human lands were home to golden sand, harsh winds, burning liquids, myriad minerals mass-produced in the Dragons' Graveyard\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand towering stone walls. They weren't built to keep enemies out. They were barriers designed to prevent mixed-blood children from being born. Demi-humans were segregated into different sectors based on the purity of their blood, and residents weren't allowed to travel freely between them. Elisabeth's destination was the first sector, home to the demi-humans with the purest blood. Crimson flowers and black miasma swirled around her as she landed atop the rough, sandy cobble. \"Now, then.\" She glanced around. The people permitted to live here were all wealthy. Their sandstone houses were decorated with jewel-and-metal charms, hand-sewn sunshades, and various succulents. However, every door was shut tight, and there were no signs of anyone being inside. Elisabeth frowned. As I recall, the main massacre during the end of days was in the third sector, but the first didn't exactly get off scot-free, either. Still, it had been three years since then. For the most part, the corpses had been buried, the buildings had been repaired, and the residents had had time to recover emotionally. Even so, it was dead quiet despite being near dawn. It was as though all the residents had been wiped out. Elisabeth was no stranger to ghost towns. There was the Torture Princess's hometown, for one. She'd turned that city into a graveyard with her own two hands. However, she thought a little more. If the demi-humans had truly suffered such monumental losses, we'd have heard of it by now. As far as she knew, no slaughter had taken place there. The man in black and the Fremd Torturchen seemed to have learned from their failed initial attempt to recruit her. This time, they'd gotten La Christoph to surrender by guaranteeing their hostages' safety in return. At the moment, most of the ruling class was imprisoned in the temple that housed the Sand Queen's body. Apparently, the rest of the highest-grade pureblood citizens, as well as the slightly lower-grade citizens, had been ordered not to leave their homes. That explained the silence. There was no way they could make a move, not while their enemies were using the high-ranking purebloods and the temple itself as shields. Outside blood purity, the temple was the only other thing the demi-humans held in the highest esteem. After all, the Sand Queen's corpse was interred beneath it. The Sand Queen was the mother to all demi-human kind, and her shrine had been built from the bones of her close relatives. Some of the pillars had mineralized into gems, earning the shrine a reputation for its solemnity and beauty. However, Elisabeth would be hard-pressed to approach the building in question and save the captives. If she went near the temple, all the hostages would be killed. That was the arrangement. Until now, the demi-humans have firmly refused to allow any human visitors to the first sector. The Mad King's relief efforts during the end of days mark the sole exception to that rule. Now those same demi-humans were in a position where one wrong move by the Torture Princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201da criminal from another race\u00e2\u20ac\u201dcould cost them many of their race's purest-blooded members. It was ironic, really. However, Elisabeth couldn't exactly take their xenophobic neighbor's fate lightly. She began walking forward. The main road leading to the palace was dyed vermilion, and painted atop that hue, there was an intricate array of other vibrant colors. It was an illustrated depiction of the demi-humans' history, redrawn and added to with every festival they held. A hard click echoed out with each step Elisabeth took upon it. Her high heels chipped at the paint as she strode on. To build the palace, they'd taken cuts of a special type of rock, processed them, and laid them out in a rising corkscrew pattern made through painstaking calculations. It gleamed like a spiral shell under the light of the desert night's countless shining stars. Under normal circumstances, no human would ever get to gaze upon its majesty. The Torture Princess's black hair fluttered as she approached the rainbow-colored building. She was following the rebels' instructions to the letter. Ironically enough, the spectacle unfurling before her was like a scene out of an illustrated history in and of itself. \"Our enemies have requested to see you, alone. So what's the plan, li'l princess?\" \"I'll go.\" A few hours before landing in the demi-human lands, Elisabeth had answered Jeanne's question without hesitation. The golden Torture Princess narrowed her rosy eyes. That was her sole reaction. It would seem this was the answer she'd anticipated. Elisabeth passed through the door and strode down the corridor. Jeanne followed after her and muttered: \"That's probably our best option, yes. Can't say I love kowtowin', but still. If you refused and La Christoph and the"}, {"text": "demi-human royalty were killed, no amount of diplomacy could smooth that over. The demi-humans might even mount an invasion. Even if we stamped out these attackers, we'd still be in for a hell of a bloodbath! Fuck, man, race relations are a headache and a half!\" \"They are what they are. Even within a given race, people's political views, religions, beliefs, and moral systems differ. Trying to understand another completely is a fool's errand. So when two races interact, their ideological walls are steeper still... Not that I don't have my misgivings about the demi-humans' obsession with blood purity, mind you. It makes them predicable, which in turn makes them vulnerable.\" Elisabeth gave her answer in a low tone. To put it bluntly, the demi-humans took things too far. The Sand Queen had died long ago. But while it was true that the other races had difficulty appreciating the demi-humans' lament at having their bloodlines gradually thin out, that was no reason to be as obstinately vocal about it as they were. It makes for too great a target. 'Tis akin to leaving one's throat bare and exposed. Fools, the lot of them. Yet still... If not for Elisabeth's fatal oversight, she would have been able to block the metaphorical knife. That fault, if nothing else, was hers to own up to. As Elisabeth began collecting her thoughts, Jeanne spoke up from behind her. \"So what specifically is your plan?\" \"What do you mean by that?\" \"Come now, don't go playin' dumb with me, fair lady. What, you're just gonna stroll in like they told you to and call it a day? Please. You're a lotta things, but an honest gal ain't one of 'em.\" Jeanne's voice was as dry as ever, but her words were biting and rough. Elisabeth curled the corners of her mouth upward. There were a lot of things about Jeanne de Rais that were unsuited for one who bore the moniker of Torture Princess. Even so, the golden Torture Princess understood the ebony Torture Princess better than most. Elisabeth's black hair fluttered as she turned around. She spoke, her voice practically a song. \"Listen well, Jeanne. I intend to head for the demi-human lands, exactly as demanded. But in the meantime...\" \"Oh, wow, goodness me. I never even dreamed that you'd actually come on your own!\" A voice younger than Jeanne's struck Elisabeth's eardrums. The moment it did, Elisabeth's vacant recollection came to an end. After she passed through the palace's gate, the vermilion cobble gave way to lapis-lazuli tiling as she emerged into its front garden. Flowers and trees had been planted all along the meandering path in high-grade, water-rich black soil that looked to have been sourced from the beastfolk lands. Flashes of sleek leopards and showy peafowls could be seen peeking through the verdant-green leaves. A stone, flower-shaped fountain shot bursts of water high into the air. An immaculate white figure stood at the center of that veritable paradise. At the edge of Elisabeth's vision, the Fremd Torturchen\u00e2\u20ac\u201dAlice Carroll\u00e2\u20ac\u201dgave a little hop. \"How surprising! What a truly surprising event! Why, it's like you appeared out of nowhere!\" \"You're one to talk. I never expected to encounter you quite so quickly.\" Elisabeth frowned. They'd called for their enemy, so the girl should have been by her father's side. Elisabeth wondered what she'd been doing, but it soon became clear that she'd spent her time picking flowers. After lifting up her skirt's hem to turn it into a makeshift pouch, she'd stuffed it full of large white lilies. Given the desert outside, just thinking of how much they must have cost was frightening in its own right. Alice, seeming to have come to some sort of realization, nodded. \"Okay, I got it! Now that you're here, I don't have to kill time anymore! Hooray!\" \"Hmm?\" Alice sprang upward like a rabbit. Her blue dress flapped up and down precariously, causing the white flowers within to go flying through the air. As Alice landed among the twirling lilies, she beamed. \"Why, you aren't even late. That's very impressive, Elisabeth. It's very impressive, and you have my praise.\" Alice puffed up her chest in a simultaneous display of both innocence and haughtiness. However, she quickly moved to smooth out her dress. After hastily getting it in order, she bent one knee and gave Elisabeth an elegant curtsy. \"Welcome, Elisabeth. Welcome to Wonderland.\" The Torture Princess was making no efforts to hide her hostility. Yet not only had Alice invited her, but she was also welcoming her with open arms. It was a terribly wondrous act, and one that reflected poorly on the sanity of the performer. \"I'm late, I'm late!\" Alice shouted in a high-pitched voice as she ran. The white ribbons on her hat flopped about like a pair of rabbit ears. After welcoming Elisabeth, she'd abruptly taken her hand and broken into a run. Allegedly, she was taking Elisabeth to see someone called \"Lewis.\" Realizing there was no sense fighting as long as the hostages were there, Elisabeth obediently followed along. Still, there was something decidedly eerie about the innocent figure Alice cast when she ran. And to compound on that, she repeated her shout at regular intervals. \"I'm late, I'm late!\" \"If you really are as late as you say, it's clearly due to these incessant detours you insist on taking.\" Even after Elisabeth pointed that out, though, Alice continued meandering undeterred. That whole time, she'd been taking one pointless action after another. As they approached the palace proper, the tiles before them began having snakeskin patterns burned into them. Now Alice was dashing over the patterns as though tracing them with her feet. The next moment, though, she took a sharp turn and rushed back into the garden. Elisabeth, naturally, was about to make her displeasure known, but Alice spoke first. \"Oh, it's bread-and-butterflies!\" \"What?\" Alice's statements were growing increasingly nonsensical. She was looking at some sort of netted enclosure. She charged in at full speed, dragging Elisabeth along with her. The moment she did, Elisabeth's vision was arrested by vivid colors. A massive swarm of butterflies was dancing through the air. The palace's residents had probably gathered and raised them for entertainment. It made for a beautiful spectacle, like a scene right out of a dream. Alice let out a cry of joy. After waving her pale palms about, she managed to catch one. There came an awful splattering sound. Elisabeth winced. Without a moment of hesitation, Alice had crushed the butterfly's abdomen. As it twitched and convulsed, she plucked off its wings as well. The four purple flakes fell to the ground, and Alice laughed as she stomped on them. \"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Hee-hee-hee-hee! Ah-ha-ha-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha, ah............................................. I'm bored now.\" \"...Hmm.\" Then she suddenly went sullen. She gave Elisabeth's hand a tug, then began walking. As Elisabeth watched the dejected Alice, she arrived at a theory. Between this and her behavior back in the beastfolk lands, her having \"the cruelty particular to children\" seems hardly sufficient to explain her actions. Alice Carroll was broken. It was unclear whether she could be fixed or not, but Elisabeth didn't care one way or the other. Neither would change the fact that Alice was her enemy. It merely caught her attention a little. \"Next, we're going this way! 'Cause after that, we're going that way!\" Furthermore, Alice herself didn't seem to realize they were enemies. Instead, she was dragging Elisabeth around like a close friend. Their enigmatic dash through the thicket labyrinth continued. Eventually, though, Alice came to a stop before the palace's third detached villa. \"Ta-daa, we made it! Look, Elisabeth, we're here!\" \"For someone who went out of her way to call me here, you certainly took your sweet time.\" Elisabeth responded to Alice's excited shout with a sigh. She looked up at the building standing before them. It was a lavish manor sporting a narrow, distinctive watchtower. Elisabeth thought back over the blueprint she'd made sure to memorize before coming. The residence for the king's concubines, eh. The demi-human king played no role in politics. Governing the nation was a task left to a group of officials selected from the highest-ranking pureblood citizens. The king's role was twofold\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto serve as a symbol and to take pureblooded wives. In order to maintain his bloodline, polygamy was not only allowed but also encouraged, and it was their custom for him to marry one member of each governing official's family. The back gate's handle was adorned with a delicate garland design. Alice grabbed it and pulled. The concubines weren't allowed to leave the inner courtyard on their own, so there was normally a servant outside in charge of opening and closing the gate. To that end, it was made of an incredibly heavy material. Yet for some reason, Alice declined to use magic as she struggled to try and open it. \"Mmph, come on. See, Father's in the middle of a 'serious adult talk' right now, and it was so boring that it made me yawn. But don't worry. When he hears you're here, I'm sure, I'm suuuure he'll be thrilled! My, this door is heavy! But if I use magic, it'll feel like I cheated. Oh, and I found some candied flowers that you'd absolutely love, so I'll share them with you later, and we can have a tea party.\" \"Oy, Sara Yuuki.\" Alice immediately went silent, and her cheerful energy vanished. A long, heavy silence descended on them. Eventually, the Fremd Torturchen, still facing forward, replied: \"I got rid of that name...or rather, that name belongs to a dead girl. You can call it, but no one will answer.\" \"Yet you did answer... In any case, I've something I want to ask you.\" \"Something you want to ask 'Alice'? Or something you want to ask 'Sara Yuuki'?\" \"I see no difference.\" \"Oh, no, they're different. They're completely different, totally different, wildly different.\" Without turning around, Alice shook her head. Her hat's white ribbons shook along with it. Elisabeth let out a small snort, then forcibly continued her line of questioning. \"Aye, no difference at all\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut anyhow, are you an Unsullied Soul, as Kaito was?\" \"What a strange question, Elisabeth. It's like one of the riddles from the Caterpillar on the mushroom. What's a Sinless Soul? What does it mean to not have any sin? Who gets to decide who has sin and who doesn't? Am I, Alice, guilty or innocent? Are you the Queen of Hearts? If that's the case, then I must say I've been rather impolite.\" \"Don't try to dodge the question by spouting gibberish. What I ask is this: Did you die after being subjected to cruelty and torture despite committing no sins that would warrant such treatment?\" Alice went quiet again. All that strength drained from her body, and her arms slumped loosely by her sides. That was answer enough. She didn't need to say a word. Elisabeth could tell. However, Alice quickly spun around, her vigor restored. With a bizarrely cheerful energy, she launched into another prattling speech. \"I never did anything bad. But even though I was doing the exact same things as when I was a good girl, they kept making me into a bad girl. I kept apologizing, but it never mattered. Nobody in the whole wide world told me that I wasn't bad. And then down, down, down. Alice fell down a very deep hole. Even though I wasn't chasing a White Rabbit. But at its end, I found Wonderland. See, it's simple, right?\" \"As I suspected... 'Summoning from another world a soul that's accustomed to pain, placing it in an immortal body, and making it form a contract with a demon.' That 'Father' of yours noticed the importance behind the act. That explains why he selected you. No doubt he chose someone younger than Kaito so they'd be easier to manipulate... What a pitiful creature you are.\" Elisabeth shook her head. Her impression"}, {"text": "of Alice as \"someone who'd been oppressed\" had been affirmed once more. She casually thought back on Vlad's words. \"But if they're avengers, then it's a whole different story entirely. The more righteous a man's motives, the deeper his obsession and the crueler his methods.\" Avengers, eh. Alice offered no response to Elisabeth's assessment. She twirled back toward the door and grabbed its handle once more. This time, though, she used magic to strengthen her body. The door slowly began opening. \"Who cares?! Why, who cares, indeed! Elisabeth, your story is boring! So cut it out! I won't listen anymore, so stop talking about it!\" Alice shouted childishly. The door opened even farther. As it did, a strange odor came wafting from within. It was the sweet smell of incense mixed with the rusty smell of blood. And when Elisabeth looked down, she quickly found its source. The blood leaking out from inside the villa shone darkly. \"If you don't...I'll kill you, too.\" Alice swiveled her head around and looked up at her at a peculiar angle. Elisabeth ignored Alice's red eyes. Instead, she squinted into the darkness beyond the gate. We heard no reports of the demi-humans suffering monumental losses, and true enough, no massacre took place here. Yet still... ...that certainly didn't mean there were no victims. Within the villa, some demi-humans had been killed. What had transpired wasn't readily apparent, but what was clear was that the victims had been thoroughly disposed of. Had they been soldiers? Concubines? What little remained of them wasn't enough to determine even that. Even their genders were unclear. In fact, the only evidence they'd even been demi-humans at all were the few scales mixed in with the shredded flesh. Not only had the bodies been dissected, but they'd also been scattered all over the place. There were hearts resting on windowsills, eyeballs lining the hallway and stuffed into doors' peepholes, intestines wound around decorative pillars, lungs hammered into walls, and fangs, still attached to gums, strewn across the ground like pebbles. Elisabeth recalled the ravaged lilies and crushed butterfly. With the grisly spectacle at her back, Alice spoke. \"But hey, hey, Elisabeth, can you tell me something?\" \"What is it? Ask away.\" Elisabeth replied to the question with indifference and feigned geniality. Alice smiled, as though accepting some sort of challenge. She intertwined her fingers behind her back and swayed from side to side. \"Why's it wrong to do unto others as I had done unto me?\" A cunning sort of malice lurked within the depths of her childish voice. Elisabeth knew it all too well. That was the kind of malice that flowed from festering wounds\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe kind of hatred that was borne from pain. It's time for a story. A little story about a simple equation. Let's say we have \"someone who was cruelly oppressed\" and \"someone who gleefully oppressed them.\" The former will never forgive the latter, no matter what they say or do. There's a pretty clear answer to this equation. You multiply hate by resentment, then subtract those pesky ethics. Then once the first party gets their revenge on the second party, the story comes to an end. And they all live happily ever after. But here, though, we add another parameter. One that throws the whole situation into chaos. The new parameter is as follows. Let's say we have \"people who did nothing\" and \"people who knew nothing.\" Let's say we have a generous, open-hearted world that allows the ignorance to persist, saying, These things just happen. Now, how do we solve that one? It looks tricky, doesn't it? But there's no need to think that hard. All you have to do is cut through all the tangled-up strings. In other words\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat is what it means to hate the world itself. However... \"I answer you thus.\" \"Ah, you're here.\" Elisabeth had begun answering Alice's question, but before she could finish, a male voice cut her off. Elisabeth looked through the doorway. All the lights up to where the hallway turned a corner were out. Little piles of viscera were scattered about the darkness like landmarks. Suddenly, a foot appeared and stomped one of the piles flat. Rotting flesh and blood sprayed up into the air. The man in black strode forward, practically appearing to coalesce out of the darkness. He slowly looked up. His mask, so crisp and white that it looked like an exposed cheekbone, cut through the black. \"Father!\" Alice let out a cheerful cry and dashed forward. As she ran toward the man, she trampled the floor and demi-human guts alike underfoot. Dark blood on the verge of coagulation sprayed about in her wake. Alice's shoes got soiled, but she didn't seem to mind in the slightest. She embraced the man and dangled from his neck. Her hat's ribbons flapped around joyfully. \"Father, Father, listen! Elisabeth was being horrid! She was talking about all sorts of confusing, incomprehensible things that I didn't understand in the slightest! Why, I was so annoyed that I almost squashed her flat!\" \"Settle down, Alice. Given your current strength, trying to 'squash Elisabeth flat,' as you put it, would be altogether too reckless. Also, it appears you left your body magically strengthened when you started hanging from my neck. Is that so?\" \"Oh, is it? Why, it is! Oh no...did...I?\" \"You snapped my neck a little, yes. If I hadn't anticipated it ahead of time and used magic to reinforce it, I'd be dead right now.\" \"That would be bad! Very, very bad! I'm ever so sorry, Father. Does it hurt?\" \"As I said, it's nothing serious. Just make sure to be more careful from now on.\" Once again, the two of them were having a very serious, very stupid exchange. Elisabeth was dumbstruck. Yet at the same time, she felt a strange sense of eeriness that she couldn't quite put into words. 'Tis hardly the type of conversation suitable to be carried out before massacred corpses. In other words, it wasn't just Alice. The man in black was fundamentally broken, too. The word avenger ran through Elisabeth's head again. As it did, the exchange continued. After Alice obediently hopped down, the man in black laid his hands atop her shoulders and asked her a highly amusing question in a highly serious tone. \"And besides, think back. Haven't you yourself been forcing Elisabeth to listen to confusing, incomprehensible things this whole time?\" \"Ah...\" \"Aye, it's as you say. She started by repeating 'I'm late' over and over, which, while comprehensible, was certainly confusing...but then she started going on about bread-and-butterflies, and Queens of Hearts, and not chasing White Rabbits, and Wonderland, at which point she completely lost me.\" Elisabeth nodded. Alice began looking visibly embarrassed. It would appear that she'd been cognizant of how little sense she'd been making. Eventually, the man in black shook his head to reprimand her. \"Alice, I've told you time and again. People from this world aren't familiar with your Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass stories. If you want to talk about them, you need to at least start by outlining the plot. You're the one who wanted to become a lady, weren't you? If so, thoughtlessly confusing people is no way to go about it.\" \"I-I'm sorry, Father... I guess I wasn't thinking.\" \"Am I the one you should be giving that apology to?\" \"Oh, no, you're absolutely right! ...I'm sorry, Elisabeth. It turns out that I was the one talking about confusing, incomprehensible things. I hope you'll forgive me.\" \"I don't even know where to begin with you two.\" Elisabeth's bewilderment had evolved into a full-fledged headache. She squeezed the bridge of her nose. The man stroked Alice's cheek to praise her for apologizing properly. She cooed like a happy little puppy. A moment later, though, the man tore his eyes from her innocent smile. Just like last time, the gaze he cast Elisabeth's way was full of sympathy. She shot him a frigid stare in return. He then placed his hand atop his chest and gave her a gentlemanly bow. \"I apologize for calling you such a long way, Elisabeth Le Fanu. However, it's as I said before. 'In order to discuss particulars, we should first change locale.' Now we can finally talk things over at a comfortable pace.\" \"'Talk things over,' eh...? Before that, I have a question. Is La Christoph unharmed?\" \"Of course. He, too, is someone important for us to talk to.\" The man in black answered matter-of-factly. Elisabeth frowned. She hadn't expected for them to care about La Christoph as anything other than a hostage. He was the saints' representative, and Elisabeth was the Torture Princess. It was unclear what criteria the man in black had used to select them. If he deemed them important, though, then it was probably safe to assume he found some value in speaking to them. For now, 'tis essential I gather more information. \"Then talk we shall. So? What is it you wish to speak of?\" \"It should be obvious.\" The man then turned without actually answering her question. His black longcoat fluttered behind him as he strode off. Alice rushed after, then leaped toward him. She grabbed his arm and dangled from it. A nasty popping sound resounded from his shoulder, but he marched on undeterred. Clearly, he wanted everyone to follow him farther inside the villa. I'll likely be left with no way to flee... On the other hand... There wasn't any point in staying. Elisabeth nodded and followed after them. Partway through, however, she unconsciously narrowed her eyes. Alice and the man in black were making no efforts to sidestep the body parts scattered across the floor. Broken fangs shattered. Intestines ejected their spoiled contents. Lips were crushed flat. The sight was peaceful yet cruel, cheery yet grim. The two of them were striding through hell, as happy as could be. Still facing forward, the man finished his truncated answer. It's time for a story. What kind of story, you ask? \"A story of repentance, dreams\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand hatred. \"We're here. Please, after you.\" The man stopped in front of a simple door. Unlike the others, it didn't have a peephole. After he spoke, Alice courteously opened the door up. Elisabeth's shoes clicked loudly as she walked in. Inside, the entire room was pure-white. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all covered in a white, plaster-like coating. The only furniture in the room was the single, cabriole-legged chair at its center. The demi-humans tended to prefer their furniture a little sturdier than that, so it had presumably been brought in after the fact. Originally, the room must not have had any furniture at all. That struck Elisabeth as peculiar. Aside from festivals, the concubines spent their entire lives in the villa. As such, all the rooms were outfitted with lavish, elaborate interiors befitting the fact that it was their final abode. Yet that room alone was different. Elisabeth glanced around to try and suss out its purpose. Then she suddenly noticed the strange shading on the walls. They were adorned with a carving of the Sand Queen, which covered the entire room. If you knelt in the middle of the floor, it was positioned such that she was cradling you like an egg. I see... 'Tis a room for prayer and meditation. Satisfied with that explanation, Elisabeth then turned her gaze to the chair. It had a strange individual sitting atop it. The man had broad shoulders and a well-built physique, and his white outfit was long enough that it trailed on the ground. Its hem and his thick, straight black hair formed a pair of circles on the floor. However, his true peculiarity lay elsewhere. For one, he had a set of crude chains binding his arms such that he was embracing himself. Elisabeth knew he hadn't been forced into those restraints. If his chest wasn't sealed off, he wouldn't have even been able"}, {"text": "to sit down the way he was. Elisabeth strode over to the man. He looked up. Before he could say anything, Elisabeth beat him to the punch. \"It's been a while, La Christoph\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat, some two years since we last met in person?\" \"Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou said as much in your reports, but I'm glad to see you're in good health.\" La Christoph gave a calm reply. He didn't sound like he was in pain, and the room's air was clear. It didn't smell of blood. Elisabeth nodded in satisfaction. It appeared that La Christoph hadn't been subjected to torture or harsh questioning. Saints were resilient against pain, but even they had their limits. Plus, controlling their divine beasts took a heavy toll on their stamina. Him being uninjured was a stroke of good fortune. Elisabeth gave him a light shrug. \"If anything, I should be saying the same to you. 'Tis gladdening to see you've not been injured. Fortunate, I suppose, that this lot has enough sense to realize that a hostage is only useful unharmed.\" \"Hmm... Are you...so certain about that?\" \"What's wrong? 'Tis unlike you to be so inarticulate. Did they do something to you?\" \"They may be our enemies, but even so, it goes against God's will to unnecessarily sully the name of another. Thus, I hereby give my testimony. They have committed no slights against me\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut I will note they did ask me to be their friend.\" \"I beg your pardon?\" \"It caught me somewhat by surprise. There's a possibility that it was the preliminary step toward some form of mental attack, or perhaps brainwashing.\" La Christoph was the very image of earnestness as he gave his report. Elisabeth frowned. Even before he was made a saint, La Christoph had voluntarily lived a life of pious devotion. There were likely few people he could call a friend, if any at all. And especially now that he was a saint, he could hardly be blamed for getting confused when an enemy asked for his friendship. However, the odds that his prediction was right and it was a prelude to some sort of attack were low. At any rate, Elisabeth had never heard of a spell that required such a byzantine method. Right as she was about to sink into thought, though, a cheery voice called out from behind her. \"All right, it's finished! There's no table or sweets, but I made cute chairs for our Mad Tea Party! Elisabeth, you can sit on this one, okay? Here, I'll bring it over for you.\" With a \"heave-ho, heave-ho,\" Alice brought a cabriole-legged chair over and placed it beside La Christoph's. However, the fact that they were in an empty room with nothing but a pair of chairs made it seem less like a tea party and more like a prison cell. Perhaps realizing what it looked like, Alice puffed up her cheeks. To even out the ambience, she scattered black miasma and flower petals facing them and made another set of chairs for herself and the man. The three of them took their seats. Both pairs faced each other as though drawn to some sort of invisible boundary line between them. The Torture Princess and the saints' representative having a sit-down with two world-class revolutionaries in a demi-human prayer room, eh. It was almost absurd how fraught the scene was with inauspicious symbolism. Elisabeth was taken by an ominous premonition. Across from her, the man in black spoke in the same level tone as always. \"As I'm the one who sought this discussion, I suppose I ought to start by introducing myself. My name is Lewis. No surname.\" \"...Lewis, is it?\" \"If you want more in the way of a self-introduction...then you might try searching your memories for a group of magic-item thieves who were apprehended in the Capital some ten-odd years ago. Although, I doubt there are much in the way of records. And if there were, I can't imagine anyone bothered keeping them around.\" \"I beg your pardon?\" Elisabeth let out yet another inane cry. After all, the man\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLewis\u00e2\u20ac\u201dstood nothing to gain by willfully giving up information on himself. Yet again, his actions were utterly inscrutable. \"Now then, we're finally in a suitable location to hold a conversation. Once more, I have something I'd like to ask of you two.\" Beside him, Alice gave a big nod. She noisily kicked her blood-soaked shoes about. Lewis stopped her with a sidelong glance, then made his request as though he were calling on a pair of students. \"I want you to betray the world and butcher all who live in it.\" Elisabeth came to an intuitive understanding. 'Tis another \"simple equation,\" so to speak. Vlad had said it himself, back when he was still alive. Those who had been taken from had a right to take from others in turn. They were, if nothing else, prepared to accept that they had that right. In order to carry out great acts with no regard for good or evil thereof, a certain capability was required. The capability to wear the tyrant's mantle as if it were a role one were meant to play. Lewis's proposal was that of a man who'd been taken from. Regardless of his reasons or circumstances, though, Elisabeth's answer was the same. \"Hard pass!\" \"I have feelings, too, you know. I'm going to have to insist you at least hear me out before making your decision.\" Elisabeth gave her answer just as immediately as she had in a similar situation long ago. However, Lewis merely brushed her rejection off. It seemed he could be unexpectedly flexible. Elisabeth clicked her tongue, then crossed her legs up high. Alice, eyes sparkling in awe, tried imitating her. After quickly admonishing her, Lewis went on. \"Besides, snap judgments are a rash thing to make. Go on, listen to your heart. After all, you, too, possess them.\" \"Possess what?\" \"Repentance, dreams\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand hatred. They were the same words he'd said before. Irritated, Elisabeth made to flatly deny his statement. Suddenly, though, she clamped her mouth shut. A vivid image had bubbled to the forefront of her mind. The people she cared most about in the world, slumbering at the World's End. It was a beautiful sight\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut nothing more. She could speak to them, but they wouldn't respond. She could extend her hand to them, but her fingers would never reach. A single, agonizing question was with her always. Why am I the one out here, and you two the ones in there? Kaito Sena wasn't the Torture Princess. He wasn't a saint. He wasn't even the Mad King. He was just a boy. Yet now he was slumbering with his bride, bearing the burden of a world that by all rights he should have had nothing to do with. Why did you two have to be sacrificed? If I wait, shall I ever see them again\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand is there something more I could have done? But no matter how many days and nights she spent agonizing about it, no answer came. And the more she thought, the more resentment began eating away at her. Then Lewis put that anger into words for her. \"Too often does this world force a small few to bear the great burden of sacrifice.\" That was the true tale of repentance, dreams, and hatred. Elisabeth stared at Lewis in silence. She realized something\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe was trying to redo his failed recruitment attempt from before. Once again, he was presenting her with the same taboo question. Once all was said and done in the battle for salvation\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat had Elisabeth Le Fanu been left with? And that question had another side to it, too. Once all was said and done in the battle for salvation\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat did Kaito Sena even obtain? Had the choice the young man had made\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwith that infantile look in his eyes, really been the right one? Or rather, was it truly acceptable for those who remained to unilaterally say, Yes, it was the right choice? \"Like Kaito Sena, Alice Carroll is from another world. And like him, she was subjected to senseless pain and cruelty. It's as I told you before: Them being from another world is crucial. I died, but I got a second chance at life. This time, I'm going to accomplish everything I set out to do. That conception serves as an almighty justification. It gives them that magical quality that allows them to obtain limitless power. And how could it not?\" As Lewis spoke, Alice tapped her toes together in boredom and let out a yawn. It being La Christoph's first time hearing the speech, he knit his brows ever so slightly. Lewis faced Elisabeth and continued: \"Not even being allowed to live one's own life is a cruel, pitiful fate, and one well deserving of such obsession. After all, a tragedy is a tragedy. But it doesn't have to end as one.\" Nobody wants to just leave things like that. The declaration was firm and earnest. Even though he was using the Fremd Torturchen as a weapon, his voice was strangely absent of any falsehoods or scorn. Elisabeth discourteously rested her chin on her palm. \"Go on then, say it.\" \"What would you have me say?\" \"What cause have you to elicit our sympathies? What is this grand tragedy of yours?\" Elisabeth's tone was biting. She had known a great many tragedies in her time. Kaito Sena's pain. Hina's devotion. Elisabeth's loss. She wasn't prepared to treat just any old misfortune as on par with those. Alice flinched at her sudden intensity. She looked at Lewis nervously. Lewis, not shaken in the slightest, spoke in a dry voice. \"Very well. Then allow me to show you.\" Allow me to show you my tragedy. Suddenly, Lewis raised his black-clothed right arm. He moved his fingers. A small shuffling noise sounded out. Lewis had removed his half mask, as one might take off a hat as a show of respect. The crow visage was gone, and the hidden section of his face was laid bare. Elisabeth's eyes went wide. In an instant, all her doubts had been cleared away. There was no need for him to explain any further. Elisabeth immediately understood everything\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat Lewis sought, what his motive was, and what he was talking about when he spoke of tragedy. \"You're...\" Lewis smiled. There was no animosity in it. However, his face was so hideous that it seemed to be from another plane of existence. The left half of Lewis's face was human. But the right half was different. His eye was gold, its pupil was narrow, and his skin was covered in bluish-black scales. The section the mask had been covering had the features of a demi-human. The two races' characteristic traits were laid out side by side, making for a mixture that was both highly peculiar and deeply unfortunate. Elisabeth Le Fanu quietly murmured the name of the tragedy she knew he was undoubtedly connected to. \"...The Mixed-Race Massacre.\" It had happened in the background while the noble battle for salvation raged on. And it was a tragedy grim enough to warrant revolutionizing the world. 6 The Rebellion's Cause To tell you the truth, we began formulating the plan for our rebellion decades ago. We'll probably earn some criticism for that. After all, the massacre hadn't happened yet. And at that point, I hadn't even been born. But that only goes to show how long we mixed-race folk have been persecuted for. Each time the various races go to war, we inevitably get caught in the cross fire. And even in peacetime, too many of us get bled dry regardless. Allow me to cite a personal example. My father was a demi-human, and my mother was a mixed-race beastfolk-human. Now, unlike me, my sister manifested the kind of beastfolk ears and tail that made her a target for deviants. When she was ten, a group of men"}, {"text": "assaulted her in an abandoned building. Afterward, she closed off her heart and went missing shortly into adulthood. As for my brother, he didn't manifest any mixed-race characteristics at all. He went to work for the Church as an assistant, but when they discovered that we were related, the priest's relative who was supposed to adopt him broke it off, and he hung himself out of grief. After that, I left my family as well. My childhood friend got sold off for a copper, and I haven't seen them since, either. Whenever anyone saw me, they would always scream the same thing. \"He's possessed by a demon.\" Now, it is true that demons induce grotesque transformations in their contractors. But the masses didn't know that. However, vague impressions were more than enough for them to shun me. \"It's like in fairy tales,\" \"hideous people do hideous things.\" No doubt that that's how most people perceived me. I once offered my hand to a little girl who'd fallen over, and I got beaten half to death for my concern. And so I roamed about, alone, planning on dying by the roadside somewhere. But a group planning a rebellion found me and took me in. A few decades ago, a group of mixed-race folk whose appearances made it too difficult to participate in society banded together. Now, back in the beginning, they were little more than a seedy group of bandits. But by the time I joined up, they'd acquired a number of successful commercial benefactors and were using their resources to steal and occasionally buy magic remedies and items, acquire golems and spirits, and amass rare materials and equipment. They'd even set up a little school of sorts for those with magical aptitude. They dreamed of seceding from the world much as one might yearn for a lover. When I lamented the fact that my attack took three years to put into action, that long period of enduring was the primary culprit. When the fourteen demons began their assault on mankind, our organization swallowed up information on them and used it to grow stronger. But right when we finally succeeded in summoning a low-ranked demon ourselves, I and the rest of the leadership declared we were ceasing our efforts. We were afraid, you see. Most of the mixed-race folk lived in poverty, but they lived all the same. They had it hard, but no harder than the humans struggling to make ends meet in the slums. And we couldn't bear to put a mark on their heads as a result of our desire for rebellion. We didn't want to make our sinless brethren have to shoulder that grief. So we sealed away our dark magic and instead chose a path of endurance. We forgave countless small atrocities and left tragedies as they were. And that was fine. We thought it was for the best. But then the end of days came. And after that, well, you know the rest. Thank you for lending me your ears. And I have one last request for you\u00e2\u20ac\u201dplease remember this. We were the ones who chose rebellion and swore revenge. But we were not the first to draw swords. You people were. \"That is the reason I aim to revolutionize the world. The Mixed-Race Massacre, and the countless mundane sorrows that preceded it. Now, as for the former, I was planning on omitting an explanation, but would you prefer I went over it?\" \"That shan't be necessary. I'm well acquainted with it.\" Elisabeth gave her answer immediately. La Christoph was undoubtedly the same. And it wasn't just them, either. Basically every member of the intellectual class who survived the end of days knew about it. However, no one so much as mentioned it. After all, it was a scandal serious enough to completely ruin the moving tale of the three races uniting in the face of oblivion. The series of tragedies began back before the end of days, when the reconstruction sect spread a certain rumor. \"Hark, O ye ignorant faithful. Pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand.\" \"The end-time is nigh.\" \"After the restoration, the devout faithful will be led into the new world.\" They were selfish delusions, and they weren't grounded in anything but bullshit. But when faced with the calamity that was the end of days, many people falsely believed that the predictions were coming true. However, only a scant few of them could truly claim to have been the \"devout faithful.\" Afraid of dying, they turned to a crime not listed in their dogma. Killing heretics. That desire for salvation led to the Mixed-Race Massacre. People hoped that by killing heathens, they could demonstrate their piety toward God. Now technically, the beastfolk and the demi-humans' objects of worship, the Three Kings of the Forest and the Sand Queen, respectively, were all God's creations, so all their faiths shared the same foundations. However, even those mere aesthetic differences were enough for people to brand all other races as heretics. And because the mixed-race folk lived among them, they were the ones who became targeted. However, demi-humans were blood-purity fanatics, and because of all the chaos and mayhem, the beastfolk and other humans abandoned the mixed-race folk to their fate as well. The mixed-race folk had no one to protect them and nowhere to run. Countless lives were lost to the senseless violence. And to make matters worse, the incident left lasting marks. At the time of the tragedy, most of the perpetrators had been completely deranged. Even still, there was no consensus on how harsh their punishments should be. And although officials often had their suspicions, it was rare to find a crime scene where it could be definitively proven that it wasn't just the work of the demon underlings. Forget victims and perpetrators; it was difficult even pinning down how many crimes had actually been committed. Aside from the incidents where malicious agitation could be proven and the extreme outliers in terms of scale and brutality\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlike the case out in the sticks where dozens of people had been locked in a storehouse and burned alive\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmost of the perpetrators had been left at large. And for another thing, the tragedies continued to happen even after the end of days was averted. The stupid sheep are little more than base animals. They haven't even the capacity to learn. There was no shortage of fools who, still fearing God and Diablo, had begun committing ceremonial killings, forcing the three races to establish the Peace Brigade to crack down on them. Even that hadn't stopped the violence, but over the past year, incidents had begun dropping precipitously. It was a happy trend, but the sudden dramatic change had left Elisabeth puzzled. A short while ago, she'd mentioned as such to the crystal-bound Kaito and Hina. \"Ah, but there is some good news. Although they yet continue, the mixed-race murders have subsided dramatically over the last year. 'Tis a natural result of the situation calming down, but still. That said, there is something strange that's caught my attention about the way it's subsided.\" Now that I think of it...that may well have been our sole sign that this incident was coming. Lewis and his compatriots had completely suspended their efforts right when they reached the stage where they could have put them into practical use. After the chaos of the end of days, it had taken them some time to get their operation back up and running. And while they were doing that, they were no doubt also rushing to protect the mixed-race folk. A year ago, those efforts must have finally started bearing significant fruit. While Elisabeth spun up conjectures, Lewis continued on. \"If you want to laugh at me, then laugh away. My words are but a lamentation of the humiliating lives we've been forced into. A cry of rage at the cruelty of the fates we've been subjected to\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor so, so many insisted on continuing their insane foolishness. And who allowed them to be so stupid? So cruel?\" Why should we have to forgive them? Make no mistake\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwe have been called on to forgive them time and again. Lewis's sorrowful lament echoed throughout the white room. Elisabeth could tell that his yearning was true. In the past, he'd forgiven time and again. After \"not even being allowed to live his own life,\" he'd tried to \"let the tragedy end as a tragedy.\" But his resolve had been betrayed. If there was an answer to his question, he no doubt wanted to hear it. However, no one spoke. Elisabeth simply thought. Irrationality is irrational precisely because it cannot be explained. Why had those tragedies happened? Probably not even the perpetrators could answer that question. Elisabeth and La Christoph were both involved in overseeing the three races' affairs. However, neither of them had the base audacity to try to offer up excuses. During her time with the Peace Brigade, Elisabeth had seen one of the massacres firsthand. The crime had taken place in a demon worshipper's ceremonial chamber. The victims, all mixed-race children, had had their beastfolk ears torn off and the fur flayed from their skulls. And despite his head being reduced to little more than a lump of muscle fibers, one boy had even survived the process. That...that was akin to butchering an animal. \"You're not the same as me. You're different from us. We're completely different creatures. That means I can do whatever I want to you.\" That was the vile rationalization some people had come to. No apology could be sufficient for that. Atonement was never an option. And what's more, the scene Elisabeth had stumbled onto was from after the end of days was averted. The ones that took place during that panicked time were crueler yet. Just reading the records of them had been enough to make several civil officials puke up their guts. No answer could explain away irrationality on that scale. Instead, Elisabeth posed a question. \"I understand your motive full well. So what exactly do you intend to do?\" \"A thought crossed my mind once\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif the end of days truly had been upon us, maybe it would have all been fine. On the brink of annihilation, I could greet even their malice with a smile. All their atrocities could be forgiven, written off as isolated incidents of fear-induced derangement. But God and Diablo failed to bring down the hammer\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \u00e2\u20ac\u201dso I must do it in their stead. The whisper slipped fluidly from Lewis's lips. He was laying his worn-out heart bare, but in a different way than he had when he'd expressed his sympathy for Elisabeth. For the first time, he was allowing his warped obsession to leak out. \"I'll take this world, I'll make it my own, and I'll kill every last fool who walks upon it. I don't need a reason. After all, justice died long ago. At this point, what use does anyone have for something so decent and proper?\" For those who've sustained such bitter wounds\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmay well just try to destroy everything. The words Elisabeth had been contemplating earlier floated to the forefront of her mind. Lewis had been left with his sympathy and his rage, but his passion and avarice had run dry. As he saw it, the world had no worth, and it was impossible to feel passion or avarice for something worthless. He'd decided to make the world his own, but not out of any sort of personal desire. He merely wanted to right a horrible wrong. Nothing more. Those who've been taken from have a right to take from others in turn, eh. As far as Elisabeth was concerned, though\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe whole thing seemed downright trivial. Writing him off like that was narrow-minded and cruel. Elisabeth was well aware of how callous she was being. Yet even so, she couldn't help but"}, {"text": "think. What exactly is a tragedy? An irrationality? What exactly was rage? What did it mean to not have any sin? Who got to decide who had sin and who didn't? Was guilty? Or innocent? 'Tis but one answer you can give with any certainty. Namely, that thinking about it would get you nowhere. It was true\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe world did force a small few to bear the great burden of sacrifice far too often. If she was forced to say if that was forgivable or unforgivable, she would probably choose the latter. The day of forgiveness would never come. And the victims had every right to curse, resent, and detest the world. But on the other hand, there was something Lewis and Alice had forgotten. As such, Elisabeth merely gazed at them. Upon finding herself on the receiving end of that ostensibly calm gaze, Alice frowned, then nodded. \"It's a shame, Elisabeth. It really is a shame. From looking at your eyes, I can tell I shouldn't expect the answer I want...but you know, I sort of knew that already. Saying to the Torture Princess look at how pitiful we are\u00e2\u20ac\u201dplease lend us your strength was never going to work, right? So you see, we prepared a reward for you. Now let's talk about it!\" \"A reward, eh? I must say, I can't imagine anything you'll offer changing my mind.\" \"No, no, that's not true at all! I told you, remember? 'I'll help you meet them'!\" Elisabeth's eyebrow twitched. That was something Vlad had pointed out, too. Diablo, the entity with domain over destruction, and God, the entity with domain over reconstruction, were sealed away within Kaito Sena's body. Depending on how he was handled, the world's fate would shift greatly. And Elisabeth had no intentions of letting anyone who planned on reaching for the two of them with blood-soaked hands live. Alice, perhaps sensing the hostility well up within her, shook her head. \"We're not going to do anything bad to the two people you care about, really! We just want to help you meet them!\" \"Perhaps it would be better if I spoke on the particulars of the deal we're offering Elisabeth Le Fanu,\" Lewis cut in, as though he'd been waiting for the opportunity to do so. La Christoph remained silent. It was unclear whether or not he'd been offered any terms of his own. Elisabeth elected to stay quiet for the time being as well. For the moment, her curiosity had won out over her anger. As long as God and Diablo remained in his body, Kaito Sena could never be freed. Or at least, that was supposed to be the case. And she didn't believe revolutionizing the world was possible, either. I imagine Lewis's primary objective is to root out the rest of the Mixed-Race Massacre's perpetrators and see them punished. After that, it was conceivable that he'd want power and control so as to prevent the same atrocity from ever happening again. The fastest way to correct a foolish flock was to become a shepherd yourself. The Fremd Torturchen, the Torture Princess, saints, and demon grandchildren were all valuable weapons with which to achieve that end. They might even be strong enough to rewrite the world's power structure entirely. However, that was all. The road ended there. There were three different races that lived in that world. Even if you kept one in check, the other two would invariably push back. They all lived in different places and fought in different ways, meaning their resistance would be deep-rooted. Maintaining control would be trying. For a small group to truly maintain control, 'twould take unimaginable power to... No, hold on a moment. All of a sudden, Elisabeth realized something. Their current situation bore a striking resemblance to a story she'd once heard. It was a tale from long, long ago, of events that had happened in the world prior. The Saint had told it, and Kaito Sena had recorded it. Then after she told it to him, the Saint vanished. In spite of the frenetic search conducted by paladins and associates of the Church, she still hadn't been found. However, Elisabeth didn't much care about that. The problem lay in how similar their situations were. Before the last reconstruction, the world had descended into a morass of conflict and war. The Saint, wanting to quell the fighting on her own, went out in search of something. Specifically, a powerful deterrent\u00e2\u20ac\u201dGod and Diablo. What was it that Lewis needed now that he stood in the same position the Saint once had? As if to answer that question, he spoke. \"I summoned a pair of weaker demons into a man and a woman, then destroyed both their egos. They had two children. Then I bred the children together. By repeating that process, it was possible to create a pure, powerful demon... I've already told you that story a number of times. What I want to teach you now is what lies beyond it. You see, over the course of my experiments, I was able to prove a new theory.\" \"An inauspicious prelude, to be sure... What was it that you found?\" \"Demon grandchildren aren't restricted to breeding with dissolved contractors who couldn't control their demons. While you do need to use homunculus technology to grow artificial genitals for them, it's possible to make demon grandchildren breed with regular humans\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand in doing so, we were able to create a new species.\" *** Elisabeth was at a complete loss for words. La Christoph's shoulders twitched. The test subjects had likely been those who'd tried to murder mixed-race folk and had the tables turned on them. In a sense, it was just deserts. However, it was repulsive simply imagining the process it had taken to finally reach that result. Plus, what was even the point? Lewis continued as dispassionately as if he were talking about crossbreeding mice. \"Demon grandchildren have human parts that are too damaged for them to form contracts with higher entities. However, if you cross a demon grandchild with someone capable of using magic, not only does it still inherit some of the demon blood, but you also obtain a new entity with a profound affinity for higher beings. The more powerful a mage the human mother is, the more human the baby becomes, and the easier it is for it to form a contract. My plan, going forward, is to prepare two babies, then transfer God and Diablo from Kaito Sena into them. Immediately thereafter, we can use God to prevent Diablo from going on a rampage. Then by sealing God in a crystal, we'll be able to contain both of them in much the manner the Saint did.\" \"Armchair theories, then. You've no actual proof that your plan will work. And even if it does, what then? The best you can do is contain them. The moment you awaken them, the end of days will commence all over again. That hardly makes for much of a military asset. What gain is there merely from changing their vessel?\" \"We don't have to use them. We just have to have them.\" Alice gave Elisabeth's warning an apathetic response. Elisabeth turned her gaze over to her. Seeming to understand the plan despite her youth, Alice smiled gently. \"We'll have the babies with God and Diablo in them. That fact's the only thing that's important. It doesn't matter if we don't use them\u00e2\u20ac\u201das long as everyone else knows that if we do, the world will end. That way, we can become proper shepherds.\" \"I see\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou aim to use them as deterrents.\" Elisabeth heaved a deep sigh. Their plan was the exact same as the Saint's had been in the old world. The similarities between their current situation and the one that had preceded the last world's end of days were more than she'd imagined. However, there were also a number of key differences. For one, the greatest barrier\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe summoning\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad already been completed. Also, they knew a good deal more about contracts with higher entities than the last world ever had. Terrifying as the prospect was, their plan was much more likely to succeed than the Saint's failed attempt to control Diablo had been. Elisabeth's headache worsened. She looked up at the ceiling. But what exactly is a \"proper shepherd\"? Was it someone who wouldn't abandon even a single lost sheep? Or was it someone who was willing to cast a single sheep down a ravine to save a thousand others? Or was it perhaps someone who was willing to take a hundred stupid sheep and chop all their heads off? There were too many ways to answer. If nothing else, it was foolishness for lower entities like them to try and find one with their limited reasoning skills and value systems. But if that was the case, then... What exactly would proper salvation have looked like? Even the conversation they were having right there at that moment had come about as a result of how the battle for \"salvation\" had concluded. The more she thought about it, the more she realized just how inane it all was. The Torture Princess fought through her headache and spoke: \"So...what part would you have me play in this horrid scheme of yours?\" \"Hmm? Why, your role should have been clear from that explanation just now\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou're going to be the mother!\" Alice hopped up on top of her chair. Lewis buried his face in one hand. His carefully laid negotiation strategy had clearly just gone out the window. La Christoph blinked and cocked his head to the side. A few seconds later, after realizing what Alice meant, he turned to look at Elisabeth. It was a strangely amusing reaction. Elisabeth, distracted by watching La Christoph, took a little longer to catch her drift. A moment later, though, the veins in her forehead practically bulged out of her skin. \"Let me make sure I'm understanding you clearly. You want me to copulate with a demon grandchild and have a baby?\" \"That's right! After all, you're a woman, and your body's adapted to the First Demon's flesh! And you're the world-renowned peerless sinner, the Torture Princess! And a pretty, mature lady! Why, you might well be the very best candidate for the mother in the whole wide world! So that's our condition for you\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand also your reward!\" \"My reward? What part of that sounds like a reward to you? Do not sully my ears with drivel.\" \"But, Elisabeth, don't you see? All you have to do is have two babies, and you can free Kaito Sena!\" Through sheer obstinance, Elisabeth was able to keep her discomposure to a minimum. Alice didn't seem to have any ill intent. Yet in a rare occurrence, her words struck Elisabeth like a spear to the heart nonetheless. The thing was, there was a certain truth Elisabeth had long since known. Skilled mages lived long lives, and the Torture Princess was certainly no exception. She had the capacity to vastly outlive any normal person. However, she'd also done the math. The odds were close to zero that, in her lifetime, she would ever meet a vessel powerful enough to serve as Kaito's replacement and become a contractor to God and Diablo. And even in the unlikely event one was born, it wasn't like she could just force them to take over the role. In other words, the answer was clear: No matter how long she waited, it wouldn't matter. \"I wish I could see you,\" she'd said, dreaming of that someday. But on the other hand, she'd already reached her conclusion. That idyllic dream wasn't going to come true. And once she'd acknowledged that, all that remained was the cold, hard truth. There shan't be a \"someday.\" Elisabeth Le Fanu would never see her dim-witted servant again. Elisabeth recalled a certain sight\u00e2\u20ac\u201da sight that was beautiful, but nothing more. Her two dearest people, slumbering amid azure and crimson flower petals. The"}, {"text": "crystal was cold and hard. The distance its clear walls separated was slim, yet it was farther than the World's End. She couldn't touch them. She couldn't talk to them. Just once is all I ask. If I could reach them, I wouldn't mind chopping off my fingers. If I could talk to them, I would happily stitch my lips together. If I could hear their voices, I would light my ears ablaze and then crush them with glee. But there was no one she could pay that toll to. The Torture Princess spoke calmly to the weak self in her heart. \"You knew, didn't you?\" \"Aye, I knew indeed.\" Their reunion would never come. Yet just now, Alice had put a crack in that hopeless conclusion of hers. It was like she was whispering to her. Your hands can reach through that crystal, she said, tempting her. All she had to do was sacrifice herself and choose to drench the world in blood. \"It's okay, Elisabeth; I know. In their heart of hearts, everyone has just one thing that truly matters to them.\" And for its sake, they could do or become anything, right? Alice Carroll deepened her smile, as though to demonstrate her understanding. It was a pure expression, filled with nothing but concern toward Elisabeth. \"...Ah, I see.\" Elisabeth quietly closed her eyes. She was holding one leg, which was perched atop the chair. Still posed like that, she leaned all the way backward and rested her back against the chair's. Her elegant black hair rustled as it draped around her. She pursed her lips tight. Then she went still, as though considering the demonic proposition. Silence filled the room. Nobody said a word. Even Alice closed her chatterbox of a mouth. And not just Lewis, but La Christoph, too, was wordless. A few moments later, with no warning whatsoever, Elisabeth snapped her eyes open. Her red irises gleamed as she sat back up. Then she looked straight forward. Without asking anyone's opinion, and without exchanging so much as a glance with La Christoph, she gave her answer. Sure enough, her answer was the same as it had been in a similar situation once before, down to the very word choice. \"Hard pass!\" \"That was surprisingly quick.\" \"And decisive.\" \"Yeah, I figured that wouldn't work.\" Surprisingly, the reactions she got were all fairly nonchalant. It would seem everyone had more or less seen it coming. Elisabeth snorted with a feline \"hmph.\" Her anguish was still there, but she showed no hesitation. After all, it was the only answer she could have ever given. The avengers' motives and actions were reasonable. And their temptation was certainly appealing. But she had her pride, and she wasn't about to abandon it. If that had been an option, she'd have smashed the crystal ages ago. After all, Elisabeth knew. Kaito Sena was a fool. An utter, incorrigible fool. Even though he'd known just how disgraceful, reprehensible, selfish, and cruel people were, he'd forgiven them anyway. Even after concluding they were hideous, he'd still called them precious. And he'd chosen to love and protect them. That alone meant the world was worth defending. The things cherished by the people you care about are beautiful. Even if you bear no love for those things yourself, that fact still remains. Kaito Sena saved the world. His unconditional love had saved everything. Thus, to destroy it all would naturally be an action founded on the opposite emotion. And it then followed that those saved by love had no choice but to prevent that destruction. It was a strange, comical equation. But it wouldn't be beautiful any other way. Anything else would have been a disservice to that boy's resolve and to the way he'd lived his life. And besides, Lewis and his allies had forgotten something. \"You're not the same as me. You're different from us. We're completely different creatures. That means I can do whatever I want to you.\" That was how Lewis now perceived the targets of his vengeance, too. It was true\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe world did force a small few to bear the great burden of sacrifice far too often. If she was forced to say if that was forgivable or unforgivable, she would probably choose the latter. The day of forgiveness would never come. And the victims had every right to curse, resent, and detest the world. However\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat was all. There was no reason the persecuted should have free rein to persecute anyone and everyone. \"I see no reason why those who've been taken from should be able to take from others as they please.\" Elisabeth made her assertion loud and clear. Alice's white ribbons swelled up. A fiendish smile carved its way across her young face. However, Elisabeth merely ignored her and went on. \"'Tis only reasonable you seek revenge. Your resolve shan't waver, I can see that much. But if you aim to resent, kill, and seize control indiscriminately, act not surprised when your audience bares its fangs at you. For in the end, both are the perpetrator, and both are the victim. Those who kill are killed, and the cycle of revenge only ceases when the side killed relents and willingly presents their own neck. You and yours faced tragedies. 'Tis only reasonable for you to curse the world\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut do not pretend your reasoning is just.\" Elisabeth fixed her gaze on the two of them, the hideous mixed-race man and the girl killed in another world. Both of them were innocent victims. Words could hardly begin to describe the depths of the wounds their hearts had sustained. And they had no way to make their perpetrators pay. It was only natural they would wish for destruction. However, they had no right to turn that wish on the world. No one did. Lewis was right\u00e2\u20ac\u201djustice had perished long ago. But if that was the case, then using the fact that he'd been taken from as justification was completely contradictory. Those who resented the world could never be loved by it. Kaito Sena knew that. Even when faced with the opportunity to kill his father, he'd turned it down, saying, \"I don't need him.\" And after that, he'd continued suffering in pain time and again. But he'd never tried to make anyone else shoulder his agony. I love you, so I'll shoulder it myself, he'd said. Why, he'd even smiled while saying it. \"You people are vile.\" Elisabeth spat out the epithet from the bottom of her heart. She acknowledged their feelings, but as a person, she held them in contempt. It didn't matter if they had taken or were taken from, if they were sinful or sinless. \"'Tis base to proclaim yourself weak for the purpose of trampling on others.\" The room fell into silence once more. Alice moved to hop down from her chair, but Lewis reached out and grabbed her arm. He was waiting for Elisabeth to finish speaking. The Torture Princess laughed wickedly. \"And one more thing. Who the hell do you think it is you've invited? 'Tis hardly an exaggeration to call your choice of guest fatally misguided\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. I am the peerless sinner, hated and resented by all. I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow. Having lived the proud and haughty life of a wolf, I shall die like a lowly sow\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand yes, true, I acknowledge it all.\" Elisabeth raised her head in a dignified manner. She thought back on what Vlad had said. He was right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit was hardly fitting for the Torture Princess to grieve like that. And so she laughed again, a heinous, inhuman laugh. \"I have had everything taken from me. At the end of my long battle as the Torture Princess, I was left with nothing. But what of it? Do not mistake me, Lewis. Your sympathy is misplaced\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor I was always on the side that took. I slew countless innocents, and by all rights, I shan't have so much as a demon by my side when I die. But what of it?\" Throughout Elisabeth Le Fanu's life, she was accompanied by a single dim-witted servant. She would never see him again. She couldn't talk to him. She couldn't even hear his voice. And yet even so\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"There existed a calm, banal, dreamlike moment. That moment has passed\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut so be it.\" Even though it was over\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201da part of it lived on. \"'Twas his wish that the world be saved and that I live on. As his master, I aim to honor that decision. Those days were a miracle and a blessing the likes of which were too good for this sinner, and they shan't return. But so be it.\" Every dream eventually ended. But what was so bad about that? That was no reason to err. It was true\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe could give birth to those vile children, drown the world in blood, and allow vengeance to flourish. But it wasn't the ending the boy had wished for. And because she knew that, it was her duty to protect his story, even if doing so was more painful than death. She had to make sure it reached its proper conclusion. She couldn't allow anything to defile Kaito Sena's story. Even should that choice prove wrong. Something beautiful and radiant existed. That fact was certain and was true to that day. Even rent from beauty itself, its fruits were worth protecting. \"I thank you, Alice Carroll. 'Tis true, I was hardly acting like myself, and I've now seen the error of my ways. So allow me to say this loudly and with pride: There was meaning indeed in this peerless sinner's solitary survival, if only but to quash that resentment of yours\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor to lop off the heads of those who've chosen evil is evil's task in turn.\" Elisabeth sneered unpleasantly. She leaped from her chair and thrust her arm out into the air. Darkness and flower petals wound magnificently around her. From within, she drew her trusty scarlet blade. \"Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal!\" The Torture Princess's voice boomed loud as she stood with her executioner's blade in hand. This time, Alice hopped down from her chair for real. Lewis didn't move a hair. The faintest of smiles played on La Christoph's lips. Alice's hair bobbed up and down as she prepared to launch into an angry tirade. Before she could, though, Elisabeth raised a finger in front of her face. \"And one more thing\u00e2\u20ac\u201dno matter what answer I gave, your time was up regardless.\" \"Now listen here, Elisabeth, you... Hmm, wait, what do you mean?\" Alice blinked. Lewis raised an eyebrow. However, seeming to have realized something, he immediately shifted his gaze to a section of the wall. Elisabeth nodded. His instincts were sharp. The next moment, a heavy, muffled BRRRRRRRRRRRRRN echoed through the air. The entire villa shook. Chips and splinters rained down from the ceiling. Something was clearly happening. Lewis quickly rose to his feet, and Alice clutched his coat's hem in fear. However, the room had no windows. There was no way for them to see what was going on outside. Despite that, the noise and the tremor had definitely both come from the direction Lewis was looking. It was the direction the Sand Temple lay in. Elisabeth knew that meant all hell had just broken loose. For that sound was none other than the Sand Queen's corpse exploding. 7 A Waltz for Two Right before Elisabeth left for the demi-human lands, another act unfurled in the human Capital. The stage was the royal tomb's lowest floor, in front of the chamber with the kings' coffins. The cast had two members. And the play was about the attack on the demi-human lands, as the ebony Torture Princess so rhythmically told the golden Torture Princess. \"Listen well, Jeanne. I intend to head for the demi-human lands, exactly as demanded. But in the meantime...I want you lot to make a move elsewhere. While Alice"}, {"text": "and Lewis, the attackers' main force, are focused on negotiating, your job is to free the hostages.\" \"How very simple. In fact, it hardly even rises to the level of a plan. That shit's basic! It's so damn bland that it makes unbuttered bread look like caviar!\" \"Aye, so it is. And that's why you're going to add a little twist.\" Elisabeth gave Jeanne a meaningful grin. Her voice, filled with sinister intimations, piqued Jeanne's attention. Then without a shred of hesitation, shame, or indecision, Elisabeth gave Jeanne her instructions. To put it in chess terms, her plan was as insane as sacrificing one's king. \"Namely, you're going to blow up the Sand Queen's corpse.\" \"Reckless...doesn't even begin to describe it. This isn't a risky play; it's straight-up illegal. But this shit ain't half-bad. It's so wicked, and so wicked! Guess this is why they pay her the big bucks!\" Jeanne licked her lips like a cat. Her honey-blond hair fluttered, practically scraping the Sand Temple's ceiling as it did. The temple had a large, metal, hoop-shaped lighting fixture with brazier cages installed on its circumference, and at the moment, Jeanne was perched atop it. Each time the walls shook, the chain-mounted hoop trembled violently, the towering bone pillar before her eyes creaked, and rock chunks of various sizes cascaded down from the ceiling. Despite the jagged rain, though, Jeanne didn't so much as flinch. Her gaze was focused on a single point. Deep inside the temple, there was a hexagonal sanctuary adorned with gold and jewels. It was a building inside the building, like a pair of nesting boxes. Without going through its door, it was impossible to have an audience with the Sand Queen's corpse. The layout served two purposes; it enhanced the temple's mystique, and it protected against mages invading it. The inner sanctuary was guarded by a magic circle that repelled people based on their blood. Historically, the spell had covered the entire temple. However, the rest of it had been lifted after the third peace treaty, both because of how inconvenient it was when their old friends the beastfolk wanted to send their royalty to pay respects, and out of consideration for the burden it placed on the demi-human priests when they made pilgrimages to the other sectors. As a result, mages with enough power could forcibly teleport their way in from outside. But during times of peace, the temple was open to the public anyway. There was virtually no reason anyone would need to sneak in. However, the inner sanctuary was still inviolable, even to that day. If you opened its door, though, you'd be greeted by a winding, serpentine staircase covered in blood runes. Beyond it lay the Sand Queen's burial chamber, a massive room blanketed in a thick layer of vitreous sand. Her colossal body, half buried under the white, cloudy grains, was said to resemble a lizard's. It was also said her body glowed red and had never decomposed. For many ages, she'd rested down there in peace. Now, though, that stillness had been shattered into a million pieces. An explosion had gone off beneath the sanctuary. \"...Oh my, that is dramatic. And probably more effective than stabbin' them in their actual hearts, too. Almost feels too easy.\" Jeanne murmured the words, which sounded as though they'd have been best accompanied by a whistle, as dispassionately as ever. The explosion had had an immediate, drastic effect inside the temple. Until just a moment ago, the hostages' arms had been bound, and they'd all been collapsed lifelessly on their sides. The terror from the end of days had returned, overwhelming them and leaving them unable to even move. Now, though, it was like a switch had been flipped. All of them rushed violently toward the inner sanctuary. The armed mixed-race folk stood dumbfounded. They couldn't even parse their hostages' sudden change. However, the demi-humans' actions were consistent with their beliefs. Even in crisis situations, their desire to be \"proper subjects\" took absolute precedence. To them, their reverence for pure bloodlines and the Sand Queen was more important than their own safety. And right now, that meant checking in on their queen's corpse to make sure it was unharmed. One of them nimbly hopped up and took off at a dash. Several of the others tripped and fell, but they, too, continued struggling onward. A long moment later, the mixed-race folk shouted out threats to make them stop and come back. \"Don't get up without permission! You wanna die?!\" \"Silence! We had a deal, and you broke it! How dare you lowlifes endanger Her Majesty the Sand Queen!\" They were met with one angry cry after another. The mixed-race folk flinched. They had no comebacks to that. After their armed assault succeeded, the mixed-race people had used the Sand Queen's corpse as a hostage for their own hostages. Blowing it up for no reason would make keeping control of the temple impossible. It might even mess up the negotiations with La Christoph. But given that an explosion had broken out regardless, the only possibility they could think of was that their lookout had acted on his own\u00e2\u20ac\u201din other words, they thought it was their own fault. Their response weakened, and for a moment, the mixed-race folk stopped in their tracks. \"So far, all according to plan.\" Jeanne nodded. However, the mixed-race people soon set off to check on the state of affairs underground, and earlier than she'd expected. They tightened their grips on their weapons. They needed to check what was happening in the inner sanctuary, and the hostages grouped at its entrance were in their way. Jeanne narrowed her eyes. But then it happened. Someone pounded hard on the temple's main doors from outside. Flustered, the mixed-race folk turned around. Jeanne nodded again. It would seem they'd made it in time. Angry voices were audible through the door. The purebloods who'd avoided confinement had come running over. It was an immediate, violent, impulsive response. \"Did you harm the Sand Queen?!\" they shouted. The graveyard-like silence that had filled the first sector had been completely broken. Fear was only capable of controlling people for so long, and that time had come to an abrupt end. The mixed-race people looked dumbfounded. However, their surprise didn't last long. Soon, their faces were filled with loathing. Their people had long been oppressed and persecuted, making the spirit of self-sacrifice that accompanied blood-purity fanaticism anathema to them. They turned their weapons back toward the royalty and other hostages. I imagine they think the people outside have merely forgotten the position they're in due to their rage, but hearing the hostages scream will shut them up. I see, I see. A very practical solution...or so they thought! Suckers! Suddenly, a scream rang out. *** \"...Huh?\" However, the mixed-race people hadn't done anything yet. They looked toward the inner sanctuary's entrance in unison. The scream had come through it, from below. Clearly, their lookout in the Sand Queen's chamber had been visited by an uninvited guest. That meant that the bombing, too, had been this stranger's work, and not their lookout's. However, teleporting in directly was impossible. When had someone been able to sneak past them? Why had they gone after the Sand Queen instead of them? And what possible reason could they have for wanting to blow up a corpse? The mixed-race folk found themselves with questions upon questions. But the angry cries from the hostages and people outside prevented them from thinking straight. Jeanne licked her lips as she gazed down at the chaos below her. \"I suppose it's time, then. When the meat starts sizzlin', you gotta take it off the grill.\" Jeanne took a deep breath. Then she elegantly arched her back and thrust her bondage-strapped chest forward. Her ribs pressed faint outlines into her skin, and her honey-blond hair draped luxuriously down her back. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she spoke her loving whisper. \"Now then, my fair lady\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlet us dance.\" Jeanne raised her arms into the air like a conductor. The moment she did, something shot out into the room full of bone pillars. Her silver puppet. The golden Torture Princess, Jeanne de Rais, once possessed an exceptional weapon. It was a titan made from four parts. One of them was a beast made of nothing but fangs. Another was an automaton, shaped like a human except for its fatally warped framework. One of the other monsters was a lizard with limbs made from pipes and wings made of glass. And the final one was a bipedal suit of armor with no visible seams on its body. The weapon was singular, and the weapon was many. It was one, and it was four. They were separate, and they were a titan. Such was the nature of Deus Ex Machina. Not only could it be summoned regardless of the user's nature or disposition, but it was also a living weapon without equal. However, Deus Ex Machina was lost to Jeanne. She had sacrificed it to save her first love, Izabella Vicker. It happened right before the end of days. After being captured by the Church's reconstruction sect, Izabella was forced to eat demon flesh and partially transformed into a monster. Saving her was just barely possible, but it would require removing the corrupted parts and replacing them with Deus Ex Machina. And thus, Jeanne was faced with a choice. She had the power to save Izabella. However, doing so would mean taking a weapon meant to deliver salvation and rendering it useless. The question was, was the life of her first love more important than the world? And the answer was clear. Even children know that some things were more important than others. And Jeanne had been created to deliver salvation. It would be a sick joke for the self-proclaimed \"oppressor of slaves, the savior of the world, the saint, and the whore\" to prioritize her own love over it. And knowing all that, Jeanne chose Izabella anyway. The worst choice possible. The end of days loomed on the horizon, yet she abandoned her greatest weapon. However, Jeanne had no regrets. Saving the world and destroying it were both but mere matters of personal conceit. And if faced with the decision a thousand times, Jeanne would no doubt make the same choice a thousand times over. Even if they knew it was a fatal error, there were sometimes choices that people simply had to make. For Jeanne, that moment was one such choice. And that was all there was to it. Now, though, all that was but a distant memory. Over three years had passed since the end of days was averted. If she'd gone that long without taking steps to remedy her own degraded strength, it would have made her a failure as a mage. After the world was saved, Jeanne had accepted Izabella's invitation to join the royal castle's retinue. Then as Jeanne carried out her duties there, she also tried searching for a new weapon. With the end of days averted, she'd fulfilled her purpose in life and had no more reason to fight, but now that she'd fallen in love, she wanted to get her power back anyway. At first, she used her acquaintances' techniques as references and tried methods such as summoning countless blades and calling forth torture devices. However, nothing she tried spoke to her the way Deus Ex Machina had. However, she'd largely expected as much. Deus Ex Machina was a supremely dangerous entity, as it drained its user's mana whether they wanted it to or not. In order to adapt to controlling it, Jeanne had trained ceaselessly since childhood. Eventually, she became more adept at using that steel titan than at using a fork and knife. Trying to find something to replace it was like chopping off her arm and looking for something else to align her nerve endings with. Nothing could possibly compare to the"}, {"text": "steel titan she'd sacrificed. But right when Jeanne was getting ready to accept her own limitations, Izabella casually made a suggestion. \"Now that I think about it, couldn't you just use me?\" She'd dropped that particular bomb while they were having tea, of all times. When she'd made the proposal, Jeanne's mouth had been full of biscuit. And that was how the silver puppet began dancing. \"Good heavens... I suppose I'm not one to talk, given that I called myself 'the oppressor of slaves, the savior of the world, the saint, and the whore,' but why do all the women in my life have so many loose screws?\" Jeanne let out an exasperated murmur. As she did, she continued waving her arms about in fluid, passionate motions. Down below, where her rose eyes fell, a silver light traced a graceful arc. In accordance with Jeanne's commands, the woman was weaving her way in between the hostages. Her mechanized legs kicked at the rebels' arms from below, then followed up with strikes to their chests. One after another, their assorted weapons went flying through the air. The woman's blows came straight yet were curved. Normal people couldn't even begin to follow them. The mixed-race folk toppled over, powerless to resist. The next moment, though, a sharp noise rang out, and a bullet grazed her. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dGunfire?\" Jeanne cocked her head a little to the side. When she looked over, she saw a half-beastfolk youth reloading his gun with powder and a bullet. The demi-humans' metalworking was unparalleled. After mastering cannons, they'd begun developing guns, but there were still a lot of kinks to be worked out before the weapons could enter mass production. At the moment, the only ones that could be found in the wild were the few prototypes owned by members of the ruling class who'd taken an interest in them. The rebels had probably pillaged it from one of the hostages' houses. \"Wh-what the...? You're not human, you're not mixed-race... What the hell are you?!\" All the fur around the young man's face was bristling up. He fired a second time. However, the woman swatted the bullet away without sparing it a second glance. Then she closed in on the youth and sank her knee into his gut. Vomit sprayed from his mouth as he crumpled to the ground. Mixed-race folk and hostages alike balked at the sight. The way she was moving was beyond the capacity of any living creature. Technically, it isn't just her movements. That ain't the half of what my lady's capable of. As Jeanne observed the panic below, her thoughts turned. At the moment, the woman was combining her own sight with Jeanne's overhead view\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhich she was sending directly to her\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand Jeanne's orders to make the optimal choice at every turn. It was a feat that qualified squarely as superhuman. She carried out Jeanne's absurd demands one after another, never once pausing or stopping. The way she ran, like a skater gliding on ice, was spellbinding. It felt almost as though it should have been accompanied by music. Suddenly, there was a change in the inner sanctuary. Several small holes appeared in its gold- and jewel-adorned walls. Several metal spheres had just cut themselves out from inside. As they spun, they extended their legs. Once spread out, their full bodies looked like spiders. However, not all of them had eight limbs. Some of them even had an odd number of legs. They quickly began scuttling across the ground. They chased after the woman, then leaped toward her. Once they were in midair, they spun about again, changing once more into all sorts of different shapes. With clicks, they slotted themselves into the woman's chest and rear. Each one of them was a \"lifeless living creature\" made from a part of Deus Ex Machina. Once they returned to the woman's body, they became mere \"parts\" again and went silent. It looked like all of them had made it back up from underground successfully. After making sure they were all safe and accounted for, Jeanne nodded. Then she quietly summed up the situation. \"As evidenced by my presence here, teleporting into the temple was trivial. The hard part was what came afterward... If we weren't careful, the hostages would have been in danger. And most importantly, the rebels had a lookout stationed with the Sand Queen, so there was a risk that the hostages themselves would interfere with any rescue attempts out of fear that the rebels would harm their queen. But still, takin' the biggest obstacle and blowin' the damn thing up ourselves? That was one crazy-ass solution.\" Jeanne shrugged in exasperation. Meanwhile, the woman continued her elegant dance. Jeanne took a moment to think back on how they'd gotten there. Their work had started around when Elisabeth left for the demi-human lands in accordance with the man in black's demand. At the same time, Jeanne and the woman had secretly teleported into the temple where the Sand Queen's body was enshrined. Once they arrived, Jeanne hid near the ceiling, and the woman took cover behind a pillar. Then the woman broke off as much of Deus Ex Machina as she could without endangering her life and sent the pieces to invade the inner sanctuary by burrowing holes in its walls. As part of their threat, the mixed-race folk had made it known that they'd set up gunpowder around the Sand Queen. By having the machines strike their legs together, Jeanne and the woman had started a fire and set off an explosion. They'd followed Elisabeth's plan to a T. However, that wasn't to say they didn't run into problems. In fact, they ran into nothing but problems. Blowing up the Sand Queen's corpse wasn't just racially insensitive. It was essentially a declaration of war. When the woman first heard Elisabeth's plan, she'd cited that fact as part of her vehement objection. However, Elisabeth had merely replied with an indominable laugh. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dAye, so it would be. If we truly destroyed it, that is. And if we were caught.\" In other words, they'd be in the clear as long as the corpse didn't actually get damaged and as long as no one found out who was responsible. The plan was reckless, but given the situation they were in, it also had a certain logic to it. All they had to do was line everything up nicely and cover their tracks, and there wouldn't be any problems. Even so, the woman's fears persisted. However, Elisabeth just grinned and went on. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dWorry not. Actually destroying the Sand Queen would require a blast strong enough to level the entire inner sanctuary.\" Elisabeth had evidence to back her claim up, too. There were two pieces of information she was basing it off\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\"the Sand Queen's shrine had been built from the bones of her close relatives,\" and \"some of the pillars had mineralized into gems.\" Normally, that kind of change would be impossible. Synthetically mineralizing bones into gems required one to apply high heat and pressure to them in a special mage's furnace. It was hard to imagine having that happen naturally to bones that were part of a building. In short, it was reasonable to assume that the change had been caused by something about the materials\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe bones of the Queen's relatives. And it followed that there was a good chance that the same thing had happened to the Queen herself, possibly to an even more dramatic degree. In the short time before she had to depart, Elisabeth had gone around and made the civil officials dig up every record and piece of information they could find related to the Sand Queen. However, the demi-humans had kept a tight lid on information regarding her corpse. The search seemed futile. Surprisingly enough, though, they were able to find consistent accounts in old songs and legends. \"A body unheld by death's fell claim.\" \"A radiant form.\" \"A glittering frame.\" \"Adorned with reddened scales.\" \"Like beautiful stones.\" \"Our eternal protector.\" All those phrases implied that the Sand Queen's corpse both glowed red and hadn't decomposed. It seemed entirely likely that her scales had grown over her flesh and bones and transmuted her corpse into gems. And given that those same gems were being used to support their most sacred shrine, they were probably highly sturdy. The tales of how the Sand Queen's scales had protected her in battle while she was still alive supported the theory as well. In following, Elisabeth concluded that a random handful of explosives wouldn't be enough to damage it. However, that didn't change the fact that the hostages were being cowed into submission out of fear that the Sand Queen's corpse would be harmed. For the devout, the mere prospect of having an idol attacked was often scary. Humanity was no different in that regard. For example, the Saint statues were nothing more than lumps of bronze, but if you took a whip to one, the faithful would still raise their voices in protest. The mixed-race folk were taking the demi-humans' simple, base piety and using it against them. Elisabeth wanted to take advantage of that fact. As long as Jeanne and Izabella were able to get out, all that'd be left behind would be the Sand Queen's undamaged corpse. Everything would get tied up neatly. The explosion would get written off as the fault of the mixed-race folk, or perhaps just a pile of built-up ash spontaneously combusting or something. As Vlad had once put it, there were times when victory demanded one to abandon their scruples. It was fitting, then, that such a battle plan would come from his own beloved daughter. \"I'm sure that aspect was unintentional on the little lady's part, mind you. She might be adopted, but those two are more alike than... Ah, shit, I got distracted. Eh, not that my lady really needs the help.\" Jeanne blinked. Below her, the dance was reaching its conclusion. Most of the mixed-race folk were already on the ground. However, the last one\u00e2\u20ac\u201da man with bits and features from all three races\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas mounting a desperate resistance. After miraculously repelling the woman's slash, he made a break for it. Then he reached out a scale- and fur-covered hand and hoisted a nearby demi-human girl up by her bound arms. The girl screamed. Her blue scales were adorned with fine silks, meaning she was probably a member of some noble's household. The man pressed a dagger against her thin neck. \"D-don't come any closer! Stay back, or the girl gets it!\" I recognize you had to come up with it on the spur of the moment, but holy shit, could you have picked a bigger clich\u00c3\u00a9? Jeanne thought about it for a moment. There were so many mixed-race people in the temple that efficiency couldn't possibly have been their foes' primary goal. From that, she inferred they didn't have anyone on-site nearly as strong as the solo attacker who'd gone after the Capital and ultimately committed suicide. They probably wanted to give their younger members field experience by having them watch over unresisting hostages. That was more or less what she'd expected. All it would take was a single order, and the woman could end things right there. Now then, what to do? I think... However, Jeanne intentionally decided to take action herself. She stepped forward, leaving the metal hoop and striding into empty space as casually as if she were going for an afternoon stroll. Her honey-blond hair gently fluttered as her pale body pitched forward. Then Jeanne fell, much in the way she had once before. She aimed for the man's head. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Those were words shared by everyone who'd ever had a perfectly conceived plan fall to pieces before their eyes. It was true of humans, beastfolk, demi-humans, and mixed-race folk alike. It was a natural reaction. And it only made matters worse when the one who"}, {"text": "ruined that plan was a monster who'd appeared out of nowhere. Having one's assumption of superiority suddenly overturned would throw anyone into a panic. With a little sense, though, one could pull themself together, then try and come up with a new plan to salvage the situation. Trying to flee would be folly. There was no help to be found that way. No matter how far away you got, the result would be the same. However, that of all things was the option the man went with. He gradually began making his way backward. It would seem his plan was to escape out the temple's door. Things had gone silent after the screams and gunfire, but the angry residents were still right outside. The man was so preoccupied with the threat before him that this unfortunate fact had completely slipped his mind. But all of a sudden, he stopped in his tracks. He was the last mixed-race person standing, so it stood to reason that his instincts were sharp. He looked up. There, he saw a golden girl swooping down on him like a hawk. Jeanne murmured: \"So long now\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's time for good little boys to go beddy-bye.\" She twisted her body in such a way that it hardly seemed possible and skimmed his jaw with the tip of her foot. His brain shook, causing him to immediately pass out. If she'd wanted to, it would have been trivial for Jeanne to snap his neck. However, she elected to spare his life. The recoil from her kick caused her to decelerate a bit. She used the opportunity to check the demi-human girl's condition. She looked terrified, so Jeanne tried giving her a little smile. Then she approached the ground. The moment before she was dashed against it, though, a silver flash shot toward her like a shooting star. A hand reached out and caught Jeanne. The scene of the knight catching the golden princess in her arms played out exactly as it had once before. It was like an image straight out of a fairy tale. The woman squeezed Jeanne tight. After breathing a sigh of relief, she softly buried her nose in Jeanne's honey-blond hair. For some reason, seeing them like that made the demi-human girl blush and hop high into the air. As she did, the woman\u00e2\u20ac\u201dIzabella Vicker\u00e2\u20ac\u201draised her face from Jeanne's and shouted: \"What in the world possessed you to leap out like that?! I thought my heart was going to stop!\" \"Oh my, my lady, you were worried you would fail to catch me? C'mon, girl, give yourself some credit! A top-tier babe like you ain't gonna screw up like that!\" Jeanne gave her a spirited response. She was clearly taking great joy in being embraced by Izabella. After all, Izabella could have handled the situation just fine on her own. Yet even knowing that, Jeanne had leaped down anyway. And it had all been leading up to that moment. Put bluntly, Jeanne loved being embraced by Izabella. Izabella glanced over her to make sure she wasn't hurt. After breathing another sigh of relief, she cleared her throat. \"Ahem... It's certainly true that I had no intention of letting you fall. But that doesn't mean I can't be worried about you. And so I ask you yet again... Can you please try not to be so reckless?\" \"Yeeeees, ma'aaaaam. Aye-aye, Captain.\" \"That...doesn't sound quite as sincere as I'd like.\" Izabella pursed her lips in irritation. Jeanne chuckled. It was a far cry from her normal, automaton-like behavior. It was clear that she wasn't repentant in the slightest. Izabella furrowed her brow. Jeanne, pleased as could be, began thinking. Ah, I see, how intriguing. Huh, so this is what it feels like to have someone worry about ya! This shit ain't half-bad! ...Although, I do hope you'll forgive me, my lady. After all, if not for what I did, you'd never let me cling on to you like this, would you? Jeanne had confessed her feelings to Izabella. However, the two of them weren't actually dating. This, too, was an old story by now. After the end of days was averted, Izabella had come to Jeanne with a question. \"I wanted to check with you personally. Is it true that you have romantic feelings for me?\" \"I won't mince words\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyes, it's true. That's why I went and swapped out your body for machine bits. I wanted to save you, no matter the cost.\" \"Is it also true that I'm your first love?\" \"Yes.\" \"...I see. I've acknowledged your feelings, and I appreciate them.\" And that was the last Izabella mentioned of it. Jeanne had never gotten a satisfying response to her confession. Izabella did get Jeanne hired as a royal mage and made sure they stayed together. But that was all. Jeanne couldn't understand what Izabella was thinking. Not only did Jeanne portray a relatively atypical brand of femininity, but she had trouble understanding the subtleties of normal human emotions altogether. As such, Izabella's actions\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor lack thereof\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad left her at a total loss. However, the culprit herself didn't seem to realize the effect she was having on her. It was utterly vexing. At the same time, Jeanne had no intention of forcing an answer out of her. Just getting to be by her side was enough. For someone with hands as bloodstained as Jeanne's, it was more than she could have asked for. Still, she did find herself longing to be embraced from time to time. It was a sweet craving, one that she herself didn't fully understand. Jeanne, taking full advantage of her current opportunity, nuzzled up close to Izabella. Seeing how unrepentant she was, Izabella opened her mouth to scold her. Before she could, though, Jeanne sealed up her lips with the tip of her finger. Izabella blinked and went silent. As the gears in her cheek spun, Jeanne reached toward her tenderly. \"And what about you, my lady? Are you all right? I asked quite a lot of you back there. Even with magical reinforcement, it must have put a lot of strain on your flesh-and-blood parts. Ain't this the bit where a normal person's supposed to start hackin' up blood?\" \"I appreciate the concern, but I've trained more than most. There's no need to worry. I am a commander, after all!\" Izabella clenched her fist. It was true; she didn't seem even a little exhausted. However, Jeanne began touching her all over to make sure nothing was out of place. Izabella pursed her lips again. Her movements from before had transcended the limits of flesh, and Jeanne was concerned about the burden it had put on her body. The dance-like fighting style was something the two of them had worked on together. During Ragnarok, Izabella figured out how to make her machine parts move. And afterward, Jeanne had given her a hand and helped perfect the technique. By running mana through the Deus Ex Machina parts that made up Izabella's body, Jeanne was able to control her like a puppet. It really was no exaggeration to say that Izabella Vicker herself was Jeanne's new weapon. While Jeanne was \"using\" her, Izabella's physical prowess and ability to process information both drastically increased. And just like the real Deus Ex Machina, she was able to receive Jeanne's orders without Jeanne having to say a word. Once she mixed in her own judgment, she was able to act on her own volition while still fighting as instructed. It was like she was moving her legs while following her partner's lead. It was like they were dancing as a pair. That was why they called their technique Waltz. As Jeanne and Izabella had their exchange, the demi-human girl continued gawking at them. Perhaps she'd been hypnotized by their beauty, as it appeared they'd awakened something in her. When the other hostages saw the girl's lively figure, they seemed to realize that the danger to their lives had passed. They glanced hesitantly at one another. Then they all made a rush for the inner sanctuary. Jeanne's tone was flat; it was clear how exasperated she was. \"They don't seem to learn, nor do they seem to give up. I guess this is that 'conviction' shit at work, huh?\" \"They've been through a lot. If they still have that much energy, we should probably count it as a blessing.\" \"How very sentimental. The way I see it, they're all just a bunch of dumbfucks, but...so be it, I suppose.\" This time, the hostages were successful in getting the sanctuary door open. As she watched them all rush underground, Jeanne rested her back against Izabella. A troubled look crossed Izabella's face, as she probably wanted to go untie the rest of the bound young girls. Jeanne pretended not to notice. As she fawned on Izabella, she let out a small whisper. \"We finished your absurd request. In a moment, we'll begin moving the hostages and second-class residents somewhere safe. You're on your own now, Elisabeth Le Fanu. Dunno how things are goin' over there, but if you're gonna bite it, you'd better make damn sure you get us that intel first.\" The golden Torture Princess made an insolent proclamation. And far away, over in the demi-human king's villa, the ebony Torture Princess nodded. \"Aye, very well. I should think that goes without saying. I'll make do somehow or other.\" The communication only went one way, but Elisabeth murmured back regardless. Then she gave her fingers a sharp snap. The thin blood membrane floating in front of her eye popped, and the image of the inside of the temple shattered into pieces. A red droplet landed on Elisabeth's cheek like a tear. Alice twitched in surprise. Lewis was as silent as ever. Elisabeth wiped it away with the back of her hand as she squared off imposingly against the two of them. She sliced at the air with Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. Her free left hand was wreathed in darkness and flower petals. Sensing her fighting spirit, Alice stepped forward to match her. La Christoph nodded briefly. Between the rumbling from the temple and Elisabeth's murmur, he'd sensed that the situation with the hostages had been resolved. Wanting to get ready for battle himself, he made to release his chains. That was when Elisabeth grabbed him by the collar. \"Up we go!\" \"Pardon?\" She ran mana through her petal-covered hand, then lifted La Christoph's entire body up. Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal abruptly vanished, and she let out a firm shout. \"Now we flee!\" \"Huh?\" La Christoph stared vacantly at her. A moment later, though, he went, \"Ah\" with comprehension. It had taken him a second to process what was happening to him. Instead of offering him an explanation, Elisabeth merely took off at a dash. However, La Christoph was simply too tall for her to lift properly. His hair and hem dragged sadly behind him as she ran. After loudly kicking the door open, she made her way outside. The door swung shut with a surprisingly quiet thump. All that remained was a deafening silence. \"Hmm?\" Alice tilted her head to the side. Then a few seconds later, she burst. \"Wha... Wha... Wh-WHAT THE HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECK?!\" Alice bounded to her feet. The white ribbons on her hat stood straight up. She hopped up and down in a violent rage, flailing her fists as she shouted. \"Wh-who just runs away like that without fighting?! Who does that?! You can't just say whatever you like and then flee! That's mean! Mean, mean, mean, mean, mean! We have to go after them at once, Father! Faster than if we were chasing the White Rabbit!\" \"No, there's no need to rush.\" Lewis murmured flatly. Alice tilted her head in confusion again. Lewis took the mask still resting in his hand and leisurely raised it up to his face. A small click rang out. Then after covering half his features with the white crow mask, he murmured"}, {"text": "once more. \"They can run all they like. They can flee wherever their hearts desire. And there, they can learn that the world is over. No...\" ...It had been over from the very beginning. As Lewis made his cold statement, a faint smile came over his lips. It was a tired, self-deprecating expression\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand by far the one most dripping in malice he'd shown yet. 8 Wombs and Babies Now then, let's talk about compensation. For what, you ask? Why, it's simple. I'm talking about your reward for betraying everything and helping to destroy the world. Unfortunately, I haven't the faintest idea of what I can offer you. You saints have had much taken from you, but it's unclear if there's any method to change you back. And people haven't exactly been diligent in searching for one. After all, why think too hard about the world's enigmatic phenomena when you can simply write them all off as miracles? But hasn't the thought ever crossed your mind? The being who stole your flesh, warped your bones, and corroded your minds... ...is it really God? Could your prayers not have coincidentally resonated with a different higher entity, one we lower creatures can't even perceive? Of course, this is nothing but an armchair theory. Little more than a cynical guess. But it's impossible to refute, isn't it? After all, nobody knows the exact specifics of the mechanism by which people become saints. Yet even so, you still believe. You say all mankind is capable of is prayer, and so it is our duty to pray. May salvation find us all, you say. Blessings unto all. For comporting yourself nobly, helping the weak, and thinking of God is faith manifest. How dubious. How foolish. The end of days gave us our proof\u00e2\u20ac\u201dGod is nothing more than a phenomenon. The Saint hated everything, and she sowed the seeds of evil. There was no noble Creator receiving your prayers. Just some alien thing that gave and took as it pleased. Why, that almost sounds like the contracts demons make, doesn't it? No, forgive me. That was hardly the way one should talk to a friend. Allow me to get back on topic. The things you've lost can never be reclaimed. Even so...or rather, because of that, is there anything you desire in their place? We intend to deliver punishment. To take the world and make it our own. And to kill every last fool who lives in it. But regardless of whether we're successful or not, the end result will be the same. No one will be saved. Eventually, all this will end. Is there something you want to obtain before that happens? Surely, there must be at least one\u00e2\u20ac\u201d There...is? There is, you say?! Ah, my apologies. Even though I'm the one who asked the question, your answer still caught me by surprise. Please, I must know. As long as it's within my power, I'll get it for you. So go on, La Christoph, O Modest Birdkeeper, O devout faithful wrenched from humanity. What is it you desire? ...Ah, hold that thought. I hear Alice's voice. The Torture Princess must have finally arrived. I'll hear you out in a moment. But please don't change your mind. I simply must know. That wish you might have had fulfilled\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dif only God were more merciful. Elisabeth's footsteps echoed loudly as she dashed down the hallway. The passage's walls were built out of stone, and there were no windows anywhere. However, the metal lizards and flowers mounted on ornamental pillars did a decent job of breaking up the otherwise-stifling gloom. Fortunately, there were no sliced-up corpses or viscera to be seen. Apparently, the tragedy hadn't reached the villa's center. Even so, though, Elisabeth's expression was fierce and grim. Also, a strange thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump noise was echoing in her wake. She was still dragging La Christoph along the ground. She was holding him by the collar and carrying him diagonally behind her. Although he was still largely upright, La Christoph had cleverly elected to go limp. The image of his resigned form was like that of a corpse ripped from its coffin, or perhaps that of a cat that'd grown used to its owner's tyrannical abuse. However, seeming to have suddenly remembered he was still alive, La Christoph spoke. \"Might I have a moment, Elisabeth Le Fanu?\" \"Hmm? While we're in the middle of fleeing? If it's about the ruckus in the temple, I'll explain later.\" \"That's quite all right. Once I realized that Izabella and Jeanne de Rais were acting separately from you, I got a fairly clear picture of the situation. At the moment, I have something else I'd like to discuss. Might I ask that you mind my hair a little more? It's getting torn to shreds.\" \"Hmm?\" Elisabeth came to an abrupt stop. She turned and looked back. It was true. After getting tangled around his shoes and robe, La Christoph's hair had met a terrible fate. There was a lot of it, so the damage wasn't immediately obvious, but there were a number of large tufts scattered about on the floor behind them. After surveying the grim spectacle, Elisabeth went silent. She lowered La Christoph a little and spoke. \"Well, I am sorry about that, but was this truly pressing enough to warrant stopping me over?\" \"Not at all, and I myself don't particularly mind. Even if all my hair was torn from my head, as long as my scalp remained, I would consider it a victory. It was simply a bit of sophistry to get you to stop running. My actual question is about where we're going.\" \"Even I would feel guilty over leaving you bald, but... Wait, why not simply ask that, then?!\" \"I judged that the hair comment would be likelier to get you to stop.\" \"What kind of absurd judgment is that?!\" Elisabeth shook La Christoph from side to side. He cocked his head. He wasn't mocking her; it was merely an automatic reaction. He then went on as though nothing had happened, his tone as serious as ever. \"Allow me to repeat myself. It would seem you memorized the building's blueprints ahead of time, and we do appear to be making our way outside. However, it looks like we're taking a fairly roundabout route. Am I correct in assuming you made that choice when you noticed the irregularity?\" \"...If you know that much already, what meaning is there in asking it aloud?\" \"The decision I made to stop you was founded on sheer arrogance. But I ask you again, Elisabeth Le Fanu\u00e2\u20ac\u201das the Torture Princess, do you truly believe it's something we ought to witness now?\" The look on La Christoph's face was earnest. Elisabeth thought for a moment. Saints had peculiar dispositions. No matter what was waiting for them at their destination, La Christoph would probably be fine. In other words, he was worried about the emotional blow it would deal to her. It felt as though she was being made light of. However, she refrained from voicing her complaints. Instead, she merely checked to see if anyone was chasing them. There wasn't a soul behind them for quite some distance. Alice didn't appear to be following them. But given the situation, that fact seemed highly unnatural. La Christoph's unwarranted concern is hardly unreasonable. Alice and Lewis show no signs of pursuing us...which means odds are high they're allowing us to roam free on purpose. Go. Follow. Run. Witness. And burn the image into your eyes. Abandon every last shred of hope\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat was the sentence their foes seemed to be levying on them. Yet still, leaving the situation as is and fleeing will cause no small number of problems in the future. Elisabeth was all too aware that once sowed, seeds of evil quickly took root and bloomed into massive flowers. The moment you noticed them, you had to eliminate them as quickly as possible. She gave a small nod, then set off in the same direction as before. La Christoph stopped talking out of respect for her decision, staying silent even when his black hair started getting mangled again. His expression was the spitting image of an old dog putting up with a young girl's mischief. At the moment, the two of them were heading outside. At the same time, though, she was also heading for a certain location, one that was on their way\u00e2\u20ac\u201dprobably. However, the details were fuzzy, and she had no exact notion of its location. At the end of the day, all she was doing was following a worrisome smell. She'd noticed it after they left the prayer room, and it seemed La Christoph had become aware of its irregularity at about the same time. They were heading in the opposite direction of the corpse-strewn entrance, yet the farther they went, the thicker the air grew. Fleeing without dealing with it was an unsettling proposition, but the moment they saw its source, there was a chance they'd be overcome with despair. As she ran, Elisabeth's mind turned. In order to revolutionize the world, Lewis said he and his group created innumerable demon grandchildren. In all likelihood, that foul air was related to their taboo experiments. The vivid smell had two parts to it: the reek of blood and the fragrance of something that only mages who'd used it themselves when brewing medicine would likely recognize. An ingredient that was, in a sense, maternal in nature. It was something that had no right to be wafting through the air. Amniotic fluid. \"'Twould seem we're here.\" Click. Elisabeth's heels clicked one final time as she came to a stop. A set of double doors with metal adornments stood before her. A short while ago, the two of them had arrived at a hall reserved for the king and guests of honor. Instead of using its main entrance, though, they'd slipped through the passageway on its right. The farther they went, the more ostentatious the decorations got. Now they'd reached an area with hundreds of lizards carved on its walls and ceiling. Each one of the overlapping reliefs had glimmering jewels for eyes, and all the lizards, large and small, were heading deeper inside, eventually gathering around the double door and forming a decorative frame around it. Other than their handles, the doors' entire surfaces were covered in silverwork scales. As Elisabeth ran her hand over their rippled exterior, she referenced her mental map of the villa. Beyond here lies the banquet hall. The banquet hall was used for all sorts of things\u00e2\u20ac\u201dballs, feasts, concubines putting on performances to entertain guests of honor, succession ceremonies, and more. And even when there wasn't an event going on, it still should have been a lively space. Now, though, it seemed dark and gloomy. But that was to be expected. After all, the smell of blood and amniotic fluid was coming from beyond those doors. La Christoph freed himself from Elisabeth's grasp and hopped down. His arms still bound in chains, he deftly turned toward the doors. The low whisper that left his mouth was clearly a warning. \"Elisabeth Le Fanu.\" \"Aye, I know full well.\" As she stood by his side, Elisabeth looked down. A large pool was spreading on the floor beneath their feet. The liquid was leaking out from under the doors. Demi-humans rarely used carpets on account of all the sand, so the red mixed in with the liquid was clearly visible. Also, they could hear laughter from beyond the doors. It resembled the sound of children whining and crying. 'Tis hard to imagine any children being here, though. Elisabeth glared at the doors. Other than the butchered corpses, they'd yet to find a single demi-human on the premises. The concubines and king's children were a given, but even the servants all had extremely pure blood, so everyone inside had been captured and taken to the temple. Lewis and his group had probably decided to use"}, {"text": "the empty building as a temporary base. And when they did, they'd brought something with them. But what? The grim premonition grew stronger and stronger. A sudden conviction welled up in Elisabeth. These doors would be best left unopened. The barrier between this side of the door and the other side was concealing a sight that must not be seen. However, she couldn't simply ignore it. Averting your eyes from an ugly truth did nothing to change its veracity. Eventually, it would catch up with you all the same. And when it did, it would pierce you through the back. The sole potential problem was... As I am now, how much will the contents of the other side affect me? It was a worry that the old Elisabeth would never have felt. If someone else had mentioned it to her, she'd have snorted at them. After all, she was the Torture Princess. She'd borne witness to innumerable tragedies. She hadn't just seen the First Demon; she'd had her body bound to its pillar's core. By all rights, she was on the side that created hells. Why, Elisabeth had once drowned an entire town in pain and despair, basking in its people's hateful cries like they were cheers of admiration. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth, cruel, hideous Elisabeth! A curse upon you, a curse upon you, a curse, a curse, an eternal curse upon you, Elisabeth! What was there that could still surprise her? But boasting she could take it all in, no matter what it might be, would be base carelessness. She was a different person than she'd been before the end of days. Every assumption and preconception she'd had had been violently overturned. It was difficult to predict what kinds of things would shock her now. Of all the things left in this world... Could she really witness any of them and feel no despair? Not even she could say with any certainty. Yet despite that, the Torture Princess reached out and slowly pushed the doors open. Then she saw them. With her own two eyes. The white wombs\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dstrewed about the room. They were smooth\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe wombs\u00e2\u20ac\u201d like freshly peeled eggs. The wombs were round and horribly bloated. Stretched taut, they were smooth and sleek. They were clearly nothing more than sacks of flesh. However, they were more than just sacks. Each one had a little navel resting on its peak, and they were just barely covered in living skin. In other words, they were people, though they'd expanded in ways no living person's body should grow. Some of the wombs were female. Some were male. But they were all just flesh. They were sacks of flesh. Yet they were wombs. \"I...see.\" After confirming what was on the other side of the door, Elisabeth let out a succinct murmur. The scene laid out before her was a good deal more graphic and repulsive than she'd expected. That wasn't to say it was overly nightmarish, though. It was simply a different kind of tragedy than the ones demons were partial to. That was her rough appraisal of the situation. As a matter of fact, Elisabeth had seen something like this before. The specifics had varied greatly, but the impression she'd gotten was one and the same. Some time ago, there'd been a case she'd been tasked with cracking. The victims, all mixed-race children, had had their beastfolk ears torn off and the fur flayed from their skulls. And despite his head being reduced to little more than a lump of muscle fibers, one boy had even survived the process. Compared with what demons did, this was child's play. But it was still so monstrous that it was hard to imagine a person having carried it out. 'Twas much the same as this. \"You're not the same as me. You're different from us. We're completely different creatures. That means I can do whatever I want to you.\" Without that vile rationalization some people had come to, no person could create a spectacle that grisly. Elisabeth glanced over the banquet hall again. The inside was completely empty. The room was set up to be easy to rearrange on account of the various events that took place there, but now even the bare minimum of furniture it was normally adorned with had been removed. All that existed there were the wombs. Or rather, all that \"lived\" there were the people. Adult women, adult men, old women, old men, young women, and young men were rolling about the hall. However, it was arguable as to whether or not it even made sense to still call them people. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call them \"round, bloated wombs with human limbs and heads attached to them.\" That was how thoroughly the victims had been transfigured. The wombs were blown up like eggs, far past the point a human body should have been able to distend. All of them were naked, and their genitals were in plain view. Compared with the wombs' expansion, though, that seemed hardly worth mentioning. Their thighs were stained with excrement and amniotic fluid. Although these poor creatures clearly weren't being cared for, their undersized feet all had numbers carved into them, like the branding marks you'd see on cuts of meat being stored in warehouses. They looked like ID numbers. They might not have been receiving care, but they were clearly being monitored, at the very least. For how the scene was, it seemed almost industrial. Every action that had been taken leading up to that point had been utterly amoral. True, though. 'Tis surely convenient to be able to leave them lying about like that. Makes them easy to transport, too. Elisabeth took a second to think about how they'd been brought there. She nodded dispassionately. As she did, she also ruminated on Lewis's words. \"I summoned a pair of weaker demons into a man and a woman, then destroyed both their egos. They had two children. Then I bred the children together...\" That all falls under the purview of those whose human forms have collapsed and degraded. But then... ...What about the subsequent steps? Demon grandchildren were able to breed with humans. Lewis had said so himself. The things rolling about on the ground must have been the fruits of that research. Based on what Alice had said, women were better suited to the task. If you weren't concerned with quality, though, people of any age or sex could serve as \"mothers.\" After all, the demon grandchildren that served as \"fathers\" were barely human to begin with. Their version of copulation probably took cues from their human instincts, but the act itself was closer to a magic ritual. In short, whether or not the other party had genitals was of little concern. That said, there seemed to be some variation in the victims' swelling, irrespective of their sex. It was revolting, but at the same time, highly intriguing. Elisabeth thought some more. Lewis wanted me to breed with demon grandchildren and have two babies. In short, he judged that the first birth wouldn't be life-threatening. Even though the conception method looked more than deadly. But Alice hadn't seemed like she was lying, either. She really did plan on reuniting Elisabeth with Kaito Sena. Between her and Lewis's reactions, a reasonable assumption would be that powerful mages didn't go through the physical deformations. And the correlation between the victims' swelling and the amount of mana they had supported that thesis. 'Twould seem the babies consume their host's mana as nutrients. However, that gave rise to a new question. Why did the \"mothers\" who didn't have enough mana swell up? But the answer to that was simple. When the babies couldn't get their nutrients from mana, they hastened their growth so they could use something else instead. After growing until they had teeth, they feasted on their mothers' flesh and organs. And that was no mere theory; it was being proven by the moment. The sound of chewing was audibly coming from inside the wombs. As the sloppy noises grew louder, the mothers began silently flailing their limbs about. They couldn't even open their mouths to scream. However, the laughing, crying voices continued. The voices weren't coming from the mothers. They were coming from the unborn babies. The fetuses knew nothing of their mothers' wills. Yet they danced all the same. At that point, Elisabeth stopped pondering and closed her eyes. Amid the darkness, she quickly sorted through the many things she'd seen and heard on her journey to reach those double doors. The mixed-race folk tried once to pardon their long history of oppression. But then the end of days came, and in the mayhem, the slaughters took place\u00e2\u20ac\u201dtragedies senseless enough to make civil officials vomit. And after that, they continued. A boy had the flesh flayed from his head while he yet lived, and similar events were a frequent occurrence. If any of those things hadn't happened, the scene before her probably wouldn't have come to be. But they all had. Time marched mercilessly forward, leaving mistakes perpetually unatoned for in its wake. As a result, the mixed-race folk chose to cast off their role as innocent victims. Proclaiming oneself weak in order to oppress others was unforgivable. Yet even if they knew they wouldn't be forgiven, they would no doubt continue down their path. That was what it meant to be an avenger. The world's unrelenting malice and apathy had forged them into that. Those who take are taken from in turn. Ultimately, the mixed-race folk were even stripped of their humanity. That was simply the way things were. That was the sad, sad way things were. Elisabeth's silky black hair swayed as she turned to the side and looked up at La Christoph. \"What do you intend to do?\" she silently asked him. His response was a dignified nod. Then he solemnly spread his bound arms wide. A metallic, alien clank echoed out as the thick chains fell to the floor. Bloody amniotic fluid splashed around them. La Christoph had cast off his restraints. His crossed arms were parted, and his chest was laid bare. Most saints had undergone changes to their bodies and minds that would normally be impossible, and La Christoph was no exception. All the flesh surrounding his ribs had been shorn away, and he had no lungs or internal organs to speak of. Instead, his ribs were filled with little birds, which were made out of light and resembled skylarks. They were sacred beasts. Overuse of his powers during Ragnarok had left his ribs stuck open, but now they were healed and serving their purpose as a cage once more. He was the Birdkeeper, and he was a \"living birdcage.\" That was La Christoph's nature. And when the Modest Birdkeeper undid his chains, it could only mean one thing. Elisabeth quietly posed a question to him. \"So you agree, too, that there can be no other end to this?\" \"I've already confirmed it. The creatures nesting in their wombs possess amounts of mana no normal human could bear. Even the ones who have not swelled up as much are in a similar state. Their organs are destroyed, and their hearts have all stopped. However...\" \"In spite of all that, their bodies are alive... Their senses\u00e2\u20ac\u201dparticularly their sense of pain\u00e2\u20ac\u201dare intact, I take it?\" \"Demons seek pain. And demon children are no different. It's a cruel situation. At this point, their only options are to die giving birth and to die without giving birth. Thus, the question becomes what the merciful thing to do is, and for that, I defer to scripture and my own faith.\" La Christoph made his declaration without hesitation. His voice was cold and resolute. \"I shall grant you salvation, O wretched ones. For who but a saint to bear the burden of purifying you?\" Elisabeth offered no response. In a rare turn of events, there was nothing"}, {"text": "for her to do here. If Kaito Sena were here, what would he do? If his reaction to the Room of Pain was anything to go off, he would have been furious. Trembling with rage, he would've cried, Don't you have even a little respect for the living?! For the deed he'd be faced with belied no respect for them whatsoever. Yet even so, he'd have chosen to put them out of their misery himself. This isn't purification. This is murder\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand it's a burden I should be the one to bear, he'd have said. He was simply that kind of person. But Elisabeth wasn't. She cared little about who in particular dealt the coup de gr\u00c3\u00a2ce. After all, it didn't change the result. The ones death awaited would die, nothing more. She took a step backward. La Christoph nodded. Despite his lack of lungs, he took a deep breath, then began chanting his prayer. The words had a pleasant heft to them as they echoed through the room. \"We gather and wait.\" \"So hark and rejoice.\" Suddenly, a different voice cut in. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes. The voice was Lewis's, but he wasn't there with them. Elisabeth looked up at the ceiling. The countless lizard engravings were all looking down. One of their eyes must have contained a magic communication device. The wombs responded to his distant call by beginning to vibrate. Then the sacks of flesh started undulating from within like lumps of soft bread dough. Laughter sounded from within them, crying echoed out from them, and the two merged into a single perverse melody. Elisabeth could tell. 'Tis a song. A song of blessing\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand a song of joy. The voices were celebrating the most basic pleasure known to any living creature\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbirth. \"The hammer falls on thee!\" \"Be born unto joy and love!\" La Christoph and Lewis's voices overlapped completely. Lewis's words were ironic and bordering on blasphemous, but at the same time, they were completely true. The mixed-race folk sought greater weapons. The babies' birth would bring them joy. And the babies would surely be loved. Elisabeth knew. No matter how malignant a weapon may be... ...Any blade that lopped off a hated foe's head would be loved all the same. And the world would keep turning, just as properly as ever. \"\"Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, AAAAAAaaaaaaAaAaAaAAAAAA!\"\" The choruses rang out. La Christoph's ribs opened. A vast flock of skylarks took flight. As they did, the wombs burst open. A perversely satisfying popping noise filled the hall as skin split and tore. Chunks of fat and flesh sprayed through the air. Organs, now fully liquefied, gushed out as the babies thrust their gray arms upward. It was a horrible, grisly spectacle. Yet even so, someone had wished for that birth. Seeing that made Elisabeth realize something. Perhaps the world, which turned so properly\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad been doomed from the very beginning. *** \"...Hmm?\" Then a very out-of-place voice echoed through the air. Elisabeth instinctively whirled around. A mass of copper-red fur was racing toward her like a fireball. Her eyes went wide. Without a moment's hesitation, the voice's owner brandished his sword. *** \"Why, you're\u00e2\u20ac\u201d!\" With an air-splitting cry, the man leveled a beautiful slash. The broad side of his sword grazed Elisabeth's hair, then smashed the face of the baby who'd been stealthily approaching her. Amniotic fluid splashed around her would-be assailant as it crumpled to the ground. \"There's more coming!\" The man slammed the back of his blade into another one's abdomen. It did a tailspin through the air, then slammed into the wall with a horrible splatting noise. Good eye, Elisabeth thought, nodding in admiration. Slashing attacks didn't work on demon children. They may have been defective products, but the babies had still inherited their parents' physical properties. The man had probably learned this from the huge number of Ragnarok foes that couldn't be harmed by swords. He was instinctively using his long sword as a bludgeoning implement. Not only was it clever, but his blows were also quite fast for how hefty they were. Yet as always, he relies too heavily on brute strength. \"Phew... That should keep us safe for the time being.\" After confirming that their foes had been temporarily rendered powerless, the man\u00e2\u20ac\u201da beastman with a copper-red wolf's head\u00e2\u20ac\u201dexhaled heavily. Elisabeth was well acquainted with the fighting style, as well as with the man using it. In the Peace Brigade, which she was captain of, he was her second-in-command. He was a seasoned warrior, and when Kaito Sena had been around, he had been one of his closest friends. But more importantly, he was someone who had no business being there. \"Lute!\" Elisabeth turned to her subordinate, who should have been at the World Tree, and shouted his name. \"Ah, Madam Elisabeth, you're all right! Ah, er, Captain Elisabeth, rather. To think it's been this long and I still haven't gotten used to it... I beg your pardon for my persistent rudeness!\" \"It's fine. I can't say I much care how you refer to me, but what in the blazes are you doing here?\" \"Well, you see, Captain Elisabeth, I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Why, I say!\" Right as Lute was about to answer, the babies hunched over like animals and rushed toward them all at once. They had the curiosity of children, and it would seem Elisabeth and Lute had piqued their interest. A veritable wave of gray arms came reaching for them one after another. Lute desperately batted their soft, pliable hands away with his sword. \"Damn you cowards, grouping up like that! Face me one at a time like men!\" \"...Hmph.\" Lute may as well have been talking to a brick wall, but he continued shouting nonetheless. It was no wonder he and Kaito Sena had gotten along. As Lute struggled alone, Elisabeth quickly counted the babies. The ones in the group's center had been burned up by the skylarks, but many of them had escaped evaporation. This is looking to be quite a hassle... Come to think of it, how's La Christoph holding up? Elisabeth glanced to her side. La Christoph was completely unharmed. For some reason, though, he was tilting his head to the side. It didn't look like he was emotionally shaken or anything, but he seemed to be having trouble wrapping his mind around Lute's sudden arrival. Once she realized that, Elisabeth finally figured out what was going on. \"Hmm... 'Twould seem that while you're fit to command in dire situations, when it comes to matters involving yourself or unexpected aid such as this, you're a little slow, aren't you? Or rather, quite slow, 'twould seem.\" \"It's a weakness all saints share, but I do have deficiencies when it comes to common sense and knowledge of customary reactions. As such, I'm afraid I can't make an accurate comparison, but...if the worldly Torture Princess says it is so, then I imagine you're right.\" \"I don't know about 'worldly.' It merely... I don't know... It seemed as though you were spacing out\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Rgh! What are these foul creatures?!\" Elisabeth blinked in surprise. Now that she noticed, Lute's situation had grown somewhat dire. One of the babies had grabbed hold of his sword and was gnawing on its point. In seconds, it began crumbling away into sand. Flustered, Lute fell back. The moment he did, Elisabeth snapped her fingers. \"Holy Water Sprinkler.\" Several spiky iron balls came crashing down from the air. Each ball happily bounced around, landing on the babies' heads over and over and riddling them with holes. Fountains of blood gushed up and painted the ceiling red. As the babies crumpled to the ground, the balls bounced back and carefully ran their bodies over. After a certain point, the babies couldn't take the attacks anymore, and their bodies broke down. Darkness and crimson flower petals splashed down and floated atop the amniotic fluid. Shortly after, the babies breathed their last. Lute heaved a sigh of relief. He retrieved his sword and inspected the damage to the blade. Before he could get far, though, he sensed Elisabeth's questioning stare bearing down on him. He leaped to his feet and began talking. \"Ah, that's right! You wanted to know what I was doing here. After we parted ways, our group successfully rendezvoused with the World Tree's guard squad. Your prediction was right, Madam Elisabeth\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnobody else was harmed. Then after we relayed the sad news of the imperial princesses' passing, we heard about the attack on the demi-humans. When I found out you went in alone, I knew I couldn't merely stand by, so I searched high and low for some way I could help...but my men stepped in to stop me before I could make too big a fool of myself. But right when I was truly at a loss, he invited me to join him.\" \"...Who?\" \"Then we decided to rescue you together! Now, um, I realize it's a bit late to ask, but...what were those things?\" Lute's tail curled up timidly. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes. Now she finally knew how Lute had been able to act so normally. He never saw the \"mothers,\" nor did he see the babies themselves being born. Elisabeth cast her gaze back inside the hall. Not only had the mothers popped, but many of them had been completely burned away. Now their charred, scattered remains were barely even recognizable as having been human. After seeing the light from La Christoph's attack, Lute had probably charged in without thinking about things too hard. He still didn't understand what had actually happened there. It was very like him. But perhaps it was also for the best. Someone like Lute would be happier not knowing the tragedy's specifics. However, Elisabeth thought, frowning, who in the world could have invited him there? Jeanne and Izabella aside, I find it hard to imagine anyone who would dare to try rescuing the Torture Princess and the saints' representative with a mere two men. In fact, she couldn't think of a single person who might. She racked her brains, baffled. The moment she did, there came a peculiar sound. Elisabeth whirled around once more. A new individual was walking their way, his pointy shoes clicking as he did. He spoke in a hoarse voice. \"I can't say I condone charging in without confirming the situation first, Sir Lute. And not only that, but you left me behind as well... Our races have been close for some time, true, but goodness gracious, how your people's hotheadedness irks me...\" The man was garbed in a coarse robe designed to keep out sand. Claws and scales gleamed on his hands. He fussily adjusted the glasses atop his lizard nose. It was often difficult to make out a demi-human's facial expression, but the sarcastic smile on his face was all too plain to see. Elisabeth was shocked. Of all the people she'd been expecting to see, he certainly wasn't one of them. \"Aguina? Aguina Elephabred?!\" \"Just Aguina is fine, Madam Elisabeth Le Fanu. I'm aware of how troublesome our surnames are for people who aren't used to pronouncing them. If you try too hard, you're liable to bite your tongue.\" The demi-human high official gave a small bow as he replied. He was in charge of much of his country's foreign affairs, so he spent a fair bit of his time in the World Tree. He must have been abroad during the attack, fortunately allowing him to avoid it. Still, Aguina is a dyed-in-the-wool blood purist. It would have made sense if he'd headed for the temple, but there was no way he'd be putting himself on the line to save her and La Christoph. That wasn't the Aguina she knew. Aguina seemed to have sensed Elisabeth's doubts, as the look in his eyes softened a little. \"Why so surprised? As I hear it, the people in the temple have already been saved. And if that's the case, then I have but one"}, {"text": "duty. True, it might not normally seem like any of my concern, but I heard him just as well as anyone\u00e2\u20ac\u201d'this here will be our daybreak.'\" That line was part of the statement the boy proclaiming himself to be the Mad King had made. Back then, the child who'd died a meaningless death in another world had spoken words of encouragement to the three assembled races. \"There's no need to be ashamed. Take up your swords and ready your spears. Our mission is to murder God, and to murder Diablo. Prayers won't bring us salvation; screams won't bring us mercy. The only thing we have to rely on is our own strength. \"This here will be our daybreak. Let Ragnarok begin.\" \"The sun has in fact risen\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthus, we must do everything in our power not to let it set.\" And with that, the man who normally had no interest in anything but blood purity gave her a meaningful smile. 9 The Choices They Made The mean old lizard said to a Queen of Hearts, That he met in the castle, \"Let us both go to law: I will prosecute you. \u00e2\u20ac\u201dCome, I'll take no denial; We must have a trial: For really this morning I've too much to do.\" Said the Queen of Hearts to the mean old lizard, \"Such a trial, dear sir, With no jury or judge, Would be wasting our breath.\" \"I'll be judge, I'll be jury,\" Said the mean old lizard: \"I'll try the whole cause, and condemn you to death.\" Oh my, Father, it's not like you to look so sullen. What's wrong? \"What's with that weird song,\" you ask? It's not weird. That's rude, Father! ...Hmm-hmm, well, if you say so. Oh, you want to know if I came up with it? Well, sort of, but also, not at all. The thing is, I based it off the Mouse's poem from Alice in Wonderland. So you see, I came up with it, but also, I didn't. Is it an ironic song, you ask? Oh, sure, maybe. Is it a happy song, you ask? I don't think so, no. Um, well, I just swapped words in and out as I pleased to help kill time while we waited, so I can't say for certain myself, but... ...maybe it isn't a sad song, so much as it is a lonesome one? Trial, judge, jury... There were a lot of hard words I didn't understand, but back when I first read it, I made sure to look aaaall of them up. Impressive, right?! Hee-hee...and, um, I found out that one person can't do all those things alone. That means the lizard's a liar. And lying is such a lonesome thing to do. Death is oblivion. But it isn't the end. Even if someone died, as long as the world was still there, a part of them lived on. Kaito Sena is dead. Yet even so\u00e2\u20ac\u201d He'd left traces of his life etched vividly in the world. And it would seem that the painful way he'd lived his life had influenced some most unexpected individuals. The first was Maclaeus Filliana. In a surprising turn of events, the real king had ended up coming to admire the false one. Learning the specifics of Kaito Sena's heroic life had helped him find the resolve to change his passive, unmotivated lifestyle. And the second was the demi-human high official Aguina Elephabred. The words the Mad King had left him with had driven him to come save Elisabeth and La Christoph. As someone who'd inherited the Sand Queen's blood, it was his duty as a blood purist to value his own safety over that of members of other races. For him to risk his life over a non-demi-human was beyond unthinkable. His actions were an exception among exceptions, to the point where they bordered on sacrilege. Yet in spite of that, he seemed sure of them. Aguina's robe fluttered as he took the lead and strode off down the hallway. Although he left Lute to man the rear, he didn't look particularly worried about running into new foes from the front. He shouted back to the others. \"Make haste, everyone! Sir Lute, that goes double for you\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou may be heading up the rear guard, but shouldn't a military man entrusted with defending his nation like you are be able to pick up the pace a little more than that? Is that long tail of yours getting in the way, perhaps?\" \"Sir Aguina, I say! You would go so far as to besmirch my fine tail? We wolffolk take great pride in our... Hmm? Ah, now that you mention it, they're starting to nibble on it, aren't they? Hey, unhand me at once! Off! Off, I say!\" \"...That is why I mentioned it, yes.\" \"Elisabeth, I'm concerned that you've forgotten, so allow me to remind you once more that I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own. I would greatly appreciate it if you were to stop dragging me. I'm starting to worry about my scalp being torn off.\" \"You can walk, but you can't run to save your life! And besides, you were long overdue for a haircut anyway!\" Elisabeth's group had quickly become quite lively. Aguina was leading up the vanguard and guiding them back the way they'd came. As they whizzed past the lizard carvings on the walls, wet, sloppy noises echoed out from behind them. The babies had made their way out of the banquet hall. They crawled across the floor on their ashen limbs, the ones with umbilical cords still attached to their \"mothers\" ripping and tearing the cords as they went. The babies' movements were surprisingly clumsy, but terrifyingly fast all the same. It was like they defied every law reality attempted to enforce. One of them reached out and tried to grab Lute's tail again. All the fur on his body bristled up, and he quickly accelerated. The babies apparently found that amusing, and they cackled behind him. Elisabeth clicked her tongue. \"Tch, 'tis naught but a hassle that we were unable to finish them off quickly! Why, I've half a mind to crush the lot of them like bugs!\" \"I empathize wholeheartedly, but I do ask that you restrain yourself. I would rather that we not get buried alive along with them. Plus, think of how expensive the villa would be to rebuild.\" \"That last part is the least of our concerns at the moment, is it not?\" \"I'm told that you humans are in dire financial straits, and our belts are just as tight.\" Aguina readjusted his spectacles as he gave his detached response. Elisabeth clicked her tongue again. Her original plan had been to kill all the babies inside the hall. But as Aguina had pointed out, their only option at the moment was to flee. Perfected demon grandchildren\u00e2\u20ac\u201dvessels with power that bordered that of the ranked demons\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwould have been one thing, but there was next to no chance the Torture Princess and the saints' representative could lose to incomplete, part-human vessels designed for breeding instead of fighting. However, even Elisabeth had been forced to admit that continuing to fight wasn't an option. The reason was simple. At that rate, the building was liable to collapse. They'd reached that verdict shortly after Aguina showed up. The babies had just started to regroup. The way they were reaching out their fleshy gray arms seemed almost innocent. La Christoph narrowed his eyes. The skylarks, following his lead, began flapping their wings in unison. He began chanting his prayer once more. Before he could get far, though, Aguina hastily rushed to stop him. \"Not so fast! Please look over there!\" \"Don't just come butting in. What in the world are you...? Ah, I see. Well, that's not good.\" After looking at what he was pointing at, Elisabeth quietly nodded. Part of the wall had been completely obliterated, and large cracks were running up the support pillars around it. As they looked at the alarming spectacle, Aguina went on. \"The eastern villa isn't nearly as fortified as the temple, and the banquet hall in particular wasn't designed to endure violent combat. Continued bombardment will likely push it past its limit. And with the stargazing tower situated atop the hall...depending on how it fell, it could very well destroy the entire villa.\" \"Allowing the damage to spread that far would be a problem indeed... Besides, using a saint's power indoors was nigh suicidal to begin with. 'Twas an oversight on my part. Now, I would offer to use my torture devices, but then their individual resilience becomes an obstacle.\" Elisabeth cast a fleeting glance at the ground. Aguina gave a small nod of agreement. The entire stone floor was covered in cracks and fissures. It looked like an egg that was about to split open. The blame there lay squarely with Elisabeth for having dropped her Holy Water Sprinklers and caused them to bounce and roll around. Any sort of large-scale attack ran the risk of destroying the villa, but anything less than that was liable to be ineffective. That being the case, though, what was the best way to take them all down without damaging their surroundings? Whatever their plan was, its first step would almost certainly involve gathering all the babies in one place. \"Hmm... I've a number of ideas, but there are simply too many foes here for any of them to work. What to do, what to do?\" \"Hraaaaaaagh!\" Elisabeth began thinking of ways to go about attacking them. Meanwhile, Lute continued his desperate struggle. It looked like the babies were grouping up again. Lute was doing his best to keep them at bay with his sword, but he wasn't having much luck. In fact, the babies seemed to merely view him as an exciting new toy. Aguina, paying no heed to Lute's continued plight, raised his hand. \"I have a clever idea, actually. What do you say?\" \"You? A government pencil pusher who knows next to naught of battle?\" \"None other. These are our lands, Madam Elisabeth, and as such, we hold the advantage.\" Aguina proudly adjusted his spectacles. Elisabeth harrumphed, then went silent. However, she quickly gave her answer by grabbing La Christoph by the collar. Lute, sensing her intentions, drove the nearby babies back with a tornado-like slash. And as for Aguina, he'd already set off without waiting for their responses. Elisabeth turned around, then called back to Lute as she followed behind Aguina. \"Make haste, Lute!\" \"As you wish!\" \"Ah, so it's back to this again.\" La Christoph obediently let Elisabeth drag him off. His expression was the very image of resignation. That was how they began their dramatic escape. Now, though, the situation had changed. Elisabeth and the others ran into the entrance hall. She raised her head and looked around. The first thing she spotted was the large staircase leading to the chamber the king stayed in when he visited. The passageway to the concubines' and children's living quarters was tucked quietly behind it. And if you went to the left, you could reach the dining hall. All they had to do was open the main entrance, and they'd be outside. They could probably also find the servants' passageway if they looked for it. Whichever they picked, though, the babies would invariably follow them. Elisabeth narrowed her gaze. A teleportation circle would allow us to flee immediately...but even here, we're still too close to those creatures. 'Twould be an unmitigated disaster if Alice were to take notice and interfere with the circle. And besides, we chose to investigate the babies of our own volition. 'Tis our duty to thin the enemy's ranks while we can, but... ...If the demi-humans ended up demanding compensation for the damage Elisabeth and the others caused, that would be a problem in its own right. After all, they were a famously stubborn people. As Elisabeth pondered, La Christoph raised his hand. Still slanted"}, {"text": "upward, he offered Aguina a proposal. \"If I bombard them after we make it outside, the villa will remain unharmed. Most of the front garden will get blown away, but...given the circumstances, a sacrifice such as that seems trivial. That's my recommendation. How does that sound?\" \"I most certainly object, and that should go without saying! Please don't ask for my approval if you know I'm not going to give it.\" Aguina immediately let out a roar of protest. La Christoph tilted his chin down toward his neck and went quiet. It was difficult to tell given the way his body was slanted, but perhaps he was trying to hang his head. That was when the babies stormed into the entrance hall. Elisabeth clicked her tongue. \"Tch, always so fussy over every little thing. Why not offer a plan of your own, then?\" \"With pleasure! Feel free to use that as you please.\" Aguina responded to Elisabeth's complaint by pointing overhead. His long claws glinted. Elisabeth looked up, then nodded. Aguina was right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit was perfect. \"Ah, I see\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthen use it, I shall.\" She raised her right arm straight up and sliced her fingers to the side through the empty air. A biting gust of wind mimicked her motion and cut through the air overhead. Crimson flower petals burst in its wake, like blood gushing from a wound. The demi-human concubines were forbidden from going outside as they pleased. As a substitute, though, the villa was adorned with all manner of ornamentations for them to feast their eyes on. And the entrance hall was no exception. Unlike the temple's exceedingly practical lighting system, the hall's high ceiling was lit by an elaborate chandelier. However, the chandelier's design was somewhat peculiar. Its form was broad and elaborate, calling to mind the image of a vast piece of driftwood mounted in the air. Either that, or the inside of a snake nest. Its designer had used soft metal to depict a mass of various types of snakes all coiled around one another. From a human perspective, it was enough to evoke a sense of physiological revulsion, but the demi-humans probably saw it differently. Each of the myriad snakes held a magical light-emitting jewel in its mouth, and the cluster extended all the way across the wide ceiling, hung delicately balanced with a series of thin, firm chains. With one fell blow, Elisabeth sliced those chains clean through. After the initial loud snap, the chandelier made its descent astonishingly quietly. As it did, Elisabeth and the others all quickly leaped away. Elisabeth also gave La Christoph a forceful hurl. His expression was as calm as ever as he glided in a smooth arc across the floor. Then an earsplitting KSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH filled the air. The chandelier had come crashing down onto the babies. However, they didn't seem particularly affected. The most that happened was their springy flesh became a bit depressed. But for a moment, they stopped, as though a giant hand had pressed down on them from above. The ones near the outer perimeter had gotten caught up in the mess of snakes. That opening was plenty. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201d'Tis done.\" Elisabeth tapped her shoe against the ground. The moment she did, the ceiling and floor slammed together, crushing the babies and the chandelier alike. Or to be more precise, a pair of large, flat stone slabs crushed them. The two round slabs were adorned with a single golden rod that looked like a barrel organ's handle. Elisabeth loudly raised her voice. \"It has been some time since I deployed this one! The Wheel of Death! Let the grinding commence!\" With that, the rod began spinning of its own accord. A horrible noise rang out as the two slabs started spinning in opposite directions. First, a screaming sound resonated from the chandelier as it creaked and shattered. Then the babies started getting whittled down as well. When their skin split, though, it came apart more like stone being shaved down than like meat being ground up. None of them screamed. They merely let out fretful little whines. Countless tiny hands scrabbled between the two slabs. The way the babies' gray arms were writhing, they looked like caterpillars about to be smushed. One of their heads popped off. It rolled between the slabs, only coming to a stop when it bumped into another head. A disturbingly viscous mixture of flesh and blood oozed onto the ground. Slowly but surely, the babies' heads were being flattened. Their eyeballs made popping sounds as they flew out of their sockets. If it wasn't so grisly, it would've almost been funny. But then all of a sudden, the scene reached its end. When the pressure surpassed the babies' ability to endure it, they exploded into darkness and azure flower petals. The two stone slabs thumped as they finished grinding together. Only silence remained. \"Hmm, as abrupt as it was dull. 'Twould seem their mental faculties were low indeed.\" Elisabeth nodded, then snapped her fingers. When she did, the Wheel of Death transformed back into flower petals. Crimson, azure, and black all scattered around the room. The brilliant bouquet of colors then whirled up and vanished, leaving a flattened hunk of metal lying on the floor as the only proof the grim scene had even taken place. Upon further inspection, it was the remains of the chandelier. It was an odd sight, yet a perfectly normal one. And with that, the babies were no more. \"Good heavens... I'm glad to see you took them all out. I was on the verge of losing my tail there.\" Lute breathed a sigh of relief and perked his drooping ears up. However, they slumped right back down once he saw how mangled his tail had gotten. \"Oof. I don't exactly know what those things were, but they resembled demon underlings, and I could tell they were no proper bunch. Now we can finally focus on escaping.\" \"Precisely. We need to make haste, as though we were pursuing a white rabbit... Oh? La Christoph, I must say. Saint or not, your hair is in quite a sorry state. It's hardly befitting a man of your stature. Why, what kind of example do you think you're setting for your people in that state? With your permission, allow me to straighten it out for you.\" By then, La Christoph was back on his own two feet. Thanks to his rough treatment at the Torture Princess's hands, though, his hair was thoroughly disheveled. Aguina smiled in exasperation and circled behind him. Using his long claws in place of a comb, he began working the knots out. Apparently, he had an unexpectedly doting side to him. Lute looked warmly at them as he sheathed his long sword. Elisabeth's expression reflexively softened. But the moment it did, she was struck by a tremendous feeling of discomfort. Why was I about to smile? Elisabeth was perplexed. It was odd for the Torture Princess to be smiling in the first place. But there was also a bigger, more pressing problem. Alarm bells were going off in her mind that this was no situation to be smiling in. Elisabeth closed her eyes to try and get her thoughts in order. Suddenly, she imagined someone wrapping her in an embrace. A man's white-gloved fingers were creeping over her skin as though caressing her. Then her beautiful foster father brought his lips to her ear. \"Whenever did you go so soft?\" *** The voice was dripping with scorn. Vlad wasn't actually there, of course. He was still confined in the royal tomb's basement. In short, the voice was Elisabeth's own, mocking herself for her idiocy. She quickly flipped through her memories to try and track down the source of her unease. Eventually, an image of Alice drifted up through the darkness. The white ribbons on her hat swayed from side to side as she spoke her incomprehensible gibberish. \"And then down, down, down. Alice fell down a very deep hole. Even though I wasn't chasing a White Rabbit. But at its end, I found Wonderland. See, it's simple, right?\" \"Alice, I've told you time and again. People from this world aren't familiar with your Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass stories.\" Afterward, Lewis had scolded her. And remembering that reminded Elisabeth of something. The reincarnated girl's stories, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, were completely foreign to people from their world. And yet a certain someone had just said something that sounded awfully like a quote from one of them. \"...'We need to make haste, as though we were pursuing a white rabbit.'\" As Elisabeth murmured the words back to herself, she pictured the vast desert. The demi-human lands were home to golden sand, harsh winds, burning liquids, myriad minerals mass-produced in the Dragons' Graveyard\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand towering stone walls. But they certainly aren't home to any white rabbits. So then why was that the first analogy that had sprung to Aguina's mind? And now that she thought about it, that wasn't the only strange thing that had happened. Given the man's standard routine, it was perfectly plausible for him to have escaped the tragedy due to being abroad. But then...what of his claim, when he said, \"As I hear it, the people in the temple have already been saved\"? Maybe Jeanne and Izabella had made their way back to the World Tree, but given the time frame, there was no way Aguina could have possibly made it to the villa if he'd gone to their arrival site, confirmed that all the demi-humans\u00e2\u20ac\u201dincluding all the ones from the second sector\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwere all right, and only then recruited Lute on his mission. And besides, Jeanne had known she wouldn't have finished in time to help Elisabeth\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat's why she'd told her she was on her own. How had Aguina known that the rescue mission in the temple was complete? How had he known that Elisabeth would be in the villa, rather than the main palace? Whom had he heard the phrase white rabbit from? But because of the dramatic entrance he'd made, nobody had thought to ask those questions. \"Aguina... Aguina Elephabred!\" Elisabeth called out his name, omitting the specifics of her concerns. The demi-human high official slowly raised his head. In that moment, Elisabeth realized a number of things. Or rather, she couldn't help but realize them. Aguina's thin-pupiled eyes had lost their usual sarcastic gleam. Instead, his golden gaze was as still as a lake shore. The look in his eyes was serious and tinged with a hint of sadness. Yet even so, it was curiously sharp. It was the gaze of a man pitying the world from on high. And it was the gaze of a man who knew he had sinned. Something black softly grazed Aguina's cheek. Long hair rustled by him as the man before him collapsed. Elisabeth's eyes went wide. However, she wasn't particularly surprised, nor was she particularly angry. For all the scene's cruelty, it made a certain kind of sense. For that was simply how he was. And thus, this was the natural result. As La Christoph crumpled to the floor\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe gleaming, scale-handled dagger buried in his back came into view. \"Huh?\" At first, Lute merely let out a dumbfounded cry. Elisabeth and Aguina faced each other in silence. La Christoph lay facedown on the ground, unmoving. His partially open lips were faintly visible through his mane of black hair. He silently coughed up blood again and again, the thick red droplets falling feebly to the ground. Elisabeth took another look at the dagger in his back. The entire length of its blade was covered in purple liquid. She flipped through her memories of Ragnarok, then identified it. 'Twas when the three races faced off against the underlings surrounding the Diablo pillar\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey started the battle with a volley of poison arrows. And they hadn't just been any old poison arrows, either. The poison had come from the underlings themselves. The"}, {"text": "healers of the three races had analyzed the underling corpses, reproduced their poison, and passed it along to Kaito Sena to have him strengthen it further by imbuing it with mana. Not even a saint stood a chance of neutralizing it. After the battle, the beastfolk had taken the leftover poison for safekeeping. There was no restriction on demi-humans visiting the section of the World Tree that it was kept in, but getting their hands on it couldn't have been easy. Instead of asking about any of the specifics, Elisabeth merely murmured: \"How very thorough.\" \"At this stage of the game, failure would have stung the keenest, you see,\" Aguina replied nonchalantly. Lute gaped as he looked between Aguina and La Christoph. Eventually, though, his gaze settled on the dagger. It would seem he'd finally realized what was going on. Lute ground his fangs. \"Why?\" \"Why what? Which part of it, might I ask?\" \"Why...did you fall?\" The exchange was exasperatingly vague. Lute's question, in particular, was far more ambiguous than befitted a man of action like him. Yet at the same time, it got at the heart of the matter with the precision of a needle. Every relevant question had been boiled down into those four words. However, Aguina didn't answer. In the blink of an eye, Lute drew his long sword from its sheath. His red fur bristled up like a raging fire, and his eyes were brimming with hatred, anger, and remorse. Elisabeth thought back. Back when everyone else was celebrating the end of days having successfully been prevented, Lute alone had continued agonizing. His own weakness and lapse in memory filled him with a deep shame. In that moment, he'd probably sworn to himself never to lose anyone again. Yet now even though the danger was supposed to have passed, someone he was in charge of protecting had died yet again. He was literally watching it happen before his eyes. La Christoph wasn't breathing. One of mankind's vital cornerstones had been felled. Lute's roar split the air like thunder. \"You would sink that low? YOU WOULD SINK THAT LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW?!\" \"Do you have any children?\" \"What?\" Lute was on the verge of charging Aguina, but he couldn't help but stop in his tracks. However, Aguina didn't try to take advantage of the opening his non sequitur of a question had given him. He merely continued, as though simply making small talk. \"Well, everyone knows how devoted of a husband you are, so I assumed that surely you must have a lively little ankle biter or two running around.\" \"N-no, we've been trying, but...\" \"Ah, now I remember. Your wife is a goatwoman, isn't she? As I understand it, fertility rates between different subraces are low... Do forgive my discourtesy. I'll be praying for you two to be blessed with a healthy child.\" \"What kind of sick joke are you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"We demi-humans are the same, you know. We, too, suffer from low fertility rates.\" Aguina raised his voice to cut off Lute's angry cry. Lute ground his teeth. Once more, he'd missed an opportunity to charge. Aguina spoke matter-of-factly. \"Unlike your Three Kings of the Forest, our Sand Queen is but one person. As such, we demi-humans don't have subraces the way you beastfolk do... My goodness, when did it get like this? You know, when the end of days was looming, I told the Mad King the same thing.\" Aguina gazed off into the distance. From his expression, it seemed as though he was waxing nostalgic for events a century past. Elisabeth found that fact rather strange. The end of days was long over. A foolish boy had sacrificed himself to stop it. By all rights, everyone should be celebrating their newfound peace. So why was it, then, that everyone she met seemed to yearn for those bygone days so fondly? Why did their faces look like that\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhen they remembered that hellish nightmare? Once again, Elisabeth thought back on the same question. What exactly would proper salvation have looked like? \"'Unlike the Three Kings of the Forest, our Queen has long since entered her eternal slumber. Understanding the anguish of our constant decline is beyond other races'\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat is what I'm talking about.\" \"What do you mean?\" \"What I mean is what I said.\" \"You mean, that's it?\" \"What more could there be?\" Lute asked. Aguina answered. Their gazes met. Then Aguina slowly spread his arms wide and elaborated. He was so composed that it seemed hard to imagine he'd just committed an act of murder. \"Your late first imperial princess, Madam Valisisa Ula Forstlast, saw it as well. 'Even now, the beastfolk and demi-humans combined can't compare with humanity's numbers. If we assume the underlings will attack all three races in kind, then after Diablo's threat has passed, when we take the respective damages into account, the gap in power between humanity and the rest of ours will likely only grow.' And she was right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe chance to overcome that gap has passed us by. And to make matters worse, we demi-humans suffered an additional blow she didn't factor into her prediction.\" \"...The slaughter in the third sector, and the attacks on the first and second, I take it?\" \"Exactly. Thanks to the Mad King, we avoided suffering crippling fatalities, but the women and children who perished that day were a heavy loss. If we were to suffer another calamity on that scale, we'd be unable to support pure bloodlines for more than a few more generations at most.\" \"What, and you think this is that calamity? You yourself were the one who said your people in the temple were saved. Does that not mark the calamity's end, as far as you're concerned?\" As she asked the question, though, Elisabeth got a vague inkling. There was something she'd overlooked; she was sure of it. Something that nobody but the demi-humans themselves could possibly know. \"It was pointed out to us many times that the pureblood sector's defenses were lacking. As Madam Valisisa so frequently reminded us, 'the pureblood sector's defenses are designed to protect against overland invaders and mixed-blood uprisings. They didn't even consider that attacks might come from above.' However, tearing down the sector boundaries to mend that oversight was deemed infeasible. That's why long, long before the end of days, we made a backup.\" \"...A backup?\" Elisabeth raised an eyebrow, and Lute looked just as confused. Elisabeth thought for a moment. Mankind's Church had grown twisted in a similar way. When people grew blindly fixated on an ideal, it could lead them to conclusions that others wouldn't even dare imagine. That blind fixation had led the Church to sound the bugle on the end of days. What had it driven the demi-humans to do? \"We gathered up a group of people devoted to the cause of preserving our blood purity and founded a settlement in the Dragons' Graveyard. That way, we wouldn't have all our proverbial eggs in one basket if anything were to happen to the pureblood sector\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut the settlement fell into the rebels' clutches.\" \"Wh...why, I've never even heard of such a settlement!\" \"I should think not. We've been friends with you beastfolk for many years, but we made sure never to breathe a word of it to you.\" Aguina gave Lute's shock a matter-of-fact response. Given that this was the case, it went without saying that they hadn't told the humans, either. After all, their view of humanity was that they were exclusionary elitists, not even aware of how human-centric their worldviews were. \"How did the mixed-race folk come to learn of it, then? 'Tis nigh absurd, no, losing this backup of yours in such a manner?\" \"The settlement is hidden away well between the dragons' bones, so considering that and the fact that the underlings focused on attacking more populous areas, things didn't get dire during the end of days. However, those mixed-race bastards were able to locate it by spending decades tracking our supply lines. For that is how deep their fixation and hatred run.\" Elisabeth nodded. The demi-humans were obsessed with blood purity, so it stood to reason that the mixed-race folk would hold them in deep loathing. Plus, those of mixed race were observant and dedicated. The moment they noticed an irregularity in the demi-humans' distribution network, like a caravan traveling along a route it wasn't scheduled to, it would simply be a matter of time before they got to the bottom of it. And thus, the settlement had fallen into unexpected hands\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthose of the worst enemy imaginable. \"If they kill off the settlement, preserving our bloodlines will be extremely difficult. No...with the world as dangerous as it's become in the end of days' wake, it may well prove impossible. So when they offered to leave the settlement be in exchange for my betrayal, I complied immediately. If that was all it took, I considered it a trivial price to pay.\" Aguina didn't care whom he had to kill or what he had to destroy. As Lute held his sword, his hand twitched. \"You craven little... Not only did you turn on us for selfish reasons, you dare boast about the act? You take pride in what you've done?!\" \"Of course. No amount of grieving, boasting, laughing, or crying will change who I am or what I need to do. Why not be brazen about it, then? And also, Sir Lute, back to my original topic...\" \"What, you think you and I still have anything to talk about?!\" Aguina's words were similar to ones the Torture Princess herself had once uttered. To the dead victims, it was all the same. However, being confronted with that cruel fact would drive most people to anger. But when Lute readied his sword, Aguina merely pressed on. \"My son and his family live in that settlement.\" Lute was visibly shaken upon hearing that. Familial love was an emotion he could easily sympathize with. Because of that, a question had no doubt sprung to his mind. What if it were his beloved wife who had been taken hostage? If that were the case, and if making that choice would simultaneously advance his people's interests, how could he possibly say no? From the demi-humans' perspective, Aguina's decision was no doubt right and proper. Yet even so, Elisabeth spoke. \"I've two questions to pose to you. Why are you people so obsessed with blood purity? And also...do you truly intend to continue supporting the mixed-race fold as they move to seize control of the world?\" The demi-humans had said over and over that other races could never understand the plight of their decline. But Aguina's beliefs, if nothing else, were founded on something firmer than that. His actions seemed to have concrete reasons behind them. And the second question was only natural to want to pose to someone who was in the process of betraying the world. The mixed-race folk were aiming to completely revolutionize the world. Were the demi-humans merely hoping to earn enough goodwill to be spared? Aguina let out a small sigh. He raised two gleaming claws. \"Sadly, both your questions have but a single, simple answer.\" \"Out with it, then.\" \"The Mixed-Race Massacre.\" *** He was right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit was simple. They'd reached their conclusion long ago. Everything, from the very beginning to the very end, tied back to that one foolish act. Mankind had allowed that tragedy to play out, and at that rate, the power disparity between them and the rest of the world was only going to grow. The question then became, which would be better\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbeing ruled by the mixed-race folk or being ruled by the humans? After all, those were the only two choices. And by that point, humanity had proven they couldn't be trusted. Both the other two races saw that fact as plain as day. Apparently, the humans were the only ones who'd failed to realize the implications of living in a world that had survived the"}, {"text": "end of days. \"There's little love lost between us and the mixed-race people. But even so, we're more sympathetic toward them than you are\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand also more pessimistic. If nothing else, mankind's population is huge. As our people's blood grows more and more diluted, your people will end up assimilating us. And I have little hope for the future that awaits our children once we lose even our nation. Our culture will be exterminated, our riches will be plundered, and the new mixed-race folk will be driven into poverty. For that is the way such things inevitably play out. Protecting our blood purity is important to preserve our people's dignity\u00e2\u20ac\u201din fact, it's absolutely essential. As I see it, we have no other choice.\" Aguina calmly laid out the reason for his obsession with blood purity. Lute found himself at a loss for words, overwhelmed by Aguina's flowing argument. Eventually, though, the simple beastman spoke up. \"B-but once the races become that intermingled, surely the laws will change to reflect that fact. At that point, there'll simply be no distinction between humans, beastfolk, and demi-humans. They'll only live together in\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"And just how long do you think it will take to reach that idyllic state of peace and equality? Sir Lute, this is no time to be discussing pipe dreams and fantasies. I believe I've made my answer perfectly clear.\" And so he had. It was obvious that he wasn't going to be changing his mind anytime soon. Humanity had both heralded the end of days and committed the Mixed-Race Massacre, and the rebellion taking place was the direct result of their crimes. Aguina went on. \"As Madam Elisabeth's subordinate, you were never informed, but not even Madam Vyade, the Wise Wolf and the second imperial princess, trusted the humans. Given the ongoing rebuilding efforts, the tiniest spark could have burned everything down, so we all held our tongues. But she spent just as long as we have trying to figure out an appropriate way to demand reparations from the humans for the losses we suffered during the end of days.\" \"...What?!\" Lute's eyes went wide in shock. He staggered. However, Elisabeth didn't find that fact particularly surprising. And at the same time, she knew. The only reason things had been so peaceful those last three years was because there was another reason the demi-humans and beastfolk couldn't come down too hard on the humans. Lute, practically shouting, spoke that reason aloud. \"But the world wouldn't have even been saved if not for Sir Kaito Sena!\" \"Aye\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbecause the rest of you sat back and did nothing.\" Elisabeth's voice was low. Lute's whole body shook, and Aguina narrowed his gaze at her. His eyes twitched, and he tilted his head at the scornful words being directed at the races that had lost so much. \"I beg your pardon? Would you mind running that by me one more time?\" \"Until the end of days came about, until the Mad King made his move\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat can you claim to have done?\" The seeds of destruction had been sown all throughout their world, yet everyone had overlooked them and assumed they weren't their responsibility. They'd taken a horrible sinner and forced all their problems onto her. And this was where it had gotten them. The Mad King hadn't been able to prevent all the tragedies, no. But he had prevented the end of the world. And the fact that he was from another world notwithstanding\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe was nothing more than a tiny, insignificant human. \"I've little interest in assigning blame. Decide that on your own as you please. And I'm well aware of how far faith in mankind has fallen. But allow me to say this: What of your tragedies? What of your discrimination? What of your massacres?! As far as I'm concerned, none of that matters in the slightest!\" \"E-excuse me? Madam Elisabeth?\" Lute's eyes went wide in a way that they never had before. After all, his direct superior had just taken a nuanced, intricately tangled series of causes and effects and hurled them all out the window. Surely, they mattered, didn't they? However, Elisabeth had no intentions of recanting her statement. If saving the world and destroying it are both but mere matters of personal selfishness... ...Then the decision to trust, doubt, hate, or love someone was also just a matter of personal sentimentality. Based on how those emotions piled up, they could very well bring about the end of days. The problem was, who would bear the burden of what would come after? And what would those who bore nothing say? \"Aye, there was plenty of tragedy and despair to go around. I shan't ask that you join hands like brothers. I shan't ask that you try to see eye to eye. I shan't even ask you to forgive them. There can be no atonement for deeds such as those. But you would fear a blade that hasn't even been unsheathed yet, to the point of creating tragedies anew? You would abandon mankind, betray the world, and get in bed with rebels merely to survive? And moreover, you would ask me to pardon such acts? Not likely, I say\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor in the end, you and mankind are no different. You cling too cravenly to life.\" Elisabeth bared her teeth. Once, a small portion of mankind had committed horrible acts in fear of death. And this was the exact same. The demi-humans were using the Mixed-Race Massacre to justify their own actions and claim the moral high ground. It was all the same. Justice had vanished long, long ago. \"After being protected by one who believed in everyone, saved by one who believed in everyone, and allowed to live freely in a world where he now is forced to slumber...you would spout such careless drivel? I find it baffling! Utterly baffling!\" Elisabeth laughed. Humans and demi-humans were both baffling. The boy had known just how horrible people were. He knew that fact remained true, even across worlds. Yet even so, he saw the world as beautiful. Because that was where the people he cared about lived. \"So I'll protect it,\" he'd boasted. He'd smiled to the very end. And now they were trying to rob that smile of its meaning. Even though they were the ones he'd protected. \"Everyone is the same. Indeed, even I. We're all but swine, hideous beyond compare. Humanity, demi-humans, beastfolk, mixed-race folk\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhen you view us not as individuals, but as groups, none of us are deserving of belief in the slightest. Yet even so\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Even so? Elisabeth abruptly trailed off. Even so, what? What could she say? Why, she didn't even know what proper salvation looked like. But then suddenly, someone picked up where she left off. \"Yet even so\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI believe. Even to this day, I believe. I believe that God's in his heaven, and that all's right with the world.\" \"Huh?\" \"What?\" \"Hmm?\" Elisabeth, Lute, and Aguina all let out dumbfounded cries. In unison, the three of them turned. And when they did, they saw the corpse, knife still embedded in its back, slowly rise. 10 The Saint's Declaration Shall we be off? There's no need for us to hurry as though we were chasing the White Rabbit. Even so, we should stop sitting around like the Caterpillar. It would seem that everything proceeded according to my instructions. Aguina's probably carried out his task by now. It really was unfortunate that we couldn't find common ground with those two nonconformists. Now that negotiations have broken down, we have no choice but to thin our enemies' ranks. However, I find it unlikely that Aguina would be able to catch the Torture Princess by surprise. The saint, though, is another... What is it, Alice? I don't look well? It's true, I've been better. The anguish hasn't faded. For in truth, even I know. Vengeance merely begets vengeance. Despair is a vicious cycle. And demanding atonement from people with no direct connection to the massacre is absurd. Our rebellion will bring about nothing but new tragedies and fresh victims. We don't stand to accomplish anything, and it won't bring anyone happiness. But that's fine. Hell only exists within the mind, and ever since the end of days, there's been a fire burning inside me, one that no amount of rain or tears can quench. So what choice do I have but to throw oil on it? That way, it can burn and burn and burn and return this whole damn world to ash. Then once all the hatred and rage and sadness are gone, I'll finally be able to rest in peace. Nobody will have to cry anymore. But nobody will be able to smile, either. Well, so be it. If anything, the fact that people have been able to keep smiling after a tragedy like that is more perverse still. They live such carefree lives, and they're long overdue for atoning. Because if they don't, I won't be able to forgive them. Nor will my comrades. And the dead won't be able to move on. Still, though, a thought does cross my mind sometimes. If only God were more merciful. Were that the case, there might have been another way. But even if there were\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dI'm sure I would have still chosen the same path. It's stupid, I know. Nothing but irredeemable stupidity. Just that. Nothing more. \"First of all, I'd like to set your minds at ease. Your initial assessment, that I was dead, still holds true. As of now, I can no longer be counted among the living in good faith. Counting me among the dead is far more apt.\" \"Concern for others should hardly be your top priority in a situation like this! And besides, 'tis illogical for a dead man to be moving... Ah, no, I see now. You didn't have a heart or lungs to begin with.\" Upon hearing La Christoph's overly earnest statement, Elisabeth squeezed the bridge of her nose. The Modest Birdkeeper had lacked many key organs from the beginning. As a saint, La Christoph was a man who existed on the boundary between life and death. Even the poison coursing through his veins wasn't enough to keep him from being able to speak. That being said..., Elisabeth thought as she shifted her gaze. After double-checking his wound, she shook her head. \"...How long until you break down?\" \"I'm afraid I can't say. I'm no healer...and even if I were, I imagine I would have quite a difficult time diagnosing a nonliving body. That aside, the necrosis is advancing rapidly. Once my body fully decomposes, even these lips I'm talking with right now will rot away. It won't be long until I transition from a 'talking corpse' to a mere pile of flesh.\" \"Y-your body... What in the...?\" \"I'm aware of how unseemly it is, my good beastman soldier, and I'm sure I'm not very pleasant to look at right now. However, I do ask you quell your fears to the best of your ability. This body was granted unto me by God, and as such, I take great pride in it.\" Lute had let out an alarmed yelp at La Christoph's grim condition, and the saint gave him a calm reply. La Christoph's cheeks had begun slowly caving in, and his gums and teeth were visible through the round holes in them. Meanwhile, his eyes were growing dull from their outer perimeters inward. Elisabeth had been right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe was little more than a rotting corpse. The poison burned through human flesh like it was nothing. Even without organs to destroy, enough damage to the outside of his body would be enough to end La Christoph's existence once and for all. The fact that he was still able to move despite the horrific transformation he was undergoing seemed too cruel to be called divine protection. If anything, it was closer to a curse. Even so, though, Lute hurriedly saluted him. \"My deepest apologies! I consider"}, {"text": "it a great honor to be able hear the final words of the saints' representative...and I can only pray that you will forgive me for my abject failure to protect you.\" \"As far as that's concerned, you have nothing to worry about. I simply left myself open for a moment. More than just a moment, in fact. But that was all there was to it. May God's blessings and guidance be with you henceforth.\" \"Goodness me, I can't say I expected this... Who would have thought he was this inhuman?\" As Lute expressed his respect for the dead man, and La Christoph responded with gratitude, Aguina let out an astonished murmur. He reflexively adjusted his already perfectly straight spectacles a number of times. \"I even knew how alien your body was, so I should have been more careful. It would seem I've been negligent.\" \"Not at all, Aguina Elephabred. Your plan succeeded. I'm well and truly a decomposing corpse now. I see no need for anyone to chastise you. Don't you agree? I'm sure this is enough to satisfy you...my friend.\" La Christoph directed the firm statement behind Aguina. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes. Black darkness and azure flower petals were dancing at the edge of her vision. After revolving about in a spiral, the two colors compressed themselves into a sphere. Then with a pop, the sphere burst like a balloon. A girl in a blue bondage dress and a man in all black stood in its wake. It was Alice Carroll, the Fremd Torturchen, and Lewis, the mixed-race rebel. For some reason, Alice was pouting with her cheeks puffed up. She glared at Elisabeth. Lewis cast his expressionless gaze toward La Christoph, then murmured quietly to the saint on death's door. \"For your edification, as well as his... Yes, this was all part of my scheme. It's a great shame, though, La Christoph. I really did believe that you and I could become friends. None of that was a lie. Yet you chose to flee with Elisabeth and slaughter the babies. Given the nature of saints, it's perfectly reasonable we weren't able to see eye to eye, but...there's still just one thing I can't for the life of me make sense of.\" \"What might that be?\" \"Your compensation. The reward you felt was worth destroying the world and betraying all creation for. You told me that the world was going to end regardless, but there was something you wanted to obtain before it did.\" Elisabeth nodded slightly. It made sense that they'd offered La Christoph compensation as well. As Lewis talked, the stench of rotting flesh grew ever stronger. The skin sloughed off La Christoph's fingers. However, neither of them seemed to be in much of a hurry. Lewis posed his question with the utmost sincerity. \"What exactly were you planning on asking me for? Please do tell me before you rot away.\" \"A star.\" \"What?\" \"I was going to ask you for a star.\" It wasn't just Lewis\u00e2\u20ac\u201dElisabeth, Lute, and Aguina all looked utterly baffled as well. The request wasn't just impossible; it was flat-out nonsensical. It certainly wasn't something one could demand in exchange for destroying the world and betraying all creation. And it wasn't something that made sense for a saint to want, either. It was like the kind of silly thing a child would dream up. La Christoph offered no particular reaction to their shock. He simply went on, his voice unfailingly tranquil. \"Back when you asked me what I wanted, a memory from before I was canonized suddenly welled up inside me. It was night, and I had glanced up above the walkway's covering. I don't know what season it was. I don't know what happened before or after. But for a moment, a fragment of that scene spread in front of me like a painting. I saw the beautiful stars speckling the clear night sky, and I remembered how, on that day in my childhood, I wanted one of them for myself.\" \"...That sounds like little more than a trifling whim.\" \"Is it, though? Up until I remembered that, I had never once felt a single earthly desire, such to the point where it caused me to doubt whether or not I was really even human. Yet it turned out that even I once cradled something akin to a wish.\" La Christoph spoke almost as though he were talking about someone else. He blinked. The moment his swollen eyelids opened back up, his left eye spilled out and fell to the ground. Undeterred, he asked his question with a childish earnestness. \"Well, my friend? Had I made the request, would you have been able to grant it?\" The answer, of course, was no. It was a fundamentally impossible wish to grant. Lewis remained silent. La Christoph smiled, his empty eye socket in full view, then spoke once more. This time, his voice was that of an adult lecturing a child. \"We all are foolish creatures. We let greed blind us, we let fear sway us, we let death terrify us, we lose sight of God, we neglect our prayers, and we commit sins for selfish ends. Yet so, too, are we taken with absurd notions such as wishing for stars. That's simply the kind of beings we are. Abstract and fleeting as they are, we see beauty in beautiful things, and it inspires us to dream. Would you deny even that foundation and cast it into the void? Would you place shackles on those who've yet to sin?\" \"Please stop talking. That's enough. You and I will never see eye to eye; that's abundantly clear to me now. You needn't strain your throat any further before you rot away completely. I'm sure just breathing is painful enough.\" \"You speak of my pain, but...have you truly considered what it means to judge even the sinless? Are you truly prepared to accept the gravity of destroying the potential for children to look up at the sky and dream?\" \"I said, that's enough!\" \"Will it be enough to satisfy you, my friend? O ye who called me, La Christoph, a friend.\" There was no reproach in the decaying saint's voice, only sincere concern. After all, there was no way to sate the hunger that was vengeance. Only hell awaited those who tried. However, Elisabeth knew he was being naive. Lewis's response was immediate. \"I'm just as much a living corpse as you are. Satisfaction was never my aim. But as things are, I cannot die. That's all.\" No matter how hard he struggled, he would never find salvation. Lewis himself admitted that, just as Elisabeth had expected him to. He had chosen the path of vengeance after having his forgiveness utterly betrayed. He hated the world and, as such, had decided to destroy it. He knew his wounds would never heal, but he had no choice but to fight on anyway. Even if it meant nobody would be saved. Upon hearing the avenger's words, La Christoph shook his head. \"Then this is what I have to say\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto you, and to all the other sinners, may you find salvation.\" Suddenly, La Christoph moved his arms. His white bones were stained with bits of flesh and exposed all the way from his palms to his wrists. Trembling, he raised his torso upright. Inside his rib cage, the skylarks were violently flapping about. They could sense their keeper's imminent death. In stark contrast, though, La Christoph himself wove his words together leisurely. Hearing that, the skylarks grew still. \"We gather and wait.\" \"Father...\" Alice's voice was stiff as she looked to Lewis for guidance. Meanwhile, La Christoph continued his prayer. As he did, the situation inside his ribs took on an even greater change\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe skylarks were melting much the way his flesh was. \"I bow before thee and make now my humble entreaty.\" ...Hmm? Suddenly, a chill ran through Elisabeth. La Christoph's prayers were a way to convey his will to his divine beasts, and through them, God, whom he was directly connected to. The specific words he used weren't important. As such, he would often make minor changes to them to reflect the situation. But that very clearly wasn't what was going on this time. La Christoph continued his appeal, stretching his prayer longer and longer. \"Hear me, O Lord. I offer up my body and prayer as praises unto thee, kneeling before you and prostrating myself that I might make my request. Please grant mercy unto all those who ask for forgiveness.\" Those...those are the Words of a Sacrificial Lamb. Elisabeth could sense it. It was a saint's final prayer they would ever direct toward God. And it marked the moment of their death. As he spoke, his connection to God grew stronger than his flesh could withstand. The dissolved skylarks began melting together as viscously as honey. The resulting liquid had a glossy golden sheen, and it gushed out of his ribs and began coursing through his frail veins. The divine beasts were encroaching on La Christoph's body and filling him to the brim. It was an utterly horrifying transformation. Lewis silently gave Alice's back a little push. Her eyes flashed, just like they had once before. \"Why yes, that's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbad little boys don't get to come to our tea party!\" Alice flicked her wrist, and a teaspoon manifested out of the air. She clearly intended to kill La Christoph before he could launch his attack. Elisabeth and Lute got ready to intercept. But then something happened the moment before her little hand could catch the teaspoon. \"Huh?\" Whiff. Alice's wrist passed it by, then continued on through the air in a straight line. Her arm had been sliced clean off. The teaspoon clattered to the ground. Elisabeth blinked, as did Lute. Neither of them fully comprehended what it was they'd just witnessed. And Alice, it seemed, was no different. She gazed at her arm and the blood gushing from it and let out a bewildered cry. \"Huh? What? Huh? I'm fine, but it hurts all the same. Who did\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? Hweh!\" \"Alice, I know it hurts, but you can't let your confusion distract you. Fall back.\" Lewis retrieved Alice's arm by snatching it out of the air, then used his other hand to grab Alice by the hem of her dress and pull her backward. Not a moment later, a sharp blade carved a second slice through the air right where her head had been just a second before. The blade's wielder was neither Elisabeth nor Lute. It was a third party, one who looked remarkably familiar. At some point, an oddly familiar figure had appeared before Alice and Lewis. They were short, and their body was covered in tattered black rags. Their face wasn't visible beneath their hood, but there was a dagger faintly peeking out of the edge of their sleeve. And it was a dagger Elisabeth recognized well. It was the dagger a certain man had once used to slice his own arm off. \"...Butcher?\" The words dribbled weakly from Elisabeth's lips. Lute gasped in disbelief. However, the figure offered no reaction. From beneath their rags, they silently kicked at the ground a few times. Red blood raced across the floor, then formed a circle around Elisabeth and Lute. Darkness and flower petals began gushing up into the air as a teleportation circle traced itself at their feet. Elisabeth, immediately realizing what was going on, ground her teeth. You would have us flee?! Aye, the situation calls for retreat. But\u00e2\u20ac\u201d! La Christoph's bombardment was going to be stronger than ever before. Being in the same room as him was hardly an option. Now that there was no risk of him getting killed before his attack could go off, escaping was the prudent course of action. La Christoph had no doubt made the choice he had out of a belief that the two of them would be able to get out on their own"}, {"text": "in time. However, leaving this bizarre situation as it was wasn't the greatest plan, either. In spite of that, though, the teleportation circle began activating on its own. Lute made to dash out. In a flash, Elisabeth reached her verdict. She grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back to her side. \"La Christoph! ...Rgh, Madam Elisabeth, why?! La Christoph's going to\u00e2\u20ac\u201d!\" \"No. Stay. If we flee the circle now, we'll never make it out in time. We shan't know what's happening, nor whose work this was, but...we can't stand to lose any more valuable personnel.\" \"But\u00e2\u20ac\u201d!\" \"La Christoph is already dead. If your sole objective is to save him, you'd best cast it aside. All it will bring about is more bodies.\" Elisabeth's voice was cold and hard. Lute gulped and went silent. With his shoulder still in her hand, he ground his fangs and stopped trying to move. Meanwhile, Elisabeth continued staring at the dark figure's back. The short, tattered-clothed figure stooped over a little. They were looking at La Christoph, and when they did, the saint seemed to see inside the figure's hood. His remaining right eye went wide. His collapsing face curled into a grotesque smile. Seeming somehow relieved, he let out a murmur. \"Ah... So...y...ou.........came...\" As disjointed and faltering his voice was, it sounded remarkably calm. The next moment, his right eye rapidly swelled up from within and ruptured. Blood and putrefaction fluid dribbled down his cheek like tears. Elisabeth shifted her gaze toward Alice. Alice was in the middle of struggling to reattach her severed arm. Plus, La Christoph's body was about to give out. Now was their only chance. However, she was aware that La Christoph's consciousness would be hazy, so she knew she had to call out to him. Even though she also knew that doing so would spell his death. \"La Christoph, now!\" \"...Ah...yes. Thank you...for telling...me. I will put an end...to this.\" The Torture Princess had told the dying man to die. La Christoph opened his mouth and spoke with unbelievable clarity. He imbued his prayer with his firm will as he brought it to its close. His closing words were ludicrous, a prayer that would never be granted. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dAnd may salvation find us all.\" Suddenly, his back split open. Flesh and spine came bursting out, and a voice outside the range of human perception split the air. Something had broken free from the cage that was La Christoph and was beginning to take flight. A pair of golden wings unfurled. They belonged to a massive bird, larger than even the ones La Mules had once wielded. Appearing to have deemed La Christoph's innards a hindrance, it sprayed them across the room. As it did, a red wall rose up to obscure Elisabeth's vision. Yet even so, she saw it all the same. When the man who'd devoted his life to prayer and devotion met his end, it was hideous, gruesome, and surprisingly tranquil. La Christoph quietly closed what little remained of his eyelids. His face was that of one who didn't doubt for a moment that his prayer had reached God. And his expression was that of a boy looking up at the stars. He smiled\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dknowing that God was with him. 11 Her Quiet Murmur \"...Father? Hey, Father?\" \"Alice, don't force yourself to talk. You may be accustomed to pain, but I'm sure this is harsh, even for you.\" \"Oh, no, I'm fine... If I'm not talking, I won't be able to keep calm. That was awful. Truly, truly awful. Dark magic doesn't work right against sacred beasts. Even though I used Humpty Dumpty, my legs and arms are lying all about, like in Mother Goose's 'The Untidy Man.' Why, it's a wonder I even survived. But I'm just glad you didn't get hurt, Father. You didn't get hurt, did you?\" \"No. Thanks to you, I'm fine. I'm sure everyone will sing your praises, saying I don't deserve to have a daughter half as wonderful as you.\" \"Tee-hee. Well, that's good, then. I got a compliment from you, Father, and that's plenty enough for me. It was awful, though, the way the lizard man survived by sneaking into our egg.\" \"He is working with us, you know. Please find it in yourself to forgive him.\" \"Oh, all right... By the way, Father, were you looking for a friend?\" \"...What makes you think that?\" \"Well, it looked like you were trying to get along with that bird guy... So I was wondering if you'd wanted to be friends with him.\" \"I suppose I did. But I misjudged him. He, too, was one who was taken from, but he and I weren't able to understand each other. \"The two of us could never have become friends. The cloths we were cut from were simply too different.\" \"Oh, I see... Well, that's sad.\" \"And I'm sure you're disappointed, too, no? You'd been looking forward to it so much, but you weren't able to make the friend you'd hoped.\" \"Ah, that's right! That's right; Elisabeth was horrid! She would get mad out of nowhere and go on and on about the most confusing, incomprehensible things! I was so sure she'd be able to understand my pain. So why, I wonder?\" \"That should go without saying, I think. Your very existence lay outside her ability to comprehend, young lady.\" \"Shut up, lizard man. Next time you talk out of turn, it's off with your head! But that's right... Maybe she just got the wrong idea about me.\" \"...The wrong idea, hmm?\" \"She's too far away to talk to now...but you got the wrong idea about me, Elisabeth. We're the same, he and I. Kaito Sena's position and mine are opposites, that's all. And good and evil can change ever so easily. \"I'm sure you know that, too. \"So I'm confident that it won't be long.\" The image of burning gold was covered up by a crimson wall. The bloody hue filled Elisabeth's vision. Soon, small fissures began spidering their way across the wall. Then with a sharp crack, it shattered, exposing a sight that Elisabeth was quite familiar with. It was a well-sanitized room that had been built in a massive recess inside a tree. Cots were lined up at regular intervals atop its smooth, level floor, and flower-laden vines hung from the ceiling as makeshift curtains. They were in the area that had once been set up as the World Tree's interim infirmary. Even after the end of days was averted, they'd decided to have it continue operating as is as a countermeasure against exceptional disasters. At the moment, the room was filled with the smell of disinfectant\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut that wasn't all. There was also the rusty reek of blood. Elisabeth quickly glanced around the room. There were drops of blood on the floor between the cots, and the infirmary's patients were all huddled in a corner. Due to Elisabeth and Lute's abrupt arrival, they were looking at them with shock on their faces. What exactly happened here? What had happened, and how had it ended? A few healers were about, cleaning the soiled ground with hygienic masks covering their mouths. One of them looked up. After giving instructions to the other confused healers, the goat-headed woman walked over to Elisabeth and Lute and removed her mask. \"I can't say that's the way I expected you to come back, Lute. In theory, only those who've received permission from the World Tree itself can teleport in or out of it. It came as quite a surprise, seeing you appear like that.\" \"Ain? You're back from your dispatch already?! And that blood... What in the world happened?!\" It was Lute's wife, Ain. Upon hearing her words, Elisabeth frowned. It was true; the Three Kings of the Forest's home, the World Tree, was no easy place to invade. Yet she and Lute had been sent there directly, and by a mysterious individual who'd been dressed the same as the Butcher, no less. In short...whoever they were, they had the World Tree's blessing? \"The group of demi-humans who took refuge in the World Tree was suffering from acute fatigue, so I was asked to return at once. Also, I heard that our people had been attacked, so I knew we would need skilled healers. I came back as quickly as I could, but...as you can see, the situation turned ugly.\" \"What happened? You're not hurt, are you, dear?\" \"If I were wounded, do you think I would be so negligent in treating it?\" \"No, I suppose not... Then who\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Some of the demi-humans turned on you, then?\" Elisabeth cut Lute's question off with one of her own. Lute's shoulders jolted. It was an obvious conclusion to draw. After all, there was no way that Aguina Elephabred was the sole demi-human who'd turned against the three races. Plus, the World Tree was hard to attack and easy to defend. However, nobody would have expected an attack from within, and the demi-humans from the first sector, the royalty, and the high officials had already been invited to evacuate here. For the traitors, it was the best opportunity imaginable. It still wouldn't be easy, but if they could cause a panic and kidnap the Three Kings of the Forest during the mayhem, victory would be theirs. However... \"Given that you're spending your time cleaning, though, I take it you avoided the worst-case scenario.\" \"I see it won't be difficult filling you in. After they arrived, and while they were being led to the area with the guest quarters, the demi-humans turned on us. The human king came running, but they captured him, then began making their way to the lower levels. Some of them even tried to use themselves as suicide bombers to stop our forces from pursuing them\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut before they could, their explosives were all disabled. We had Madam Izabella Vicker and Madam Jeanne de Rais to thank for that.\" Elisabeth nodded. That made sense. Jeanne turned into an idiot when it came to matters involving Izabella, but for everything else, she was quick on the uptake and calm and decisive when she acted. Throwing her for a loop was no easy task. If the hostages she'd been charged with protecting turned on her, she wouldn't hesitate to demolish them. \"The human king is safe now. Most of the fighting happened around the guest quarters, but a group of demi-humans who'd been brought to the infirmary tried to take the other patients hostage by force, so we had to deal with them.\" \"Hmm? You mean to say the carnage here was your doing?\" \"Not to worry. Most of this is from little more than nosebleeds. We may have caused hemorrhaging in a few lungs, but nothing serious enough to do permanent damage.\" Ain was forthright with her answer. Beastfolk healers couldn't use magic, but their skill with herbs was unparalleled, and they had extensive knowledge of the three races' physiologies. Plus, although Elisabeth hadn't known about it, it would appear they also went through regular military training, perhaps so as to be able to function better when they had to serve as battlefield medics. A pained look crossed Lute's face. It looked like the two of them might have quarreled about the subject in the past, but now it had come as the situation's silver lining. However, Ain's gaze darkened. \"That said, the situation quickly got messy. The thing is, not all the demi-humans were working with the traitors.\" \"...They weren't?\" \"Many of them\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwomen, children, the king's relatives, and the like\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhadn't been apprised of the coming rebellion. Is that about the shape of it?\" \"That's right. They were shocked, and some of them even tried to protect us. At first, we couldn't make sense of any of it. At the moment, most of the insurgents are imprisoned in the cells...but the ones who hadn't known about their plans are being held together in the central plaza, and the Three Kings"}, {"text": "of the Forest are currently debating their fates.\" Lute reacted to Ain's initial statement with bewilderment, but Elisabeth immediately sussed out the reason behind the internal division. Yet again, it all came back to the demi-humans' obsession with blood purity. Aguina and the other traitors had wanted to make sure the citizens with the highest and second-highest grade of blood purity didn't get completely wiped out, so they probably concealed the information about the hostages and the traitorous demands being made of them from some of their comrades. They knew that if they kept them from being complicit in the betrayal, the beastfolk would spare them. That way, even if the mixed-race folk lost, the demi-humans' roots would survive. Elisabeth thought back on Aguina's words. \"Protecting our blood purity is important to preserve our people's dignity\u00e2\u20ac\u201din fact, it's absolutely essential. As I see it, we have no other choice.\" Aguina was willing to prioritize his people's dignity over his own happiness to the bitter end. His family had been taken hostage, and on top of all that, the betrayal he was being asked to make served to advance his people's interests. At that point, how could anyone possibly say no? From the demi-humans' perspective, Aguina's decision was no doubt right and proper. 'Tis a hideous choice, one devoid of reason\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyet even so, I've little doubt that man intends to see it through. As Elisabeth thought, a conflicted expression crossed Lute's face. \"Madam Elisabeth, I'm heading to the cells to confirm the situation. Then I have to go to the imperial family and the Three Kings of the Forest and tell them what we know about the demi-humans' betrayal.\" \"Aye, good. 'Tis important that a report be given, and they'd never grant me an audience with the Three Kings. Be off.\" \"Pardon me, then. And, Ain, I'm glad you aren't hurt. We'll talk more later.\" After calling over to his beloved wife, Lute left the room. As Elisabeth watched him go, she suddenly realized something. Why had Aguina asked Lute to come with him? Part of it was probably to use her subordinate to get her and La Christoph to lower their guards. On that front, the gambit had been a complete success. However, there was another important reason as well. Instead of having to relay the information through Elisabeth, Aguina wanted Lute, as a beastman, to see the situation and the choice Aguina had made firsthand. That way, it would serve as a question. The mixed-race folk are starting an uprising. The humans have been betrayed. The demi-humans did the betraying. Now\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat will the beastfolk do? Two of their imperial princesses had been murdered. Even though there was no way they'd work with the mixed-race folk, there was still the possibility of them joining forces with the demi-humans in the coming war. Unlike the demi-humans with their captured settlement, the beastfolk had no clear reason to fight. But that was why Aguina had gone out of his way to share his fears about the future with Lute. Mankind had caused a tragedy. Yet even now, the power gap between them and the other two races continued to grow. At some point in the future, the minorities were going to find themselves absorbed. So would they rather be ruled by the mixed-race folk, or the humans? That was the choice they had to make. Humans weren't even aware of how exclusivist they were. And both the other races knew it. In the end, what will the beastfolk do? Elisabeth gazed at Lute's back as he receded down the hallway. She wordlessly clenched her fists. It's time for a story. A beautiful, poignant fairy tale. Three years ago, the world very nearly met a tragic end. However, that seemingly immutable fate was altered by a single person. And the one who accomplished that miraculous feat wasn't a grand hero of any sort. He was a boy who had reincarnated from another world following a life of abuse and a meaningless death. He got a second chance at life, then had a number of experiences, some horrifying and some irreplaceable. Then after a long series of battles, he obtained a colossal amount of mana and used it to save someone precious to him. And while he was at it, he saved the world. By sacrificing himself. After burdening himself with God and Diablo, the boy fell into a deep slumber at the World's End. Thanks to his deeds, the people of the world managed to avoid the apocalypse. The greatest good for the greatest number was, surely, the greatest outcome. It was a tale of admiration, foolishness, and love. But whenever someone's story ends, there are some things that yet remain. With its lease on life renewed, the world continued on. But the bells would eventually toll on a new curtain's rise. For that is the way bells and curtains are. However, every single thing about the new story\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dis hideous and vile. A gust of wind struck Elisabeth on the cheek. She was standing out on a balcony. It had been built atop one of vast branches that jutted out from the World Tree. She stood there and silently looked down. There was a long scar on the ground that cut through the forest surrounding the World Tree\u00e2\u20ac\u201dVlad's handiwork from the end of days. Modest had never exactly been part of the man's vocabulary. Things inside were tumultuous, but out there, it was quiet and still. A flock of birds flapped their way across the pale-blue sky. By then, day had already broken. Elisabeth opened her mouth and broke the silence. \"So why follow me here?\" \"Why, indeed...? I'm not sure even I can fully explain it.\" Ain had come to stand beside her at some point. Ever since Elisabeth had left the infirmary, Ain had been walking alongside her. Ain took off her face mask and gazed up at the sky with her inhuman eyes. For a little while, the only sound was that of the birds. Eventually, though, Ain quietly spoke. \"There was a day, once, when I asked a young man who seemed like himself, yet at the same time, like someone else, if he was well. He smiled and said he was fine. 'I'm still me, after all...' Even to this day, I'm not sure if it was my duty as a healer to stop him or not.\" \"...Hmm. I don't know who it is you're speaking of, but he sounds like a most foolish man indeed.\" \"Mm, and I suspect that this might be why I followed you.\" \"Hmm? I don't follow.\" \"You remind me of him quite a lot. You were both harshly wounded, you were both filled with resignation, and you both refused to lose what was important to you. He may have been a sinless soul, and you may be a peerless sinner, but the two of you have the same eyes. And one other thing.\" \"That being?\" \"I only just found out, but I'm pregnant.\" *** Elisabeth couldn't help but let out a hysterical yelp. The birds resting on the World Tree all hurriedly took off. Ain was the very image of composure, but in contrast, Elisabeth's mouth hung wide open. \"No, wait, surely Lute, not I, should be the first to hear\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Now, I can't claim to know all the specifics of what's going on.\" Ain cut Elisabeth off and continued. She gently stroked her belly. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes. The imperial beastfolk princesses had been murdered, and the demi-humans had betrayed them. Those were the only two things Ain knew. However, that was more than enough to realize that peacetime was over. Ain's next words sounded almost like a prayer. \"All I wish for is a world where our child can live with a smile on their face.\" \"Are you truly prepared to accept the gravity of destroying the potential for children to look up at the sky and dream?\" The reason Ain had said that probably had to do with how similar the Torture Princess was to the Mad King. He had once saved the world, and Ain's subconscious had driven her to make the same wish to the person who most resembled him. And at the same time, Elisabeth heard La Christoph's words overlaid with Ain's. For a short moment, Elisabeth had her breath taken away. The situation was utter chaos. It was unclear which path the beastfolk would take, the humans were idiots, and the Torture Princess had no idea what the best option would ultimately be. And yet... In a world forcibly made even through revenge, some things will invariably be lost. \"Excuse me, I need to go speak with Lute.\" There were some things that simply couldn't grow in the soil left in hatred's wake. Instinctively realizing that, Elisabeth turned to leave. The moment she did, Ain looked up in shock. With an ominous feeling in her gut, Elisabeth stopped in her tracks. The heavy flapping sound of wings had filled the air. The next moment, countless figures filled the sky. Thousands upon thousands of birds had all taken flight at once. It was like a storm, or like a black cloud blotting out the sky. It was a bizarre sight, and certainly not one that had come about naturally. The birds were utterly terrified. Then from amid the countless figures\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dan imposing voice boomed through the sky. \"Hear ye, ladies and gentlemen! \"Let my words be heard as a record of our subservience. Let them be heard as a lamentation of the humiliating lives you've forced us into. Let them be heard as a cry of rage at the cruelty of the fates you've subjected us to. And let them be heard as a hymn of joy. We have wept, and we have wept, and we have wept, and we have no tears left to shed. What choice do we have, then, but to rejoice in your tyranny? We have surpassed resignation, we have transcended despair, and at long last, we have found our answer. But you people can't even begin to imagine the cruelties we had to suffer to reach it. \"You only see what you want to see, only hear what you want to hear. \"It is in weakness that people have room to grow. Yet you persisted in your ignorance. So, so many of you insisted on continuing your insane foolishness. Who allowed you to be so stupid, so cruel? \"Why should we have to forgive you? \"For make no mistake\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwe have been called on to forgive you time and again. \"A thought crossed my mind once\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif the end of days truly had been upon us, maybe it would have all been fine. All your atrocities could be forgiven, written off as isolated incidents of fear-induced derangement. \"But God and Diablo failed to bring down the hammer\u00e2\u20ac\u201dso I must do it in their stead. \"I'll take this world, I'll make it my own, and I'll kill every last fool who walks upon it. I don't need a reason. After all, justice died long ago. At this point, what use does anyone have for something so decent and proper? And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether I do anything; it won't affect our ultimate fate. Salvation isn't coming, ladies and gentlemen. Not for you, not for anyone. And certainly not for me. \"It's clear now that God has no mercy. \"It's clear now there is no other way. \"The sun has gone dark\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnow, let the killing commence. \"We, the mixed-race folk, hereby declare our rebellion against you.\" \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLonginus.\" Elisabeth snapped her fingers. When she did, a spear shot through the flock faster than a bolt of lightning, like an act of divine retribution. Elisabeth's attack struck true, piercing through the communication device hidden among the birds. It tumbled to the ground with an earsplitting screech. The announcement was over. However, every single person gathered in the World Tree had"}, {"text": "undoubtedly heard Lewis's words. Elisabeth clenched her fists tight. Then and there, the proclamation had been made. The opening act was over, and the war had begun in earnest. They'd escaped the end of days and been saved, but now the curtain had well and truly risen on a new stage. The avengers were revolutionizing the world. At long last, punishment had caught up with sin. 'Tis only natural those killed should bear grudges. The day of forgiveness would never come. And the victims had every right to curse, resent, and detest the world. However, Elisabeth thought as she dug her nails into her palms. Before she could finish the thought, though, she heard a familiar voice call out from behind her. \"Ah, Madam Elisabeth, there you are! I imagine you heard that just now. They're moving faster than we expected!\" \"That was a rather bold declaration of war they just made. I had thought they would lie low for a little longer. In any case, though, the humans and beastfolk intend to hold a conference, and... Lady? Whassup? That face you're makin' ain't like ya.\" Izabella and Jeanne came running toward her. It would appear that when they heard the decree, they'd immediately come looking for her. However, Elisabeth remained silent. She gazed out over the now-quiet forest. Then after narrowing her eyes as though trying to see to the world's end, she finally spoke. \"Aye, I suppose that's necessary... However, I hope you'll excuse me if I slip away for a bit. It shall take some time to get things set up, I imagine? I've every intention of returning before I'm needed... Or rather, should I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" Elisabeth glanced over at Ain. There was something she needed to tell Lute. However, Ain returned Elisabeth's crimson gaze and shook her head. She stroked her still-thin belly. \"It would seem you and I were thinking much the same thing. If you have somewhere you wish to be, then by all means, go. I'll speak to him. Besides, if he heard about the pregnancy from anyone but me, he might well faint.\" \"Aye, true. Lute has many traits, and getting overly shocked by things is certainly one of them. I leave him to you, then.\" Elisabeth gave her a small nod and walked off. Izabella watched her, puzzled. That said, she didn't move to stop her. She bit her lip in thought. Her face, which was still beautiful despite the drastic change it had undergone, contorted in sorrow. Jeanne remained expressionless, but her voice took on a concerned tone. \"My lady...is something the matter?\" \"Forgive me. I just remembered some business I need to attend to. There's somewhere I have to go before the meeting. You should stay with His Majesty.\" \"No, I'm coming with you. I'm yours, in body and soul.\" \"I appreciate the sentiment, but I ask that you let me go alone. Please don't follow me.\" After making her wishes exceedingly clear, Izabella strode off as well. She passed Elisabeth and left the area. Elisabeth glanced back over her shoulder. The golden Torture Princess was standing in abject shock. Then all of a sudden, she collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. Jeanne accompanied her over-the-top reaction with a small whisper. \"Have I already been rejected, by any chance? Maaaaan...are you for real?\" \"I can't say I know the particulars of your situation, but are you sure you aren't just jumping to conclusions?\" Ain immediately began consoling her. As she listened to them, Elisabeth started walking again. She withdrew her jewel, then flipped it into the air. A teleportation circle traced itself atop the ground. Crimson flower petals and black darkness whirled through the air, and a cylindrical wall the color of blood rose up around her. When it shattered, the Torture Princess was gone. Once again, Elisabeth had vanished from the beastfolk lands. She materialized in a place with no night or day. It was a pure place, one crafted from snow and water, wind and mana. Above her head, a rainbow curtain fluttered in a milky-white sky with no sun or moon. Her surroundings were beautiful, but it was a hollow beauty. Dainty crystals fell from the sky and crunched underfoot as she walked. Eventually, she reached a sight she'd seen time and again. There were two pillars of ivy toppled over, like corpses of giants. The two of them were lying on top of each other and propping each other up. A shrine-like cave sat at their center. Elisabeth sat down in it, surrounded by ivy decorated with azure and crimson roses. Suddenly, she let her body go limp. A small thump echoed as her back impacted the crystal. She quietly closed her eyes, as she had once before. Two people were sleeping inside the crystal at her back. They were as silent as ever, and unchanging smiles adorned their faces. The crystal was cold and hard. The distance its clear walls separated was slim, yet it was farther than the World's End. Kaito Sena wasn't the Torture Princess. He wasn't a saint. He wasn't even the Mad King. He was just a boy. Yet now he was slumbering with his bride, bearing the burden of a world that by all rights he should have had nothing to do with. Elisabeth thought. The boy had known just how horrible people were. He knew that fact remained true, even across worlds. Yet even so, he saw the world as beautiful. Because that was where the people he cared about lived. \"So I'll protect it,\" he'd boasted. He'd smiled to the very end. And now people were trying to rob that smile of its meaning. Everyone is the same. Indeed, even I. They were all but swine, hideous beyond compare. Humanity had made a mistake, countless people had stood by and watched, the mixed-race folk had turned to vengeance, the imperial princesses had died nobly, the demi-human man had betrayed the world for those he cared about, and the saints' representative had died with a heart full of belief in both God and creation. Now the survivors were jumping at shadows and starting a new battle. And the world would keep turning, just as properly as ever. Humanity, demi-humans, beastfolk, and mixed-race folk were all the same. When they were viewed not as individuals, but as groups, none of them were deserving of belief in the slightest. Yet even so\u00e2\u20ac\u201d ...Even so? \"Say, Kaito...\" Still facing forward, Elisabeth let out a whisper. The Torture Princess refused to turn around. Yet even so, she let out a quiet murmur, like a single drop of blood shed straight from the heart. \"...would it not be better for a world such as this simply to end?\" She received no answer. Inside the crystal, the world's two saviors simply kept on smiling. Afterword It's gotten quite cold lately, hasn't it? Now, who was it that wrote \"the next book is coming out this summer\" in the end of Volume 6? Ah, right, that idiot Ayasato. I'm truly ashamed. Still, thank you for buying Torture Princess, Volume 7. Not only did I run into a number of unforeseen complications after I finished Volume 6, but I also ended up exhausting myself so badly that it affected my health. Thanks to my editor giving me both advice and time, though; I'm confident I was able to finish the book itself without having to compromise on its quality. I offer my deepest apologies to everyone who was eagerly awaiting the series' continuation, but I really hope you enjoy the book now that it's finally out. Now, I'm running out of space here, so I have to get to the acknowledgments fairly quickly. To Saki Ukai, for all your wonderful art; to my editor O, for all your kindnesses; and to Hina Yamato, for your lovingly crafted manga adaptation, thank you so much. I'd also like to extend deep thanks to everyone else involved in the process, as well as to my beloved family, particularly my sister. And most importantly, to all the readers who waited patiently for Volume 7 and are now finally reading it, you have my sincerest thanks. If it isn't too much to ask, I hope you see both the book and the series as a whole through to their coming conclusions. What lies beyond that single lamentation and that single meeting? Is it something\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor is it nothing? Epilogue, as well as Their Prologue Down at the bottom of the well, Sara Yuuki had a dream. Her frail arms were covered in cigarette burns, her broken fingers were stiff from how they'd knit, the right half of her body was crushed from when she'd been thrown down there, and her eyeballs were clouded over. It was unlikely that her body would ever be found. Her fourth father and her mother, who was head over heels for him, would probably just claim she'd run off. Just like how Alice had gone off to Wonderland. They'd say she'd gone far, far away. As the pain continued weighing heavily on her, she gazed up hazily at the sky. The falling rain clogged up her throat. By that point, she couldn't even tell if bugs were crawling into her mouth or not anymore. For a moment, the thought I don't want to die flashed through her mind, but the young girl wasn't even sure if it had been caused by a legitimate attachment to life or merely by fear. Sara Yuuki's life was fading away. But instead of infinite blackness, she saw a dancing light. It was almost like her life was flashing before her eyes, like in stories. But this was something else entirely, something sinister. There were corpses of some strange creatures as far as the eye could see. Tons and tons and tons of some part-lizard, part-dog, part-human creatures had been cast aside. All of them were dead. Their chests had been torn open, and their limbs had been ripped off. Their eyes, ears, teeth, and tongues were all missing. Each of them lacked so much as a shred of basic dignity. Someone was weeping before the mountain of corpses. He tenderly stroked each one as he wailed. The man's face was shockingly ugly. Its right half was reptilian, and its left half was human. However, both sides were filled with a profound grief. It made his face look much more human than either of Sara's parents' had. The weeping continued for a long, long time. Suddenly, though, he stopped, as though he had no tears left to shed. He turned his golden eyes toward Sara. She gasped. It was clear from his expression that he was a victim. No, his eyes burned with malice and rage, and there was a warped smile plastered across his face. Sara could tell\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat man was broken. And just like her, someone had broken him. Then an overpowering voice filled the air. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dGod and Diablo failed to bring down the hammer. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dSo I must do it in their stead.\" And then with a firm thump, Sara Yuuki's heart stopped as though the bell signaling the end had been rung. Sara Yuuki, the girl who should have been dead, opened her eyes once more. The light of a bonfire filled her gaze. She appeared to be in a dimly lit stone room. She blinked. Standing in front of her was the man from before. Now, though, he was wearing a mask that had been cut in half. His visible eye had none of the passion she'd seen in it earlier. Now it was empty and hollow. All of a sudden, the man in black parted his thin lips, looked straight at Sara, and spoke. \"O Sinless Soul, stricken down in a manner most foul\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfrom this day forth, you will live as our weapon.\" His tone left no room for refusal. However, Sara didn't understand what he meant. She was simply confused. Then the man in black shook"}, {"text": "his head. He began murmuring like a man possessed. \"No, no. That's not it. You finally came... I was finally able to call you, O wounded soul, O pure being from another world, O beacon of our hope, O answer to our prayers, O key to our revolution of the world.\" The man in black knelt before her. That was when Sara realized. The man was trembling so hard that he couldn't stop. He was crying. Tears were rolling down his emotionless face. He launched into a desperate plea without so much as explaining the situation. \"You'll help us, won't you? You'll become our hope? Become our joy? I've been waiting for you\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI've been waiting for you for so, so long. O reincarnation from another world. O limitless vessel.\" I'm truly happy I got to meet you. That was what the man in black was saying. And for Sara Yuuki, that was enough. *** She gently reached out her hands. Then Sara\u00e2\u20ac\u201dno, now she was nobody, just a dead girl\u00e2\u20ac\u201dembraced the man tight. He went stiff. The girl whispered affectionately so as to wipe away his sorrow. \"You did call me, didn't you? You invited me to Wonderland... All right, then, very well. From now on, I'll live for your sake. I'll be your hope, your joy, and anything else you want me to be. But I have one request, if I may. \"I'm afraid I don't know much about weapons, so if it's okay, I'd like to be your daughter instead.\" The girl smiled. \"Of course,\" the man replied. That marked the moment of their meeting\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe meeting between the solitary girl and the solitary monster. It's time for a story. I hope you'll be kind enough to remember it. No matter what may come, please remember this truth. It's a story of a girl who was brutally killed by a human, and a story of a monster who was cruelly killed by a human. Or perhaps it's a story of a child who was abandoned by her parents, and an avenger who decided to destroy the world. A story of nothing more\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthan repentance, dreams, and hatred. A story of salvation. A Message from Someone (1) Hello. It's nice to meet you. You know, it brings me great joy to have my voice reach you like this. Are you a man? A woman? Either way, I'm very glad, and either way, it doesn't matter in the slightest. After all, you exist in this world. And that means you must be one of God's creations. That's the only thing that matters. As such, I find this miracle all the more delightful. Do you have any idea just how glad I am? I suspect eternity could pass and you still wouldn't be able to fathom the depths of my joy. Ah, that's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou don't know anything about me. You don't know what my face looks like, or what my voice sounds like, or what sort of flesh and bone I'm made up of. You don't know how I've lived my life, or how I was loved, or how my deeds were exaggerated, or what they made me out to be. You know nothing. Nor do you have any reason to. And so I say, It's nice to meet you. And thank you for lending an ear to me, me, and me alone. I extend to you my deepest gratitude. But at the same time, I can't help but wonder\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis my voice actually reaching you? Perhaps in truth, this message of mine is going unheard. Just like it did all those lifetimes ago. But if so, that's fine, too. At the end of the day, you listening or not doesn't really change anything. After all, this is much like a prayer, and prayer is supposed to be a one-way street. It's the same as when you all prayed. Was I listening? Was I not? Either way, it didn't really matter. Wouldn't you agree? Kaito's Daily Routine (Front Side) Once someone dies, that's it. No amount of weeping and pleading will change the fact that their existence is over. However, Kaito Sena was one of the rare exceptions to that rule. After many years of inhumane abuse at the hands of his father, he died a meaningless death. But instead of fading away, his existence persisted. Even now, he could vividly remember the moment in which he was murdered. His was a rare situation, to be sure. And in many ways, a decidedly unfortunate one. Kaito Sena mused on that fact as he found himself being killed. As the hands tightened around his neck, he realized that it was all just a dream. I gotta say, it's pretty unpleasant having to relive my death in my dreams and not even be able to wake up when I want to. It was something that had already happened. There was no way to stop it. His feeble body had no hope of fighting off the large man who was straddling him. Resisting would only make the despair last longer. And so yet again, he got strangled to death atop that damp tatami mat. His arteries and windpipe gave way. His spine creaked under the pressure. A dry snapping noise echoed out. Then it happened. \"Taaaaaaaaaaaake that!\" \"Hurgh!\" An absurdly carefree voice rang through the air, and as it did, an intense blow struck Kaito straight in the chest. The shock from the blow immediately snapped him awake, and his limbs went stiff as he contorted in pain. He blinked, then realized that he was lying on a dry sheet. The solid stone ceiling above him filled his view. It had no fluorescent lights, nor did it have any stains. It wasn't the room he'd lived in when he was alive. Kaito frowned. Where was he, and what was he doing there? Then at long last, he finally remembered the grave, hard-to-believe reality of his situation. Ah, that's right. I... ...reincarnated in another world. He gingerly glanced to his side. Standing beside his bed was the exact person he'd expected. Her black hair was long and lustrous, her skin was so fair that it seemed almost translucent, and her eyes were as red as jewels. She was wearing a bondage dress composed of leather straps that just barely covered her breasts, and her arms were crossed in front of her. And as for her shapely, high-heeled leg, it was buried in Kaito's stomach. Now Kaito had a clearer picture of what was going on. That impact from a moment ago had been her giving him an ax kick. He almost voiced a complaint but stopped the moment before the words left his mouth. His self-preservation instincts were screaming at him to shut up. He shifted his gaze over to the window. Golden light was leaking in through its shutters. Gears turned in Kaito's head as he sorted through the new information. Dawn had long since broken. At the moment, he was working as a butler, despite his protests. And his master was none other than the young woman who had just struck him in the chest. The proud wolf and the lowly sow. The peerless sinner. The Torture Princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201dElisabeth Le Fanu. She was already up and dressed, and he was still lying on his bed. It was becoming clear to Kaito why she had kicked him. \"I see you're up early, Miss Elisabeth... No, yeah, I'm just up late.\" \"Ah, so you're aware you've overslept, then, Kaito? 'Tis some nerve you have, indulging yourself in indolence beyond even that of your master.\" Elisabeth's smile was as malevolent as it was beautiful. Kaito's face blanched. Now he'd gone and done it. And with that, Kaito Sena greeted the morning\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dpart of a long series of cruel, bizarre days. Elisabeth Le Fanu, the Torture Princess, was a peerless sinner. She had murdered countless people, starting with the population of her own fiefdom. But that tyranny of hers didn't last long. The Church captured her. By all rights, she should have been put to death on the spot. However, her execution was delayed. Her order was to do some good for the world before she was to be killed at the stake. And so began the Torture Princess's crusade against the remaining thirteen demons and their contractors, leaving aside the already-captured Kaiser. Demons were higher entities that destroyed the world and fed on the pain of God's creations. And Kaito himself had already gotten a glimpse of how horrifying they could be. He'd seen the work of the Knight, weakest of the fourteen, firsthand. Everything was still fresh in his mind, how the Knight had attacked the innocent villagers with atrocities so vile that they had made Kaito want to avert his eyes. But perhaps the most gruesome atrocity of all had been the demon getting Drawn and Quartered\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe punishment that Elisabeth inflicted on the Knight for his sins. No matter which side Kaito looked at, hell was all that awaited his gaze. Outside the battles, though, Kaito's life was actually fairly peaceful. Well, under some definitions of the word, at least. Can you really call a life with this many flying plates in it \"peaceful,\" though? Not sure about that one. \"This! Is! Viiiiiiiiiiiiiile!\" Kaito crossed his arms and pondered that thought. As he did, some stewed tongue with mashed potatoes came hurtling toward him. He didn't even have to look to know that Elisabeth was the culprit. The crime fit her MO. The plate then turned around like a boomerang and began miraculously making its way back. Kaito caught it as it sprayed sauce through the air. He shook his head in exasperation. \"You know, I tried to make the menu as idiotproof as possible. Don't tell me I screwed even that up.\" \"I have a taste, as I'm sure you're aware. A preference for organ meat. But I'll have you know that even I have my limits! I bite in, expecting the sumptuous harmony of meat and vegetables to fill my mouth, and what I receive instead is the hellish flavor of blood! The vegetables are so mushy that they've lost any semblance of texture, yet somehow, the tongue manages to be hard as a rock! Is your aim to shatter my teeth?! This meal is an affront to all five senses!\" \"I'm sure your teeth are gonna be fine. And also, I feel like I say this a lot, but you've got a crazy knack for food criticism, you know that?\" \"This is no time to be idly admiring my talents! Haven't you even a shred of remorse, you dullard?!\" Elisabeth hurled her fork at him, and it buried itself smack-dab in the middle of his forehead. Its handle bobbed up and down. Kaito calmly withdrew the utensil from his brow. Blood comically gushed out like a fountain. However, that was of little concern. Thanks to the fact that he had the body of a golem, Kaito was more or less immortal, and his experiences back in life had left him well accustomed to pain. \"Good grief,\" he muttered as he pressed the cuff of his unbecoming butler outfit against the wound. Elisabeth trembled with tears in her eyes. Kaito took the plate that he'd put off to the side ahead of time and handed it to her. \"Y'know, I figured that organs might be a little heavy for breakfast anyway, so I made this as well.\" \"Thanks to your sloth, it's already well past time for lunch, but I do appreciate the rare display of competen... Well now. What exactly is this supposed to be?\" \"I made those shish kebabs last time, so I figured that frying an egg would be a piece of cake, but, uh...I kinda figured out a way to screw it up.\" \"'Tis pitch-black, this egg! Nothing but crisp! Apologize to the yolk, the white, and the chick they could have been!\" As she shouted her oddly specific instructions, Elisabeth"}, {"text": "knocked her second meal off the table just the same as she had her first. Kaito could practically see the cat ears drooping atop her head. The Torture Princess was a peerless sinner, it was true, but she had a certain childish side to her as well. Eating delicious things filled her with an innocent joy, and tasting unpleasant food made her so dejected that it was almost pitiful. Kaito nodded sympathetically. It was a sorry sight. Elisabeth snapped her head up. \"Answer me this now\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhy do you have a look on your face that suggests you're not the one to blame?!\" \"Miss Elisabeth, please put down the knife. If I lose too much blood, I really will die.\" Elisabeth growled menacingly. Kaito decided to make a break for it. His blood was full of the Torture Princess's mana, and losing too much of it would cause his soul to leak right out of his body. It was his one true weakness. Even if not for that, though, he still wanted to avoid angering Elisabeth any further. Otherwise, I'll end up on the Iron Chair! \"Best to let sleeping dogs lie.\" Choosing to heed that idiom, which he'd heard back when he was alive, he headed to the kitchen to clean up the mess he'd made while cooking. Elisabeth had summoned Kaito because she needed someone to take care of her chores. In fact, that was the only reason she summoned him. When you got down to it, the story was actually kind of absurd. The thing was, Elisabeth herself hadn't had any intention of summoning someone from another world. She needed a servant so she could fully devote herself to her battles against the demons, but she also had conditions as to who they could be. If she accidentally ended up hiring someone evil, the Church might suspect her of trying to rise up against them. So to avoid drawing any unwarranted suspicion, Elisabeth made sure to summon someone who was \"sinless.\" Because nothing Kaito did in life had warranted his brutal death, he fit that criterion. The fact that he got drawn from another world was purely a coincidence. Unfortunately, though, Kaito's domestic skills were downright nonexistent. His disastrous cooking hardly needed to be mentioned, and he wasn't particularly great at any other chores, either. He was in no way the right man for the job. As far as everything other than food was concerned, though, Elisabeth was actually pretty lenient. She never ordered him to do anything more complicated than \"clean this room\" or \"wash what laundry needs washing.\" Kaito took full advantage of this fact, and most of the work he did was fairly sloppy. However, the one thing he did make sure to do every day without fail was clean Elisabeth's bedroom. He was lazy, but he wasn't an idiot. Even though it belonged to the castle's master, Elisabeth's bedroom was fairly plain. Kaito knew that touching any of her belongings was a dangerous proposition, but the cleaning itself was relatively painless. Each day, Kaito dusted the few pieces of furniture she kept, then changed her bedsheets so he could hand-wash and dry them. Then he would work around Elisabeth's afternoon catnap and look for a chance to carry her down mattress and pillow to a room with a balcony so he could air them out. He had no idea how people were actually supposed to clean those kinds of things, so he was basically just playing it by ear. Once he was done with all that, he would generally then get to work cleaning the hallways and other rooms. Sometimes, he would end up getting chased around by moving suits of armor and have to hide in the reservoir, where he would gaze in awe at the undines swimming about. That would usually last him until the evening. Then he would get to work preparing dinner, drawing Elisabeth's bath, and picking out wine for her to indulge herself in. Such was his routine, day in, day out. Today, though, he had a different plan. He headed to the rear garden. The reason for that was simple\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe weeds were making a play to expand their territory. If he didn't act fast, they would overtake the garden in no time. However, he quickly began doubting that decision. \"Whew... Man, first the oversleeping, and now it feels like I've been nodding off all day...\" Kaito let out a big yawn as he wrenched the weeds from the ground. That area was often overcast, but the sun had decided to show its face that day. It was the kind of warm weather that made one's eyelids naturally droop. Plus, because of his nightmare, Kaito hadn't exactly gotten a good night's rest. It would probably be smarter to go back inside, where it was cooler. However, he had just started to make some decent progress on the weeds. \"Still, how carefree does a guy have to be to nod off in...yaaaawn...the Torture Princess's castle?\" Kaito began muttering to himself to try and stay awake. The sheer thought of doing something like that would be enough to make anyone from this world gape in horror. Ever since he died, though, Kaito had been having a difficult time registering emotions like fear or alarm. \"Now that I think about it, I had to do a lot of messed-up stuff back in my old life. Moving around bodies that I wasn't sure were alive or not, selling drugs, spreading quicklime over rooms that were covered in blood... If it weren't for the demon battles, this life would probably actually be nicer than my last one. Sigh. Man, screw those demons.\" Kaito shook his head in annoyance and rose to his feet. With a large bundle of weeds tucked under his arm, he turned around. There, atop the ground that he'd just finished clearing, was a dead body. The moment he saw it, Kaito realized something. Huh, I guess I really did nod off. This was a dream. It had to be. The corpse in front of him couldn't possibly exist. Everything about it was just too damn strange. The body was definitely dead. Yet even so, it was moving. All its skin was brutally stretched out, and one of its sides was covered in thin strings. Now, the phrase all its skin wasn't totally accurate. The corpse was split in half down the middle, and the cross section had been torn to shreds. It was like it had been attached to something before being forcibly ripped off, like a caterpillar stuck to a roll of sticky tape. Its fluttering scraps of leftover skin swam hazily through the air, accompanied by a series of black strings. The corpse tilted its head and peered at Kaito from a strange angle. It looked like it was in constant agony, and tears dribbled from its bare, lidless eyes. Kaito couldn't help but let out a low gasp. But it wasn't out of fear. It was out of sympathy, and out of affection. Man...it hurts, doesn't it? An eternity of pain with no hope for salvation was a cruel thing to have to suffer through. It was a scary, scary fate. \"C'mon now, don't cry.\" It was supposed to be a dream, but when Kaito let out his murmur, his voice had a strangely clear ring to it. He looked down at the ground. It was covered in red. Blood was gushing forth from the corpse without stopping. The viscous way it was spreading seemed oddly graphic for a dream, but Kaito couldn't quite put his finger on what felt so strange about it. He tilted his head to the side and took a step forward. \"Don't worry, I'm coming.\" Something was off. However, he couldn't tell what. He approached the corpse with long strides. His gait was oddly brisk and nimble, to the point where even he could tell something was off. The corpse extended its one remaining arm toward him. He reached out for it in kind. The fingers of the dead and the fingers of the living were about to meet. The moment before they could, though, the ground exploded right in front of Kaito. \"Whoa!\" The force from the impact knocked him back, and the weeds he'd been carrying got scattered all around him. Right before his vision shot upward, he saw the body get impaled by stakes. However, no new blood came flowing from it. Instead, the grisly corpse merely vanished without a sound. Now that he was sprawled out on the ground, Kaito looked up at the clear blue sky. An idle thought drifted through his mind. See? I knew it was a dream. No demon attack would ever take such a pathetic form, and the only other way that such a strange event could take place was in a dream. Why was it, though, that he'd felt as if it were his duty to rush over to the corpse, touch it as quickly as possible, take its hand, share its pain, and assimilate it? Surely, there was no good reason for him to have been so bizarrely impatient. Wait, hold on a sec. What the hell was that about \"assimilating\" it? A chill ran down Kaito's spine. However, that emotion quickly grew dull and got replaced with a crushing wave of fatigue. A thought passed through his thoroughly confused mind. Well, no biggie, I guess... It was just a dream, after all... Now then, gotta figure out how I'm supposed to wake up. Suddenly, Kaito remembered an old wives' tale he'd once heard. Apparently, if you went to sleep in a dream, it would make you wake up in the real world. Kaito took a deep breath, then relaxed his arms and legs and slowly closed his eyes. The blue sky was overtaken by darkness. Then his vision cut out entirely. \"Taaaaaaaaaaaake that!\" \"Hurgh!\" An absurdly carefree voice rang through the air, and as it did, an intense blow struck Kaito straight in the chest. The shock from the blow immediately snapped him awake, and his limbs went stiff as he contorted in pain. He blinked, then realized that he was lying on the hard ground. There was a pile of uprooted weeds by him that was pricking him in the arms and legs. The clear blue sky above him filled his view. Kaito frowned. Where was he, and what was he doing there? He gingerly glanced at the spot where the strike had landed. Atop him was the exact person he'd expected. She was looking down at him with a catlike beauty, and her arm was buried in Kaito's gut. It was a brilliantly executed elbow strike. \"You know, I figured you'd go for another leg attack, but it's the arm this time, huh?\" \"Hmhm, know now that I am a master of every combat technique known to\u00e2\u20ac\u201d That's not important right now, Kaito! First you oversleep, then you see fit to take a siesta on top of that?!\" \"Huh, yeah, I guess I did.\" Elisabeth hopped to her feet, then crossed her arms as she shouted her accusation. Kaito hurriedly rose as well, and Elisabeth angrily arched her eyebrows as she went on. \"And what's more, you didn't even take it in a proper bed. The garden, Kaito?! Just how sleepy were you?!\" \"Uhhh, yeah, you got me there.\" \"In a more righteous world, you'd be in Thumbscrews this very moment! Go on then, weep in joy at my mercy and magnanimity!\" \"And which world's the one where that logic makes sense, exactly? ...Wait, huh? I was asleep, right?\" Everything Elisabeth just pointed out should have been true. He himself remembered having been asleep. However, he tilted his head to the side. Something didn't add up. All of a sudden, he remembered how bizarre the entity he saw in his dream was. What was that thing? He glanced around the garden, but the bisected corpse was gone, and"}, {"text": "there were no traces of the fresh bloodstain. Kaito breathed a sigh of relief. I guess it was a dream after all. Suddenly, though, he frowned. There was something strange about a particular patch of the ground. The soil was disturbed, like something had exploded up from underneath it. It was the kind of thing you'd expect to see on a battlefield. It's almost as though...a stake burst up from under the ground... Nah, there's no way. \"By the way, Kaito.\" \"Yes, Miss Elisabeth? However might I be of service?\" \"Oh, drop the forced politeness. Anyhow, if you have the time to be brazenly napping like that, then you must surely be bored to death. 'Tis fortunate for you, then, that I have the perfect job for those idle hands of yours. Come along now. And be chipper about it.\" \"Okay, so I'll admit that I was napping, but that doesn't mean I'm\u00e2\u20ac\u201d OW!\" \"Oh, shut up! Just come!\" Elisabeth grabbed Kaito by the earlobe. It would seem that resistance was futile. He began reluctantly following her, his eyes as forlorn as those of a calf being taken to market. The two of them left the garden. For some reason, though, Kaito decided to take a quick glance back. ...Huh? When he did, he saw it. At some point, a crimson pool had spread across the ground like a putrid swamp. Sticky-looking foam bubbled on its surface. However, it vanished in the blink of an eye like a fleeting mirage. All that remained was the dry ground. Kaito turned his gaze back in the direction they were heading and continued after Elisabeth a good deal less reluctantly than before. I'm seeing things. Yep, definitely just seeing things. After all, the alternative was that he wasn't\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand if that were the case, then that crimson swamp was an ominous omen indeed. Kaito followed Elisabeth down a set of stairs, and the two of them arrived underground. He stepped down onto the stone floor. The long passageway that stretched before him reeked of mold and was turned at a corner partway down. The corridors beneath the castle were laid out in a complex maze, and they were filled with mysterious groaning, which evoked the sense of a labyrinth containing a monster. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if there really was a monster down here. Kaito glared straight ahead. There was something important that Elisabeth kept in the room at the end of that hallway\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe teleportation circle etched in her blood. However, it would seem that that wasn't what they were here for. She selected one door from amid the innumerable rows of them. Then she kicked it open with all her might. \"Saaaaays me!\" \"Why's it always gotta be the violent option with you?\" Exasperated as he was, Kaito peered into the room from beside her. The inside was terribly cramped. It looked like a dungeon that had been designed to psychologically torture its prisoner. However, that wasn't the room's true purpose. Instead, there was a strange object installed in its center. What, it's a glowing glass ball? No... It couldn't be anything that simple. However, it was true that the clear orb was filled with a crimson light. This light was composed in the shape of a flower. A moment after it bloomed, its petals fell off. Then they transformed into butterfly wings in midair. The butterflies flapped about, then gathered together back into a flower. And thus, the light began its transformation anew. The cycle repeated, never ceasing. Elisabeth pointed at the strange orb. \"'Tis a magic device I tested out many ages ago, then promptly forgot all about. But when I saw you plagued with those nightmares of yours and constantly fatigued, I suddenly remembered it existed.\" \"I get this weird feeling that I'd be better off if you hadn't.\" \"Oh, no need to sound so suspicious. 'Tis but a device designed to prevent nightmares.\" \"A device designed to prevent nightmares?\" Kaito parroted Elisabeth's words back at her. That sounded harmless enough, not to mention extremely handy. Given the option, he'd rather not relive the moment of his death any more than he had to. He couldn't help but be interested. When she saw Kaito's reaction, Elisabeth curled the corners of her lips into a malevolent smile. \"Of course, any small error when using it would leave you unable to return, permanently crippled, or something to that effect.\" \"Okay, that's gonna be a reeeeal hard pass from me!\" In times like these, discretion was the better part of valor. Kaito immediately made to dash out into the corridor. The moment before he could flee, however, Elisabeth snatched him up by the collar. Behind him, she began making an unusually enthusiastic declaration. \"No, no, it'll work! I haven't the faintest shred of proof to support that notion, but I have this strange feeling that you'll do just great!\" \"That's a little too important to leave up to a notion, don't you think?! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! If you're gonna shove someone into something, at least make sure it works first!\" \"You're a man! Show some spine! Worry not\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif anything happens, I'll be sure to retrieve your ashes!\" \"Oh, so we're just working under the assumption that I'm gonna die... Hey, wait, ahhhhhhhhhh!\" Kaito's resistance was in vain, and he found his back getting pressed against the glass ball. Then\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwith a brief, unsatisfying shoop\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"Huh?\" \u00e2\u20ac\u201dKaito got sucked into the ball. The world was filled\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dto the very brim\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwith crimson flowers in full bloom. It was a bewitchingly beautiful sight, but an endlessly ominous one as well. As he lay sprawled atop the flower field, a shallow thought passed through Kaito's amazed mind. He retracted his statement from back in the garden. \"...Okay, I take it all back. Demons or not, this life is way more messed up than my last one.\" No good could ever come of a world with magic in it. However, just lying there lamenting that fact wasn't going to get him anywhere. Crimson flower petals scattered in his wake as he stood. \"All right, first order of business: Let's figure out what the hell happened to me.\" Kaito glanced around, trying his best to stay levelheaded. Unlike the ground, which was as red as a sea of blood, the sky was muddled and gray. Butterflies made of crimson light glittered through the air with a dim glow behind them as they continued their lively dance all the way to the horizon line. As beautiful as it all was, it was decidedly bizarre. Kaito wasn't sure where to go. He looked around again, hoping to find some sign. A moment later, he did a double take. Something weird was floating there. \"Whoa, what's that thing?!\" \"Bakuuuuuuuuu.\" \"Whoa, it made a noise.\" There was something round in the middle of the field. It was some sort of mysterious black-and-white creature. Kaito began thinking to try and figure out what it was. The only black-and-white animal that immediately came to mind was a panda. This thing looks different, though. Wait, I feel like I might have seen one in a picture book back in school\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsome sort of black-and-white animal that had something to do with dreams... It was so long ago, though, and I only went to school for a short bit, so my memory's a little fuzzy. \"Bakuuuuuuuuu!\" \"Whoa, it made a noise again.\" As Kaito leaped back, something dawned on him. The strange creature was making an odd noise, but its actual cry probably sounded different than that. His golem body's translation function was probably just coming up with something that it figured was \"close enough.\" After letting out a dissatisfied groan, the animal went silent. Kaito steeled his nerves and walked toward it. The creature was floating in the air with its eyes closed, as relaxed as a baby in the womb. Seeing how adorable it looked helped alleviate Kaito's fears a bit. He timidly reached out to touch it. Suddenly, with a big chomp, the creature snatched up Kaito's hand in its mouth. Kaito was a few seconds slow on the uptake, but he eventually let out a shout. \"Hey, don't eat me!\" \"Baku. Munch, much, munch.\" Fortunately, it didn't hurt. Apparently, it wasn't actually eating his flesh. However, his hand grew wet with drool all the same. The munching sound went on as the creature continued gently gnawing on him. A sensation came over Kaito that felt like he was having something sucked out of his body. He tilted his head to the side. How odd. Then out of the blue, the creature's body began swelling up. \"Whoa! Are you okay there, buddy?!\" *** The black-and-white creature didn't answer, instead choosing to persist in its unnerving silence. All the while, it continued inflating. It was almost like some sort of balloon he was blowing into. Its fuzzy body grew rounder and rounder, and then\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwith a pop\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dit burst. \"...Huh?\" Kaito let out a dumbfounded yelp. However, the creature's body hadn't actually exploded. Instead, its skin merely split and peeled off from its top down. Afterward, it was left as a sphere of muscle fibers decorated with lard and veins. The creature had been reduced to a horrible blob. Then it began pulsating in midair, like it was the heart of very world itself. And its horrible transformation didn't stop there. Next, it began melting, losing its form like a piece of fruit rotting. Chunks of meat began cascading off it. They fell down like a dark rain, then seeped into the ground in the spaces between the flowers. And eventually, the world\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dstopped moving in turn. \"What...the hell?\" The eternal cycle had come to an abrupt conclusion. The butterflies, midway through flying through the air and falling down as flower petals, froze in place. Kaito looked around in a panic. He was pretty sure he hadn't done anything wrong, but his heart was pounding up a storm all the same. Something bad was going to happen; he could feel it. He braced himself. However, no such disaster came. Kaito breathed a small sigh of relief, and the tension flooded out of his body. But he had let his guard down too quickly. The world began moving. It was like it had just finished \"perceiving\" him. The crimson petals all cascaded to the ground in unison and crumbled away into nothing. All that remained were the flowers' stems and stamens, and those then hardened and changed color and material. Now they were a bed of silver needles. The butterflies' wings followed suit, thinning out and sharpening into knives. The entire space was filled with objects designed to hurt people. Kaito stood stock-still in the newly silver world. His voice grew hoarse. \"...You've gotta be shitting me.\" If he took so much as a single step forward, the needles would impale his feet, and the knives would slice his skin to ribbons. At a loss for what to do, Kaito gave the cruel world a quick glance over. However, he didn't see any way to reverse the transformation. The strange creature had melted, and it didn't look like it was coming back. Kaito's one lead had quite literally vanished. That said, just standing there wasn't going to get him anywhere. Kaito mulled over his options. There's gotta be some way for me to get out of here. If I make my way to the edge of this world\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe glass ball, that is\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmaybe I'll be able to call Elisabeth for help. The problem was, if he moved even a little, he would end up getting hurt by that same world. It was a situation that would induce despair in just about anyone. Kaito took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. Welp...not like I have much of a choice. That about summed it up. Kaito placed a foot atop the needles and carefully took a step forward. When he did, the"}, {"text": "needles' silver prongs pierced his foot clean through. Seeing them burst through the top of his shoe, Kaito grimaced. He lifted his foot up, and a horrible slurping noise sounded out as it came free of the needles, which were now covered in disgusting globs of fat. Blood gushed from his wounds. As agony shot through him, he took another step, once more bringing his foot down on the needles of his own volition. The moment he did, a melodic voice echoed through the air. \"You fear pain, aye, but you're far too accustomed to it. I daresay that that contradiction there is where your warped personality stems from.\" \"Huh? Wait, that voice... Elisabeth?\" Kaito frantically glanced around. For a moment, he even forgot that his foot was being impaled. That was a bad move. He tried to twist his body to the side to get a better look, but because his foot was still stuck, he ended up losing his balance. He toppled over, and the carpet of needles quickly drew closer. Oooh, I don't like this. The prospect of being in agony\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand of dying in agony\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand of being in constant agony yet unable to die\u00e2\u20ac\u201d was a most unpleasant prospect indeed. That was the fact that Kaito mused on as he fell helplessly toward the needles. The moment before he got run through, though, he stopped. Someone behind him\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad just grabbed his hand tight. \"...Huh?\" \"Heeeave...\" Then they began dragging him upward. It was almost anticlimactic how casually he got pulled up through the air. It felt just like the time his soul got unceremoniously yanked\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand plucked out of his original world. \"...Ah!\" By the time Kaito realized what was going on, he was already sitting atop something black-and-white. When he looked down, he discovered that it was the round creature from before. It was the exact same shape\u00e2\u20ac\u201djust a lot bigger. The large creature floated gently through the air as it carried Kaito on its back. He didn't understand what was going on in the slightest. What he did know, though, was that he didn't have any time to waste gawking at the strange beast. He quickly glanced to his side. There, he found the exact person he'd expected. He pointed his finger straight at her. *** \"Oh, hello there, Kaito.\" Elisabeth gave him a breezy greeting and a one-handed wave. She was sitting with her arms perched atop her knees and the scarlet inside of her dress tucked underneath her. Kaito raised his voice in indignation. \"Don't you 'oh, hello' me, dammit! Do you have any idea what I just went through because of you?!\" \"Well, you say that, but even I hadn't the faintest idea that your nightmares' cause would take such a form. And besides, who exactly was it who refused to wait for me, striding across those needles on his own like an utter fool?\" \"Well, it does sound bad when you put it that way... Wait, hold on a minute. This is the cause of my nightmares?\" \"That it is. 'Tis a contradictory sight indeed.\" Elisabeth gazed down at the transformed field of flowers as she spoke. Still seated, Kaito scooted over until he was right next to her. All of a sudden, he realized that his foot didn't hurt anymore. His wounds were gone without a trace. However, the world of needles and knives showed no sign of reverting to its original state. Overwhelmed by the sheer heartlessness of the sight, Kaito asked a question. \"Wait...what does this have to do with my nightmares at all?\" \"To pinpoint the precise source of another's nightmares, one must first dive deep into their memories. However, this is but an experimental device, and such a complex feat is beyond it. Instead, it displays a symbolic manifestation of the fear that drives its subject's nightmares. What you see before you is the result. You fear pain, yet you're accustomed to it and, at times, even accept it willingly. As I said, contradictory. 'Tis perverse, and that means a lot coming from me.\" \"...Huh.\" \"A sea of knives and needles, eh...? 'Tis a veritable cage of pain, impossible to ever escape from.\" An eternity of agony was an unpleasant prospect indeed. That was definitely how Kaito felt. That was what he was afraid of. That was what he was used to. The two of them went quiet, and for a time, it was silent atop the strange creature's back. The pair just sat there. All of a sudden, though, Elisabeth arched her back and stretched her arms all the way up. Her breasts bounced precariously beneath their leather belts. After bringing her arms back down, Elisabeth exhaled. \"To be frank, though, it doesn't matter to me in the slightest.\" \"Don't you think that's a little too honest?\" \"Ha. You think your trauma is special? What you fear, what you find unpleasant, what weight you bear...I've no intention of asking the details, nor would they hold my interest if I did.\" \"That's...fair, I guess.\" \"That said, I do aim to obliterate this place now.\" \"...Say what?\" Elisabeth's proclamation came completely out of left field. Kaito blinked. He hadn't quite registered what she had said just yet. As he gave his dumbfounded reply, he looked around. When she said \"this place,\" she must have meant the space they were currently in. When that fact finally clicked, he worriedly shot her a question. \"Now, um, Miss Elisabeth, are you really sure that's a good idea?\" \"It matters not! Besides, such was the purpose this device was built for in the first place!\" \"Ah, so what I'm hearing is that you have no proof at all that we're gonna be okay.\" As Kaito quickly came to that realization, Elisabeth rose to her feet. Her dress flared out behind her like a cloak as she lorded over the world of silver. Several butterflies landed on her luscious black hair. Adorned perilously with their bladed wings, she smiled in satisfaction. \"When you put someone in the device, it reproduces the symbolic cause of their nightmares. However, that alone is but the first step. The way it ends the nightmares is by having a third party destroy the reproduction, thereby freeing the subject's mind. A violent configuration, to be sure.\" \"I feel like that doesn't make any sense at all. Is this really gonna make the nightmares stop?\" \"Oh, there's certainly no guarantee of that! Most of the developers of large-scale magic devices such as this end up going mad!\" \"I'm starting to sense a trend with these unfounded statements you keep making.\" \"That said, ridiculous as the ideas behind it may be, 'twas well worth testing it out. We've not had any battles as of late, and I could feel my body growing duller by the day... Plus, I just went through a rather unpleasant experience.\" Elisabeth finished with a low murmur. She cracked her knuckles. Kaito tilted his head to the side in confusion. Something must have happened that he didn't know about. However, there was no time to ask questions. Elisabeth was making her move. Beneath them, the mysterious creature let out an apprehensive \"Bakuuuu.\" It sensed danger. However, Elisabeth paid its complaint no heed. To the contrary, in fact, she treated its cry as a signal to let the destruction commence. She reached out into empty space, and a vortex of darkness and crimson flower petals formed around her pale hand. Then she drew a long sword from within. \"Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal!\" The runes inscribed in its blade flashed crimson. Anyone who saw them would have their meaning driven straight into their brain. You are free to act as you will. But pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. \"Witches' Dance!\" Elisabeth swung the sword straight down. To Kaito, it looked like flames were billowing off it. However, that was just an optical illusion. In truth, the sword had merely cut through the air. Down below them, though, changes were occurring in the silver landscape. The air was shimmering with heat haze, and the ground had been transformed into a vast sheet of burning metal. If anyone had been standing on it, the heat would have forced them to hop around like a madman. The metal plane's temperature rose mercilessly, growing higher and higher by the moment. Its silver flowers drooped and sagged as they melted. The intense heat was permeating every inch of this bounded world. And Kaito and Elisabeth were no exception. The massive black-and-white creature rose higher into the air at the last minute, but not even it could escape the effects of the change. It flailed its stubby arms and legs about to protest the heat. Kaito had to cling tight to its back to avoid being thrown off. \"H-hey, Elisabeth! At this rate, you're gonna end up burning us to death, too!\" \"Hmm. That is a problem, isn't it? To be quite frank, I never actually considered that possibility.\" \"Why wasn't that the first thing you considered?!\" Kaito shouted in visible panic. Elisabeth, on the other hand, was inexplicably as calm as a cucumber. She swung her sword down once more. There's no way..., thought Kaito. And yet there was. Without a moment's hesitation, Elisabeth made her bold declaration. \"Now, 'tis time to seal the deal.\" She swung her sword down, and darkness and crimson flower petals surged forth. A series of chains went flying as the ashen sky absorbed the shock wave. Elisabeth continued attacking the world without stopping. Kaito braced himself. He had no idea what was going to happen to them. The sky creaked before his very eyes. \"Wha\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" Then a noise as shrill as glass shattering filled the air. The world built of pain was broken. Shards of the sky cascaded down like shooting stars. The image of the countless glittering fragments burned itself into Kaito's retinas. As the thousands of scraps of light rained down from overhead, all of a sudden\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Shoop. \"...Huh?\" \u00e2\u20ac\u201da disappointingly brief noise echoed out\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand Kaito and Elisabeth got launched outside. \"Taaaaaaaaaaaake that!\" \"Hurgh!\" A shock ran through Kaito's body for the third time that day. When he took the heel or elbow or whatever it was to the chest, his eyes snapped open. His body went stiff as he contorted in agony, but he quickly rallied and got up. A dim, glowing ball sat in front of him. Its surface was covered in cracks, and it was emitting black-and-white smoke. He could faintly make out an annoyed \"Bakuuuu\" cry coming from somewhere, so it would seem that the events he'd just gone through hadn't been only a dream. Elisabeth was standing beside the ball. She gave it a huffy frown as she looked down at its sorry state. \"What a flimsy piece of junk that turned out to be. For how dangerous a device it was, I'd have expected it to survive at least a single use.\" \"I bet it would have if you didn't use it like a lunatic.\" Kaito shot her an exasperated rebuttal, but Elisabeth didn't respond to it. \"Hmm,\" she murmured as she inspected the cracks. After giving the device a thorough once-over, she nodded. \"Well, no matter. I'll just stick it back together later; I'm sure it'll be fine.\" \"I'm pretty sure it won't.\" \"Oh, have some faith. 'Tis nary a flaw in this world that a little welding can't fix.\" \"Oh yeah, this isn't gonna end well.\" But right when Kaito was about to warn Elisabeth that her efforts were likely to accomplish little more than exacerbating the ball's already-critical damage, Elisabeth suddenly turned on her heel and shot him a question as casual as could be. \"And on another note, I take it your odd drowsiness is gone?\" \"Huh? Oh, actually, now that you mention it, yeah... I guess today's just been one weird experience"}, {"text": "after another.\" \"If so, then I daresay you have me to thank. If you wish to drop to your knees and express your reverent gratitude, I certainly shan't stop you.\" \"Why? Just why?\" They were bold words, coming from the person who'd shoved him into a magical device against his will. Kaito squinted at her. However, it was true that she was the one who'd destroyed that world. Wait, was she looking out for me...in her own weird kind of way, mind you? Suddenly, Kaito was reminded of a few other things that had piqued his interest. There were those traces of an explosion back in the garden. There was the way she'd said that she \"just went through a rather unpleasant experience.\" And there was the way she'd acted as though something had just happened. Could it be? Had she been working on his behalf, even before she stuck him in the ball? It seemed like it might be possible, so Kaito decided to ask her. Before he could get the words out, though, Elisabeth turned once more. \"Now then, Kaito, 'tis almost dinnertime. Should my meal be late, I assume you've no objections to finding yourself atop the Ducking Stool.\" \"Actually, I think I have an objection or two.\" Kaito took it all back. Today, as always, Elisabeth Le Fanu's cruelty was in perfect form. Even in the evenings, Kaito still had plenty of work to do. First, he had to draw a hot bath for Elisabeth. Then he had to go around and check the magic lamps to see if any of them had gone out. And although it was an impossible task due to the castle's sheer size, he also had to make sure all the windows were closed and the doors were locked. If Elisabeth wanted wine with her dinner, he had to go get that, too. All in all, his evening workload was nothing to sneeze at. Once he was finally finished, Kaito staggered back to the servant quarters. He made his way to his room and sat down on his bed. As he looked up at the ceiling, he let out a small murmur. \"God, I'm pooped.\" Not only had his day been filled with all sorts of bizarre mayhem, but he'd also had to do a full day's workload on top of that. Plus, he didn't even know if that strange device had actually worked or not. After dinner, Elisabeth had brazenly made yet another proclamation. \"From today on, I suspect you'll have nightmares just the same as anyone! But I've a feeling that there may or may not be a chance that their frequency could well decrease!\" Kaito didn't even know where to start with that one. That was a whole lot of words for not a lot of certainty. Her proof, as always, was nowhere to be found. Strangely, though, he didn't find that fact all that upsetting. A device that \"reproduces the symbolic cause of nightmares\" and ends them \"by having a third party destroy the reproduction, thereby freeing the subject's mind,\" huh? The entire sequence of events had been totally absurd, but he had to admit that it had been kind of refreshing to watch the world of pain get destroyed. It made him feel like the thorn winding its way through his chest had lightened up a little. As they fell, those thousands of scraps of light\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad looked like beautiful, radiant stars. ...Huh? Wait, was that thing I saw out in the garden a symbol of the pain that caused my nightmares, too? Confused, Kaito tilted his head to the side. He still wasn't sure what that phantom had really been. Maybe it was just a new spin on his nightmare, but he found that hard to believe. He thought back over what it had looked like. It had been in eternal pain, an agony that would never end. It had been a corpse, yet even in death, it had still moved. \"...I can't come be by your side.\" Him assimilating an entity that was going to suffer in pain for eternity wasn't an option. From now on, he served Elisabeth. As foolish of a servant as he may have been, he was all she had. He didn't have time to spend the rest of his days grieving for an event that had long since passed. Plus, he had no desire whatsoever to keep crying even after he died. If I had to die...I'd rather do it happily, with no regrets. It'd be nice if it were a situation where he could say, This was for the best\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhere he could do it for someone else's sake and go out with a smile on his face. As that random thought passed through his mind, he collapsed backward onto the bed with his arms and legs sprawled out. He closed his eyes. Based on what Elisabeth had said, the magical device's effects were uncertain. Would he have another nightmare tonight? For a moment, Kaito was seized by worry. However, his exhaustion quickly won out, and he sank into a deep slumber. That night, Kaito Sena had a dream. A strange animal soared overhead, crying, \"Bakuuuu,\" as it flew. It had a round back, and Elisabeth was riding atop it. As she and the creature bobbed gently through the air, she complained about how vile Kaito's cooking was. Well, that's not very Torture Princess-y of her, Kaito exasperatedly mused. It was a weird dream, to be sure\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut it was about as far from a nightmare as they came. A Message from Someone (2) I'm at a little bit of a loss here. As you can see, my words were able to get through to you. Now, I have no guarantee that they're actually reaching you, but...let's assume they are. Like a miracle. But now that I have this once-in-a-lifetime chance, what should I use it to say? Hmm...I suppose I should start by reviewing my assumptions. First, that you live in this world, this fragile land that Diablo destroys and God constructs anew. And second, that you, like everything else that exists, are one of God's creations. With that in mind, then as long as you're not an exceedingly young child, then you've probably heard a dozen or two quotes of mine. Perhaps more, if you're particularly scholarly or fond of folklore. For such quotes were written down and passed through the ages. \"She spoke thus,\" they probably all started. However, I have an unfortunate truth I need to share with you. Those were all lies. None of them were my words. They may have been affectionate or perhaps filled with deep unspoken meaning, but none of them came from me. Never once did I speak of my memories, and never once did I record one of my thoughts. All those quotes you saw were thought up by someone else before being attributed to me. That was how people embellished my story. They didn't do it out of malice. They merely wanted me to be the manifestation of all their kindness, ideals, and admiration. Most words, when spoken, serve as little more than vague annoyances. But that's precisely why they're more appealing than anything I actually said. Words thought up, chosen, and passed down through the ages by the masses hold much greater significance than those spoken on the spur of the moment by a single person. But as a result, I have no idea what it is I should say now. After all, I have no way of making my true words surpass the false ones that others have passed off as mine. No, now that I think about it, that isn't quite it, is it? It's that I didn't have anything I wanted to convey to you to begin with. Ah, that's right. I... ...I have nothing I want to say. Now I finally see. That was how it's been this whole time, but this was the first moment I realized it consciously. There isn't a single, solitary thing I want to say. There are no morals I want to teach you, no examples I want to set. No, actually, let me be blunt here. I never loved you people\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand certainly not enough to want to leave you with my words. Kaito's Daily Routine (Back Side) A few days ago, the Torture Princess summoned a soul. Her demon-subjugation efforts took up most of her time, and she had never much cared for doing chores in the first place. As such, she decided to summon an \"Unsullied Soul\" to take care of her housework for her. However, that requirement was filled by a most unexpected individual. They were killed in a manner far crueler than their sins in life would warrant, true\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut they also hailed from another world. His name was Kaito Sena. Now he was in charge of handling all the chores around her castle. Much to her dismay, though, Kaito's technical skills were lacking across the board, and his cooking in particular was downright disastrous. If it weren't for the one dish he did excel at, purin, Elisabeth would have strongly considered disposing of him. And to top it all off, he hadn't even started making her breakfast yet. In all likelihood, he was oversleeping, a crime that well warranted a punishment of death. \"That Kaito... He certainly has some nerve, waking up after his master.\" When Elisabeth got hungry, she became much akin to a starving lion. Her heels clicked loudly as she strode briskly down the dim, unadorned hallway. The servant quarters were cramped, and they had none of the colored windows, suits of armor, or stone statues decorating their walls like the rest of the castle did. \"He only just reincarnated here, and yet it's as though he's forgotten he's in the Torture Princess's castle already. Perhaps I'd best beat some respect for my majesty into him with the cat-o'-nine-tails... Hmm?\" All of a sudden, she ended her ominous soliloquy. She frowned and stopped in her tracks. There was something in the middle of the hallway. Or to be more precise, there was a peculiar figure wriggling and squirming in front of Kaito's room. The thing was \"soft,\" and it was stuck to his door, raggedly panting as it scraped its nails against the wood. Its body was split in half down the middle, making it look like the bizarre figure had been brutally torn to shreds. Flaps of skin dangled from the cross section, and for whatever reason, they were accompanied by a series of thin strings. On its other side, its heart was pressed against the door and rapidly pulsating. Given the state of the thing, it was odd that it was even alive. And in fact, it wasn't\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit was \"dead.\" It was nothing but a corpse, yet even so, it was writhing in pain. In that sense, its very existence was contradictory. Despite the fact that it was dead, it was shedding fat tears and scratching at the door in agony. All in all, it made for a rather sorry sight. The vast majority of people who saw it would have wanted to do something to help. Some might even feel guilty about how carefree their own lives were in comparison. However, Elisabeth was not the vast majority of people. She coldly clicked her tongue. \"Unable to vanish, eh? Begone, now. You shan't find what you seek here.\" The moment she rejected it, it froze in place. Then without displaying an ounce of displeasure or annoyance, it disappeared. The vast pool of blood it had been accompanied with vanished as well. It left nothing behind. Hmph, Elisabeth scoffed. Irritated, she kicked Kaito's door open. After entering, she narrowed her eyes. Golden light was leaking in through the room's shutters, yet the darkness inside had yet to fade. She had little doubt that that was due to the agonized plea the thing had been making though the door."}, {"text": "The weight of its grudge had sullied the very air. Despite the bizarre situation he was in, though, Kaito himself was still fast asleep. However, when Elisabeth looked closer, she noticed that something was off about him. Hmm, she thought as she approached his bed. She peered at his face, and once she did, she realized exactly what was going on. Kaito's tongue was sticking out, and his body was convulsing. The corrupted air was giving him a nightmare. And it wasn't difficult to imagine what the nightmare was about. \"...'Tis but natural one would make such a face, I suppose.\" Elisabeth shrugged. Kaito Sena's memories included the moment of his own death. His was a rare situation, to be sure. And in many ways, a decidedly unfortunate one. Elisabeth mused on that fact. 'Tis rather unpleasant, having a nightmare and being unable to wake up despite knowing it's a dream. As Kaito continued sleeping, his dream approached its climax. He began thrashing about, spraying drool and mucus every which way. He scratched at the air with his fingers, and tears rolled down his cheeks. Help, he mouthed to nobody in particular. Before long, his neck was going to snap. Elisabeth sighed. Then she raised her ravishingly shapely leg up high. \"Taaaaaaaaaaaake that!\" \"Hurgh!\" Her ax kick struck Kaito straight in the abdomen. The shock from the blow snapped him awake, and his limbs went stiff as he contorted in pain. He blinked a few times. It looked like he was wondering where he was and what he was doing there. At long last, though, he seemed to remember the grave reality of his situation. He gingerly glanced at Elisabeth. He started to say something, then clamped his mouth shut at the last moment. It was rare moment of prudence, coming from him. If he'd voiced so much as a single complaint, Elisabeth would have strung him up from the ceiling. Instead, he shifted his gaze over to the window. His eyes went wide when he saw the light streaming in through the shutters. Ah, so you've finally remembered your role and station, then? Dullard. \"I see you're up early, Miss Elisabeth... No, yeah, I'm just up late.\" \"Ah, so you're aware you've overslept, then, Kaito? 'Tis some nerve you have, indulging yourself in indolence beyond even that of your master.\" Elisabeth's smile was as malevolent as it was beautiful. Kaito's face went pale. And with that, Elisabeth Le Fanu greeted the morning\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201done of the next of a long series of unpleasant, bothersome days. Her demon-subjugation efforts took up most of her time\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat was the pretext under which Elisabeth had summoned Kaito Sena. However, the truth of the matter differed greatly. On all the days without demon battles, she was actually bored beyond belief. Although she was giving the Church regular reports and sending out familiars in search of information, that was the sum total of her responsibilities. In truth, the actual reason she called forth a servant was merely because she despised doing chores. As such, summoning Kaito freed her from having to do any of them. In theory, it should have been a happy ending. In practice, though, this only compounded her boredom. There were many things her stone castle was good at, but helping its inhabitants kill time wasn't on that list. But even so, she was neither shameless enough nor stupid enough to venture outside it. After all, the Torture Princess was a sinner without peer. Like a prisoner, her food was the only pleasure afforded to her. And thanks to Kaito, even that's been ruined... Well, nothing for it. May as well take a nap. Elisabeth yawned and began making her way back to her bedroom. After she killed the fourteen demons, she herself was destined to be burned at the stake. Until then, she intended to fritter away as much of the idle interim as she could. Before she could reach her room, though, she stopped. She stared down the hallway, then crossed her arms in displeasure. \"Hmm. So it's back.\" A trail of blood dotted the stone floor before her. It was vividly crimson, as though it had just been spilled. However, stepping in it didn't leave any footprints. The blood was nothing more than an illusion. Although it was visible, it was closer to a lingering thought than an actual object. Elisabeth sighed. What to do, what to do? \"Urgh, dealing with this would be a headache and a half. Were I alone, I'd just as soon leave it be.\" Unfortunately, though, her castle was currently also home to Kaito Sena. He was in real danger of being snatched up by the owner of this blood. In fact, given this morning's events, he might well have been the reason that it appeared in the first place. \"There you go again, making more trouble for your long-suffering master. See, this is precisely what makes you so foolish.\" Elisabeth cursed her servant's name as she set off. She knew full well what a master's duty was. Kaito was carrying out his end of the deal and working as her servant, and that meant it was her responsibility to protect him. The fact that his work was all sloppy and half-assed notwithstanding. Well, it isn't as if I've anything better to do. Perhaps this would make for a good way to kill time. Elisabeth began casually following the trail of blood. The farther she went, the more blood there was. Elisabeth even started finding chunks of flesh and scraps of string floating in some of the larger drops. Kaito's chores took him all over the castle, so he must have covered at least some of that ground before she did. Yet despite how gruesome a spectacle it was, he never came to report it to her. In all likelihood, that meant that he hadn't been able to see it. He may hail from another world, but it's my blood that sustains his existence. How is it that he could see the main body yet was blind to such prominent tracks? Just how empty is that head of his? It would appear that Kaito Sena lacked any sense of wariness or appreciation for danger. Growing increasingly exasperated, Elisabeth picked up the pace. Eventually, she reached the small garden at the castle's rear. She opened the aged door leading outside and headed down the moss-covered steps. A slight wind grazed her body. Underneath the clear blue sky, the situation in the garden was unfolding in exactly the way she'd anticipated. For a moment, a surprisingly serious thought passed through her mind\u00e2\u20ac\u201dperhaps it would be best to turn around and leave posthaste. Down in the garden, Kaito Sena was facing half of a ravaged corpse. It was making tears stream from its eyes, as though silently begging for help. However, Elisabeth knew that help wasn't what it was after. It had overcome such base rationality long ago. Now it existed solely to resent people. It craved nothing more than to share its pain with the living. 'Twas torn up, sewed together, then while it yet lived...killed. That kind of agony was enough to rob anyone of their humanity. Now the corpse had been reduced to a monster. However, Kaito didn't seem to notice the bottomless malice emanating from it. He regarded it without showing so much as an ounce of fear. Then he said something truly idiotic. \"Don't worry, I'm coming.\" ...Perhaps it would be best if I were simply to leave him to his fate. Elisabeth gave the thought some serious consideration. In the end, it was close, but she did eventually change her mind. It was because Kaito's expression was simply far too kind. His sympathy and tolerance toward those suffering in pain were written all over his face. Without so much as hesitating, he approached the monster. It was an exceedingly foolish sight. Yet at the same time, so too was it pitiable. That was true of Kaito and the corpse alike. \"Idiots, the lot of them.\" And so Elisabeth snapped her finger. A mass of iron stakes burst up from the ground in front of Kaito. Without a noise, they pierced the body clean through. Even though that was the second time Elisabeth had gotten in its way, the mercilessly skewered monster still didn't offer a single complaint as it vanished. Nothing remained of it. However, just repelling it over and over wasn't going to accomplish anything. 'Twill continue appearing, no doubt. What to do, what to do? ...Oh? All of a sudden, a certain item sprang to mind. An image of a clear glass ball flitted through her thoughts. She crossed her arms and began contemplating whether or not it would be useful. Before long, she reached her verdict. As it turned out, it might just do the trick. \"Ah, such ingenuity! I've always had a faint inkling, but it would seem that I really am a genius. Oy, Kaito! Hmm?\" Elisabeth narrowed her eyes. Perhaps due to the shock from her attack, Kaito was lying flopped over on his back. His eyes were even closed. For whatever reason, he was trying to fall asleep. It was utterly unclear as to why. At that rate, he was likely to misconstrue the stake attack as having been nothing more than a dream. Elisabeth had no objections there. It would save her having to explain what was going on. Instead, she bent her elbow and moved it into position. \"Taaaaaaaaaaaake that!\" \"Hurgh!\" With an absurdly carefree cry, she slammed her elbow straight into Kaito's gut. The shock from the blow immediately snapped his eyes open. He gingerly turned his gaze toward his belly. Elisabeth grinned at him with her arm still buried in his gut. After ten seconds or so of silence, Kaito finally spoke. \"You know, I figured you'd go for another leg attack, but it's the arm this time, huh?\" \"Hmhm, know now that I am a master of every combat technique known to\u00e2\u20ac\u201d That's not important right now, Kaito! First you oversleep, then you see fit to take a siesta on top of that?!\" \"Huh, yeah, I guess I did.\" After having that fact pointed out, Kaito hurriedly rose to his feet. Elisabeth angrily arched her eyebrows, and the two of them exchanged some sharp repartee. Right as he was in the middle of reflecting on his own failings, though, his expression suddenly froze. \"...Wait, huh? I was asleep, right?\" Apparently, the whole situation was uncanny enough that even an idiot as simple as him could take notice. He glanced around, probably looking for the bloodstains. For a moment, his gaze lingered on the upturned patch of soil where the iron stakes had come out. Knowing that whatever annoying questions he'd come up with would only add to her workload, Elisabeth immediately called out to him. \"Anyhow, if you have the time to be brazenly napping like that, then you must surely be bored to death. 'Tis fortunate for you, then, that I have the perfect job for those idle hands of yours. Come along now, and be chipper about it.\" \"Okay, so I'll admit that I was napping, but that doesn't mean I'm\u00e2\u20ac\u201d OW!\" \"Oh, shut up! Just come!\" She grabbed him by the earlobe and forcibly dragged him off. As she did, she shot a glance back. A graphic crimson pool was bubbling up on the ground. The moment she saw it, Elisabeth coldly averted her gaze and began hurrying on forward. It was almost as though she was trying to deny there had been anything there at all. A long time ago, Elisabeth installed a magical device in one of the rooms down in the castle's dimly lit underground hallways. The device was designed to release people from nightmares. However, its actual effectiveness was suspect at best. On top of that, testing it required at least two people, so as a result, Elisabeth had gone without ever trying"}, {"text": "it and had in fact mostly forgotten that it existed at all. However, it might well be just the thing they needed to resolve their current situation. The only problem was how dangerous it was. Kaito, of course, had strong feelings about being used as a guinea pig. \"Okay, that's gonna be a reeeeal hard pass from me!\" \"No, no, it'll work! I haven't the faintest shred of proof to support that notion, but I have this strange feeling that you'll do just great!\" \"That's a little too important to leave up to a notion, don't you think?! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! If you're gonna shove someone into something, at least make sure it works first!\" \"You're a man; have some guts! Worry not\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif anything happens, I'll be sure to retrieve your ashes!\" \"Oh, so we're just working under the assumption that I'm gonna die... Hey, wait, ahhhhhhhhhh!\" However, this had all been his fault to begin with, so his human rights were forfeit. Elisabeth ignored his protests and pressed him against the device. With a shoop, he got sucked inside\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor so he likely thought. Transporting his entire body would have been far more trouble than it was worth. Instead, the device was designed to split off the tip of his soul and borrow it for a little bit. When it did, his consciousness went along for the ride. Back in reality, he had merely passed out. Elisabeth left his body on the floor and began observing what was going on in the device. \"Now, then. I've my suspicions about his nightmare's true form. Let's see if I'm right.\" Inside the glass, the flowers were glowing crimson, and their bloodred forms were endlessly shifting. They became butterflies, then turned back into flowers, then became butterflies again. They gently scattered and flapped their wings. And the beautiful cycle continued. Suddenly, though, something changed. The dream world's administrator, a black-and-white tapir, made its appearance. Kaito unguardedly made his way toward it. When he tried to touch it, though, it casually gobbled his hand up. \"I mean, 'twas the right answer, but still, what kind of fool allows themselves to be eaten so easily?!\" Elisabeth could scarcely believe what she had just watched. Sure enough, Kaito was a dimwit, an idiot, and a simpleton. Then the tapir burst. Its skin split from the top down, then fell gently to the ground. The animal had been reduced to a horrible blob of muscle fibers. Chunks of meat began cascading off it, dripping with mucus as they delivered the data about the nightmare the tapir had eaten to the world itself. Then the inside of the glass ball sharpened. The field of flowers ceased its perpetual expansion and shed its crimson hue. All that remained was a vast array of silver needles. The butterflies' wings followed suit, thinning out and becoming knives. The entire space was filled with objects designed to hurt people. Elisabeth heaved a heavy sigh. \"As I thought... 'Tis like a veritable cage of pain.\" Her silky black hair swayed as she turned around. With a faint smile on her face, she called out: \"Ah, another expectation met. Sure enough, you heeded the call. This device piques your fancy, doesn't it?\" She was looking out the room's open door\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dtoward the pool of crimson\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat was expanding and spreading forth like a sea of blood. Countless viscous balls of foam bubbled on the pool's blackened crimson surface. This gave it the appearance of a putrid, burbling swamp. An especially large bubble formed on its surface, then popped, revealing a gaunt set of fingers. The rest of the lone arm rose up shortly thereafter, as did a single leg. Together, they dragged the torn-up body across the stone floor. The gruesome corpse looked up at Elisabeth. It offered her no other reply. However, it did give its skin, flesh, and organs a meaningful shake. Elisabeth nodded. Sure enough. The thing longed to be able to share its pain with the living, and it responded to the pain of others as well. Its sole desire was to merge its pain with someone else's, then force them to take on the entirety of this combined pain on their own. That was the reason behind the corpse's fixation on Kaito Sena. At the moment, it was staring at the magical device so hard, it seemed liable to bore a hole in it. \"Grrr... Urrr...\" \"Aye, 'tis a world constructed from pain. Interested, aren't you, in seeing which fool cooked it up? O pitiful wretch sheared apart by the Knight while still living and used as part of his beast.\" And with that, Elisabeth casually revealed the corpse's true nature. Originally, it had just been a normal old human. However, after it was captured alive by the Knight, the weakest of the fourteen ranked demons, it was torn apart and tied together with countless other such victims to form a massive patchwork beast. And the only reason it had suffered that horrible fate was because it had had the simple misfortune of living in a village near the Torture Princess's castle. In a certain sense, it was Elisabeth's fault that this villager had come to harm. However, she didn't even know his name. To her, he was just another innocent, nameless victim among countless others like him. Even so, the corpse showed no sign of holding any special grudge against the Torture Princess. And that was to be expected. He didn't have the capacity to resent any one specific individual. The atrocity that innocent villager suffered was beyond the scope a person could even comprehend. When someone had their body torn up and stitched together into a horrible beast, they generally lacked the presence of mind to attribute blame to a particular person. Suspended in that state of confusion, the villager had suffered untold agonies. However, the Knight's death had freed him. Or rather, it should have, but for some reason, he was still trapped in that state of pain. 'Tis doubtless because he couldn't accept... No, rather, he couldn't understand what had happened. Normally, the villager should have died the moment his body was torn apart. However, the Knight's magic had forcibly kept him alive. Even when he suddenly returned to his proper state of \"death,\" he couldn't understand that that was what had happened. Instead of disappearing like normal, his soul stagnated. And because of that, he changed. All he knew was pain. The simple intensity of his agony had overwritten his very humanity. That was what had reduced the villager to the monster it was now. However, releasing it from that state would be easier said than done. Its consciousness had been worn away too badly for it to respond to reason, and on top of that, Elisabeth was the Torture Princess. Hurting people and causing them pain was the sum total of who she was. She possessed neither the virtue of a saint nor the compassion of a hero. However... \"That said, continuing to have you haunt me seems a rather unpleasant proposition. Perhaps I'd best do something about you after all. Now, the boy who created this world is inside the glass ball. What do you say?\" The device glowed silver as Elisabeth pressed her palm against it. Inside, Kaito was engaging in an act that was either gallant, reckless, or simply stupid beyond belief and setting off across the brutal landscape without so much as faltering before the pain that was going to entail. Blood trickled across the world of knives and needles. Upon seeing that, the monster immediately reacted. It reached out with its one arm and leg. How simple it was, how pitiable, and how foolish. Elisabeth let out a callous laugh. However, those same traits would go on to save it. Whether or not the monster would truly attain salvation, though, Elisabeth had no idea. \"Very well, then, I shall allow it. Come along now.\" The monster accepted the Torture Princess's invitation and leaped. Its body, which was composed of nothing but its soul, vanished inside the magic device. Elisabeth ran mana through her palm and shifted her consciousness and part of her soul along after it. And with an illusory shoop\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dElisabeth got sucked into the ball. \"You fear pain, aye, but you're far too accustomed to it. I daresay that that contradiction there is where your warped personality stems from.\" As Elisabeth fell, she let out a quiet murmur. Kaito must have heard her, as he frantically glanced around. When he did, though, he twisted his body a little too far and lost his balance. Like the fool he was, he'd forgotten that his foot was still impaled on the needles. Elisabeth frowned. Well, that's not good. She flapped her dress like a bird's wings and whistled. Darkness and flower petals whirled through the air, eventually coalescing into a black ball and materializing with a pop. The dream's master had made its appearance once more and was now far larger to boot. Elisabeth landed gracefully atop the massive tapir. As she made it do a nose dive, she checked back in on Kaito's situation. He was right on the verge of completely toppling over. \"You're incorrigible, you know that? What, do you have some secret quota of blunders you feel compelled to meet or something?\" Exasperated, she reached out her arm and snatched Kaito's hand as it flailed through the air. Then all in one go, she yanked him upward. After plopping him down on the tapir's back, she sat down herself before he had a chance to come to his senses. Then she rested her arms on her knees and went back to observing the world. Sure enough\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey merged. The corpse had come inside along with her, but it was currently nowhere to be seen. However, just because it wasn't visible didn't mean it wasn't there. Not only was it no more than a soul, but it was also little more than a mass of resentment and obsession with pain. Given that the world they were in was composed of nothing but pain, it and the monster were practically identical. As a result, the monster had gotten absorbed by the world the moment it came inside, much like the tapir's meat rain had. In a sense, the corpse and everything that was visible were now one and the same. It had been spread throughout the entire world. Elisabeth nodded. Everything was going as she'd anticipated. When she did, an angry shout came from behind her. *** \"Oh, hello there, Kaito.\" \"Don't you 'oh, hello' me, dammit! Do you have any idea what I just went through because of you?!\" When Kaito continued loudly shouting, Elisabeth lowered the hand she'd been lightly waving at him with. Then she shrugged and gave him a nonchalant reply. \"Well, you say that, but even I hadn't the faintest idea that your nightmares' cause would take such a form. And besides, who exactly was it who refused to wait for me, striding across those needles on his own like an utter fool?\" \"Well, it does sound bad when you put it that way... Wait, hold on a minute. This is the cause of my nightmares?\" \"That it is. 'Tis a contradictory sight indeed.\" Elisabeth gazed down at the transformed field of flowers as she spoke. Still seated, Kaito scooted over until he was right next to her. What an easily distracted fellow he was. Elisabeth faced the world of knives and needles as she went on. \"To pinpoint the precise source of another's nightmares, one must first dive deep into their memories. However, this is but an experimental device, and such a complex feat is beyond it. Instead, it displays a symbolic manifestation of the fear that drives its subject's nightmares. What you see before you is its result. You fear pain, yet you're accustomed to it and, at times, even accept it willingly. As I said, contradictory. 'Tis"}, {"text": "perverse, and that means a lot coming from me.\" \"...Huh.\" \"A sea of knives and needles, eh...? 'Tis a veritable cage of pain, impossible to ever escape from.\" Elisabeth narrowed her gaze. The scene bore a disturbing resemblance to the atrocity the Torture Princess once put her fiefdom through. Her subjects' desperate pleas for the release of death had been music to her ears, and she'd savored them while sipping on the finest of wines. Elisabeth went silent as her mind turned back to that night of madness. Kaito didn't say anything, either. For a time, it was silent atop the tapir's back. Suddenly struck by the absurdity of it all, Elisabeth arched her back and stretched her arms all the way up. After bringing them back down, she exhaled. \"To be frank, though, it doesn't matter to me in the slightest.\" \"Don't you think that's a little too honest?\" \"Ha. You think your trauma is special? What you fear, what you find unpleasant, what weight you bear...I've no intention of asking the details, nor would they hold my interest if I did.\" \"That's...fair, I guess.\" \"That said, I do aim to obliterate this place now.\" \"...Say what?\" Kaito's reply was completely dumbfounded, a fact that Elisabeth found insulting. How utterly insolent. In a more righteous world, he wouldn't just be tortured for that; he'd be straight-up executed. Setting aside that this was how the magic device worked, the situation as a whole made their sole option abundantly clear. They had to break the cage. They had to kill the monster. For that was providence, as well as the merciful thing to do. \"When you put someone in the device, it reproduces the symbolic cause of their nightmares. However, that alone is but the first step. The way it ends the nightmares is by having a third party destroy the reproduction, thereby freeing the subject's mind. A violent configuration, to be sure.\" \"I feel like that doesn't make any sense at all. Is this really gonna make the nightmares stop?\" \"Oh, there's certainly no guarantee of that! Most of the developers of large-scale magic devices such as this end up going mad!\" \"I'm starting to sense a trend with these unfounded statements you keep making.\" \"That said, ridiculous as the ideas behind it may be, 'twas well worth testing it out. We've not had any battles as of late, and I could feel my body growing duller by the day... Plus, I just went through a rather unpleasant experience.\" Elisabeth let out a biting murmur and cracked her knuckles. Now that she thought about it, this had been quite a day. Starting with Kaito's failure to wake up on time, one unpleasant event had occurred after another. To be quite frank, Elisabeth was a little fed up with it. It was high time she put an end to it all. \"Bakuuuu,\" the tapir cried. It could clearly sense her violent intentions. However, Elisabeth ignored it. To the contrary, in fact, she treated its cry as a signal to let the destruction commence. She reached out into empty space, and a vortex of darkness and crimson flower petals formed around her pale hand. Then she drew a long sword from within. \"Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal!\" The unsettling epitaph inscribed on the sword's elegant blade flashed. Anyone who saw it would have the meaning of its phrase driven straight into their brain. Elisabeth swung the sword down like she was signaling an execution to take place. \"Witches' Dance!\" Its blade sliced through the empty air. As it did, the silver landscape began to change. The air shimmered with heat, and the ground, which had taken the wave of her magic head on, transformed into a vast sheet of burning metal. If anyone had been standing on it, the heat would have forced them to hop around like a madman. However, visible beings weren't the only ones who could feel its effects. Even now, there was a lone monster writhing atop the scorching plane. Elisabeth narrowed her crimson eyes. It hurts, doesn't it? Good! Savor the taste of my torture and, with it, remember. The pain of being burned was different from the pain of being torn apart. Once the monster experienced that new kind of pain, doubt would surely rise up in its mind. He was already dead. Why, then, should he have to experience yet another type of pain? And when that happened, that intense confusion should temporarily revive the monster's humanity. The metal plane's temperature rose mercilessly, growing higher and higher by the moment. Its silver flowers drooped and sagged as they melted. The intense heat was permeating every inch of this bounded world. And Kaito and Elisabeth were no exception. The tapir only barely managed to ascend in time. It flailed its stubby arms and legs about to protest the heat. Kaito had to cling tight to its round back to avoid being thrown off. He let out a panicked shout. \"H-hey, Elisabeth! At this rate, you're gonna end up burning us to death, too!\" \"Hmm. That is a problem, isn't it? To be quite frank, I never actually considered that possibility.\" \"Why wasn't that the first thing you thought of?!\" Kaito's cry echoed with concern and indignation, but Elisabeth didn't pay it the slightest heed. She was listening to a different howl, one that was coming from the world itself. \"No, no, no no no nonononono! It's hot, it hurts, help, someone save me!\" The corpse's sanity had been locked in a stupor by its simple agony, but the new pain had revitalized it and brought it back to the forefront. And now that the corpse had its senses back, there was something Elisabeth needed to do. She parted her scarlet lips and, without a moment's hesitation, made her bold declaration. \"Now, 'tis time to seal the deal.\" It was time for her to end all the nightmares. Destroying and killing were the sole talents the Torture Princess had to her name. As such, Elisabeth's role to was deliver a second violent death to the newly conscious soul. She swung her sword down without so much as a shred of mercy. Darkness and crimson flower petals surged forth, emitting a shock wave that got absorbed by the gaps between the ashen clouds. The sky creaked. Then the sound of glass shattering filled the air. That sound was the death knell of the world and monster alike. The world was broken, and death was the only fate that awaited any who were spread throughout it. The innocent villager had now met his second death. Elisabeth was certain of it. Shards of the sky cascaded down like shooting stars. Thousands of scraps of light rained down from overhead. And immediately thereafter, Elisabeth and Kaito got violently launched outside. \"Taaaaaaaaaaaake that!\" \"Hurgh!\" That marked the third attack Kaito's chest had suffered that day. It was getting to the point where Elisabeth felt she should start collecting a fee for services rendered. Kaito, on the other hand, seemed displeased with the wake-up calls. How utterly insolent. This time, though, Elisabeth decided to overlook his slight. Instead, she took a moment to seriously examine the broken ball. The damage was fairly severe. It had served its purpose just the way she'd hoped it would, but she had a bone to pick with its shabby construction. \"What a flimsy piece of junk that turned out to be. For how dangerous a device it was, I'd have expected it to survive at least a single use.\" \"I bet it would have if you didn't use it like a lunatic.\" Kaito gave her an exasperated reply. He wasn't just being insolent; now he was being downright rude. However, Elisabeth chose to overlook his irreverence once more, and the two of them shared a trivial little exchange. All the while, Elisabeth continued running her fingers over the device. The world of pain was broken. The monster was dead. However, it was unclear whether or not the device would ever be fit for use again. Well, I'm sure I'll fix it somehow or other, Elisabeth ultimately decided. She withdrew her hand and turned to Kaito. \"And on another note, I take it your odd drowsiness is gone?\" \"Huh? Oh, actually, now that you mention it, yeah... I guess today's just been one weird experience after another.\" His answer was far vaguer than Elisabeth would have liked. She frowned. After being freed from the Knight's beast, the villager's soul had been left without a proper form. The only reason it had been able to materialize the way it had was because it had found such a choice piece of prey in Kaito. The sensation he felt once it started hunting him hadn't been drowsiness; it had been the sheer pressure of the monster's desire to drag him to his death. Elisabeth took another look around Kaito. The dark shadow was gone. It would appear that the monster really was dead. Or to be more precise, it was now properly aware that it was dead. As such, it had vanished off to wherever dead people normally went. If such a place even exists, mind you. The existence of the higher entities God and Diablo had been conclusively determined, but nobody had been able to prove where people's souls went when they died. That was why Elisabeth hadn't known if her choice would end up bringing salvation to the monster. The only things she had done were grant a dead man more pain and vanquish him as he screamed. 'Twould be arrogant to describe such an act as \"sending it to its rest.\" The wicked Torture Princess had ended its existence. That was all. A dead man had vanished. Nothing more, nothing less. Elisabeth didn't regret her decision, nor was she ashamed of it. She gave a proud, haughty nod. \"If so, then I daresay you have me to thank. If you wish to drop to your knees and express your reverent gratitude, I certainly shan't stop you.\" \"Why? Just why?\" Kaito shot her a resentful look. He truly was foolish, this foolish servant of hers. However, it was precisely that foolishness that made it such a bother to explain things to him when he directed baseless complaints her way. Elisabeth elected just to scoff. Then she suddenly remembered how famished she was. Meals were some of the highlights of her days. In fact, they were the only highlights. She crossed her arms. Then instead of complaining, she went on. \"Now then, Kaito, 'tis almost dinnertime. Should my meal be late, I assume you've no objections to finding yourself atop the Ducking Stool.\" \"Actually, I think I have an objection or two.\" Even after she threatened him like that, he was still probably going to present her with something utterly inedible. Even though she knew that, Elisabeth looked forward to her dinner nonetheless. Everything past here is nothing more than a digression. You could ignore it all, and not be the slightest bit worse off for it. The story started a good while back. Back when Elisabeth first installed the magic device designed to release people from nightmares. Why would she do such a thing? Every day, she would spend countless hours in idle slumber. She was the type that preferred to sleep au naturel. Never once had she tossed and turned due to nightmares, never once had she gotten insufficient sleep, and never once had her rest interfered with her daytime activities. However, the Torture Princess dreamed. And it was rather unpleasant, having a nightmare and being unable to wake up despite knowing it was a dream. In a world that she was unable to wake from of her own volition, she was bombarded with constant shouts. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth, cruel, hideous Elisabeth! A curse upon you, a curse upon you, a curse, a curse, an eternal curse upon you, Elisabeth! Countless voices echoed out with scorn and maledictions."}, {"text": "The Torture Princess was being burned in the fires of Hell in front of all the masses. Night in and night out, her torment continued without cease. However, Elisabeth Le Fanu had never once tossed and turned. And she had never once feared going to sleep. A Message from Someone (3) \"I never once loved you people.\" I believe I said something to that effect in my last message. Truth be told, though, that was a lie. Back then, I did love you. Or at least, I stubbornly convinced myself that I did. No, no, even that's fairly far from the truth. I really do need to stop talking in vague half statements. But just to begin with, defining love isn't the easiest thing to do. For example, can you truly say that you love the fragile world you live in? Can you really describe your relationship with the thing you interact with and bear responsibilities toward each day with a word as pure and straightforward as love? I strongly doubt it. And even if you can, it's nothing more than the product of self-delusion. In reality, the way you feel about it is complicated, with all sorts of different emotions intermingling and coexisting. I once hated a world such as yours, and so, too, did I love it. The real me never once possessed the unconditional love or boundless mercy that the stories attribute to me. I was never perfectly good, and I was never perfectly evil. However, my saying this might be nothing more than an act of outrageous modesty. Back then, I was driven by all sorts of ideas, convictions, and self-righteousness and filled with all sorts of sorrow, grief, and sadness, and yet even so, I clung desperately to my love and my hope. Thinking back on it now, the inside of my brain must have been like an incandescent pit of hellfire. In other words, I had the makings of a preeminent deviant\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201das well as the confidence and blind faith befitting a savior, all in spades. If I hadn't, I never would have been able to commit a sin that profane. Or at the very least, I would have refused to bear the burden of my failure. Yet I did in fact both commit a sin and bear the burden. Because of that, I became the most contradictory entity this world has ever seen. I am more sinful than any, holier than any, lowlier than any, and more exalted than any. I am a sinner without peer. And I am an innocent victim. As for my current status, though\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dI'm sorry to say that I've gone well and truly mad. Elisabeth's Daily Routine (Front Side) \"Mmm... Ahhh.\" Elisabeth let out an alluring sigh as she woke. Her consciousness burst up from the fire and curses that made up her nightmare, and her long lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes. Then she gracefully rose. Her blanket slid from her bare shoulders, and her smooth skin gleamed like a pearl in the morning light. Elisabeth preferred to sleep au naturel, and as a result, her silken black hair flowed down her shapely cleavage like water. The whole scene had a taboo beauty to it, as well a peaceful sort of calm. However, Elisabeth soon broke that tranquility with a small scoff. \"...Hmph.\" Her bedroom was modest, and in it, she was alone. The person who was normally by her side when she woke was nowhere to be seen. There was only one other person who was allowed to enter her bedroom in the morning, and it was her automaton maid, Hina. Even since she was first activated, Hina had not only been serving as a valuable combat asset, but she had also been carrying out her maid duties to perfection. Every morning without fail, Hina would bring her a greeting and a cup of tea with a smile on her face. \"Good morning, my dearest Lady Elisabeth! The weather is lovely today, as well befits your beauty and my beloved Master Kaito's handsomeness!\" Kaito had turned down Hina's offer to do the same for him, so she had been devoting all her effort into making Elisabeth's morning refreshment the best it could be. Because Hina carefully changed the tea's composition based on the ambient temperature and humidity, it always hit the spot just right. Today, though, Hina was absent from her post. However, it wasn't because she was late or had overslept. It was simply because Elisabeth had woken up too early. Outside, it was still dark. Dawn had yet to break. At the moment, Hina was probably still in the middle of partaking in her little hobby before she got to work preparing breakfast (her \"brief little indulgence,\" she called it). Each morning, she would press herself against the door to Kaito's room and listen closely to the sound of his breathing. What she found enjoyable about that was wholly unclear to Elisabeth. However, at least it was harmless. Elisabeth decided to leave her to her own devices. The larger problem lay elsewhere. Outside her window, there was something on the other side of the shutters. Its unpleasant presence was what woke Elisabeth up. She didn't sense any animosity from it. However, the fact remained that it had a strangely foul smell to it. \"What, more of this nonsense? Who is it this time who approaches the Torture Princess's castle so fearlessly?\" Elisabeth was annoyed, and for good reason. Ever since she subjugated Vlad Le Fanu, she had gotten wrapped up in one bizarre incident after another. For example, there was the battle against the Grand Governor the other day. Before the fight even began, she and the others got wrapped up in a mess involving animal ears. At the end of the day, what even were animal ears? The more she thought about it, the less sense it made. Now, though, things had finally started settling down around the castle. Or at least, she thought they had. \"My dream wasn't a pleasant one by any stretch of the imagination, but even so, interfering with my sleep is a heinous crime indeed.\" Elisabeth strode over to her window. Whoever it was on the other side, they had been ready. She grabbed the shutters and slammed them open. Outside, a dark bat-like figure was flapping its wings. The moment she saw it, Elisabeth snapped her fingers. \"Silk Pin.\" Crimson flower petals whirled up, accompanied by a darkness blacker than night. An almost laughably soft thump sounded out. Her pin pierced the strange creature clean through and pressed it against the floor like a specimen on display. It was a familiar that appeared to be a cross between a bat and a piglet. Something fell from its talons onto the floor. Elisabeth looked at it. Then she frowned. It looked like a crimson flower. And yet it wasn't. It was a human wrist. After being lopped off from halfway down the elbow, the arm had undergone a grotesque treatment. All the bones had been removed around the cross section, and the flesh had been carefully carved into thin little sheets. From there, they'd been peeled outward into a beautiful crimson rose. In the bone's place, something black and boorish-looking had been jammed inside. \"All that effort spent, just for that? They could have easily delivered its contents on their own.\" Elisabeth sighed and went to retrieve the wrist. The object inside the hole was a wooden cylinder. The way it had been plunged into the soft meaty pouch called to mind the image of a man and a woman having intercourse. A wet, squishy noise sounded as Elisabeth wrenched the cylinder free. Strands of viscous mucilage dripped off it. Suddenly, she raised an eyebrow. The cylinder's specifics had defied all her expectations. It was a statue of the Saint, tears of blood and all. \"What is this, blasphemy? Sacrilege? A cheap act of rebellion? Any and all of the above, I dare imagine, but still, isn't it a tad blatant? A little subtlety would go a long way... Although, that said, I suppose this whole little scheme was annoying from the get-go.\" Exasperated, Elisabeth took another look at the Saint statue. Its slender form was soiled from top to bottom with blood and fat, and its neck had a cut on it from being beheaded. They must have removed the head, then sealed it back on with wax. Elisabeth wasted no time in slicing the head back off. Inside, she found a rolled-up piece of parchment. She unfurled it and scanned it over. \"...I see. I've seen this type before, but I do wish they'd have at least waited for daybreak.\" Elisabeth gave her bare shoulders a shrug. Then she snapped her fingers, and darkness and flower petals enveloped her naked body. A moment later, the Torture Princess was clad in her black bondage dress. It was loud, bold, and audacious, just the way Elisabeth liked it. However, that wasn't to say she had designed the outfit intentionally. It took its form all on its own based on the aggressiveness of Elisabeth's mana and the brand of magic she used. It was a design that most people would be ashamed to be caught dead in. However, Elisabeth was quite fond of it. After all, this sort of shameless, provocative outfit suited the Torture Princess to a T. Her dress's hem fluttered as she spoke. \"Well, nothing for it. Bothersome as it may be, 'tis best to clean up messes quick. If the matter remains unsettled come morning, that dunce Kaito will no doubt make quite a fuss, and... Wait, hmm? Why should I, the master, have to look out for my servant's feelings?\" Elisabeth frowned. How odd. However, she quickly pulled herself together and tossed the wrist and cylinder over her shoulder. A pair of noises rang out, one a hard clunk, and the other a soft splurch. The two items had hit the wall, and they both fell to the floor. Elisabeth didn't spare them so much as a glance. As she set off, the scarlet inside of her dress flared out behind her. Her heels clicked as she strode through the castle and made her way to the exit. The world outside was clad in the black of night. Then without a single attendant in tow\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Torture Princess strode out into the moonlight. She probably seemed oddly defenseless like that. However, that was nothing compared with the fact that the Torture Princess's castle wasn't even closed off to visitors. The bare rock it was surrounded by gave it a boorish sort of appearance, and one might even describe the place as fortresslike. However, its actual defenses were surprisingly lacking. It had no barrier erected around it, nor did it house any summoned beasts or gatekeepers. It did have some traps and walking suits of armor to its name, but even those turned off during the day and became nothing more than ornamentation. And the castle's existence wasn't kept a secret in the slightest. As a result, countless people spoke of it in hushed tones. \"The Torture Princess lives in that castle of rock and stone,\" they said. For a rumor, it had a decidedly fantastical ring to it. All that was extremely intentional. In truth, Elisabeth left herself vulnerable to attack on purpose. By using herself as bait for the demons, she was hoping to hasten their showdowns. However, the rod she cast pulled up no shortage of small fry as well. This was certainly not the first unwanted dimwit who'd come knocking on her door. \"It's a wondrous honor to be graced with your radiant presence, O beautiful Torture Princess. O ravishing Elisabeth Le Fanu!\" A voice overcome with emotion echoed out through the dark forest. A group of birds took off at the sudden noise, cawing loudly as they flew away. The speaker quivered passionately and spread his arms wide. The"}, {"text": "high-quality black cloak he was wearing quivered along with him. There was a bowler hat perched atop his head, and his face was hidden behind a gaudy mask. It was covered in silver, jewels, and goose feathers, no doubt to capture the attention of any who looked at it and get them to forget the rest of his appearance. However... \"Oh, how long I've dreamed of this day... Why, you're even more beautiful than I imagined! How splendiferous!\" \"Ah. Is that so? Goodness me.\" ...his voice was obnoxiously shrill. He could dress himself up however much he liked, but it meant nothing when he had such a distinctive characteristic right there in the open. Elisabeth looked at the man with lifeless eyes. She hadn't expected the person waiting for her to be quite such an idiot. The two of them were standing in the forest down beneath the desolate hill her castle stood on. It was the exact spot that had been written on the parchment. Elisabeth squeezed the bridge of her nose. Her head hurt. \"You wake a person at this ungodly hour, then have the nerve to say I'm 'gracing you with my presence'? If every word that comes out of your mouth is going to be this insipid, I've half a mind to slice you in two where you stand.\" The man stiffened up. Apparently, he'd hoped for them to get off on a better foot. A few seconds later, he feigned having to cough, then let out a questionable laugh and tried once more. \"Hyoh-heh, I suppose that's the Torture Princess for you. That pride, that arrogance...how fitting for the one who will guide us and share our path!\" \"What? No, a rebuttal such as that hardly scratches the surface of the Torture Princess's arrogance. Good heavens, how tepid did you think I was going to be? What are you, some wet-behind-the-ears noble? If the Church found out you were saying such things, they wouldn't just stop at seizing your assets, you know. They'd subject you to a full-on inquisition. And looking at you, that's not an experience you'd much relish...\" Elisabeth put a quick damper on the man's excitement. He shook violently. However, he rallied once more. He then let out another laugh. Elisabeth almost made a quip about the limited range of his responses, but she decided it wouldn't be worth the trouble. Instead, she shifted her gaze behind him. Waiting in the trees was a black-lacquered carriage. Its horses' glossy coats were the same hue, and his lamp-carrying driver was clad all in black as well. At a glance, it was impossible to tell what family the man belonged to. On further inspection, however, the relief of the carriage's coat of arms was still identifiable even though it had been painted over. Not buying a new carriage when one was trying to travel incognito was an amateurish mistake. Everything about the man seemed downright farcical. His is a common type...too common, I daresay. And a headache each time they pop up. As Elisabeth muttered internally, the man continued his outlandish hyoh-ing and heh-ing. He seemed to have little intention of ever getting to the point. Elisabeth spoke in a tired tone in hopes of getting the ball rolling. \"So can I leave now?\" \"Of course not!\" \"Then I shall ask you thus\u00e2\u20ac\u201dare you a demon worshipper? An organization that stands against the Church? Or perhaps the leader of a religion all your own?\" \"O-oh my, to think you'd hit the nail on the head with such accuracy...\" \"What? Given the way you delivered your message, it'd have been odder for me not to have figured it out. No matter, though.\" Elisabeth let out a long sigh. At this point, there was little meaning in getting fed up. This wasn't the first time she'd been called for in this way. The Torture Princess was a pawn of the Church, tasked with killing the fourteen demons and slated for execution. Yet even so, there were no small number of heretics and blasphemers who still saw her as someone to be idolized. To them, the way she'd killed her people in gross defiance of God and her battles with the knights were feats to be lauded, and the atrocities she'd committed at the Plain of Skewers were considered particularly praiseworthy. Now, though, that ideal woman had been reduced to a lapdog in service to God and the Church. Some of them refused to accept that fact, and as such, they came calling on her from time to time. The man before her was probably no different. He bowed as he began speaking once more. \"It would seem I don't need to introduce myself, I see... Very well! Then let's talk, you and I. As you surmised, we stand against the coercive brainwashing the Church conducts on the masses, and we hold demons in the highest regard in their stead.\" \"I don't doubt it for a moment. You're as black a lot as they come; that much is clear enough from your garb. You people do love that color, don't you?\" \"The way they shout for us to believe in God and the Saint, the way they insist their doctrine is the one true creed...it's unnatural, isn't it? And their legends are all full of holes. The more research we do, the more we find to question in their dogma. But, ah, you're the Torture Princess. Surely, I don't need to tell you about how twisted the Church is.\" \"True enough. The specifics of the Church's legends are too vague to warrant the blind faith they ask for, and the accounts of the Saint vary dramatically from book to book. Between that, some of their more suspect inquisitors, and the very existence of saints, the Church has no shortage of notable perversions. So?\" \"So it's our noble duty to rectify the failings that come from their unjust control of the world! And to do that, we have to offer our faith and devotion to demons, the beings who stand against not just the Church, but against God himself!\" \"Well now, that doesn't make a lick of sense. God proved Himself unworthy, so you turned immediately to Diablo and its brood? You're simply exchanging one extreme for another. But no matter, that. Let me then ask the question that bears asking. That is the reason I answered your insipid summons and came all the way here, after all.\" Elisabeth let out yet another sigh. She closed her eyes, then opened them. When she did, they gleamed crimson, and she spoke in the stern tone of a seasoned interrogator. \"That meat was fresh. Were they yet living when you sliced it off?\" \"Ah, so you enjoyed our little present!\" Elisabeth's tone was now as cold as ice, but the man didn't seem to notice the change. His mask gleamed ominously as he enthusiastically went on. \"Our group holds rituals, which involve human sacrifices, to deepen our bonds and to further blasphemy against God. We take the offering alive and make beautiful artwork out of them. Just like you\u00e2\u20ac\u201djust like the Torture Princess!\" The corner of Elisabeth's mouth twitched upward. The man still didn't notice. She shook her head from side to side. Then her demeanor did a complete about-face, and she curled her lips into a sweet smile. \"I see. So you claim to be imitating me, of all things... Very well, then. You lot possess skill enough to craft a familiar, but you lack the strength to summon an authentic demon. Yet though you have no such entity at hand, you offer up pain to them nonetheless. But even that failed to distinguish yourselves among other such groups, so despite my being shackled by the Church as I am, you wish to install me as your figurehead. Is that about the gist of it?\" \"Goodness, it's like you know us already.\" \"'Tis the desire of most who come seeking an audience with me and asking for my cooperation\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut very well. First, I must confirm something. Bring me to this meeting place of yours, and I shall see for myself if you've prepared a throne befitting the Torture Princess.\" \"Y-you're serious? You'll become our sponsor\u00e2\u20ac\u201dour figurehead?\" \"Enough blathering. 'Tis rude to make a lady repeat herself.\" Elisabeth gently raised her fair hand, and the man extended his in kind. His fingers were trembling\u00e2\u20ac\u201dperhaps in fear, and perhaps in delight. Ignoring how ridiculous he looked, Elisabeth elegantly took his hand in hers. Then out of the blue, she yanked him toward her, bringing her lips to his ear and letting out a sultry whisper. \"If I deem you worthy, then I shall take your dull destinies and forever alter them.\" Her words were as sweet as honey and as piercing as venom. The man jolted. Then, fearing she might change her mind, he hurried over to the carriage with her hand still in his. The driver dutifully opened the door. Elisabeth boarded with a gallant leap, then majestically plopped down on the leather seat within. The man excitedly sat down beside her. Without sparing him a glance, Elisabeth crossed her legs. All the while, the catlike smile on her face never faded. With a crack of the whip, the horses set off, and the carriage began moving. The moment it did, though, its frame rocked in a peculiar manner. The driver tilted his head to the side a little. However, the irregularity didn't persist, so it must have just hit a rock or something. The carriage continued on. The dawn was yet unbroken. Under the cover of night, Elisabeth and the others quickly made their way through the forest. The sound of water dripping echoed out. Cramped earthen walls were faintly visible in the small area illuminated around them. The driver at the front of their group was holding a lantern, and each time it shook, the ground faintly shone. It was wet with pooled water, and the flame's light reflecting off the water's surface made it look like the land was burning. Elisabeth and the others trampled that golden flame underfoot as they advanced down the corridor. After passing through the village that had been destroyed by the Knight, the group had reached a dilapidated house, then passed through it and gone underground. The building, as Elisabeth discovered, had originally been built as a noble's suburban villa. Its owner was a devout member of the Church, and the villa's main building was connected to an attached chapel. And hidden beneath that chapel's altar was a staircase leading underground. It appeared to be set up that way so people could move between the main building and the annex in case some sort of emergency happened. However, it was unclear how devout someone could really claim to be if they went out of their way to build an altar with a secret passageway beneath. Elisabeth had frowned, and the man, sensing her doubts, had answered them. \"The manor's owner, fool that he was, was a devout believer like his father and grandfather before him. However, his son rebelled against their pious lifestyle and gave himself to a life of debauchery. When the debts he'd incurred began coming due, he scraped together the last of his money to build this as an escape route to flee from his debtors. Not that it did him much good, mind you; they caught up with him in no time. Later, when the debtors started selling off his assets, I discovered the manor's secret and ended up purchasing it. I left the building mostly as is, but I completely renovated the hidden chamber. I think you'll like what I've done with it.\" After he explained the situation, they set off down the dark underground tunnel. The passageway seemed straight enough, but even so, there was no end in sight. Elisabeth sighed for the umpteenth time. \"We've still yet to reach it? This hidden chamber or whatnot"}, {"text": "of yours.\" \"I really do apologize for the poor walking conditions. We're almost there, so I hope you'll put up with it for just a bit longer.\" Sure enough, the man soon stopped. The driver raised his lantern up high, illuminating the oddly fleshy nude etching of the Saint in the door beside them. The original composition was a well-known religious painting, but it had been exaggerated in a way that was somehow both sexual and comedic. The man cleared his throat, concerned that Elisabeth might find it offensive. It would seem that he realized that it was in poor taste. However, Elisabeth didn't much care one way or the other. She offered no reaction. Clearly relieved, the man knocked on the door. A muffled voice came from the other side. \"Who do we extol?\" \"Those who sup on the pain of man.\" \"And what do we seek?\" \"An abyss of greed and avarice.\" It was a needlessly theatrical exchange, and a pointless one to boot. If the paladins found out about them, they wouldn't have time to ask for a passcode before the paladins just smashed the door in. Elisabeth gently squeezed the bridge of her nose. The door opened from within, and the driver bowed and stepped back. Apparently, he wasn't coming with them. Elisabeth and the man strode forward. It had been dead silent in the tunnel, but inside, they were greeted by a loud clamor. There were many voices that Elisabeth could make out, but one of them in particular was especially disquieting. Someone was letting out a low moan. When she heard it\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Torture Princess slowly looked up. The room within was surprisingly spacious. When the man said he'd remodeled it, he clearly hadn't been lying. There was a fancy chandelier hanging from its ceiling and an ominously patterned carpet had been placed atop its tiled floor. A square section in the middle of the carpet had been cut out, and a stone pedestal sat atop the bare floor that was displayed. There was no other furniture to speak of. For the room's purposes, that pedestal alone was sufficient. A gathering of people wearing the same black clothes and gaudy masks as the man sat around the pedestal. It resembled a sort of bizarre masquerade ball. However, the mood in the room was oddly manic. The group looked up in unison. It reminded Elisabeth of a flock of crows\u00e2\u20ac\u201da group that gathered around carrion and feasted on their rotting carcasses. With no way to tell how she envisioned them, though, the group clad in black let out cries of joy and delight. \"Can it be? The Torture Princess herself, in our midst?! At long last, our prayers are answered!\" \"Ah, such beauty! Why, her looks put even the rumors to shame!\" \"...I can't believe that coward actually followed through. I need to go introduce myself at once.\" The whispers that filled the air were filled with childishly frank admiration. Elisabeth paid them no heed, nor did she return any of their passionate, almost loving gazes. No, her crimson eyes were fixed solely on the pedestal. A young girl was crucified atop it. She had yet to reach maturity, like a sapling that had just begun to sprout. Perhaps they had bought her, or perhaps they'd taken her from some small rural village after sweet-talking her parents. Either way, her abdomen looked like it had been pecked apart by crows. Her flesh was dark crimson, raw, and filthy. To wit, her stomach had been sliced open. Inside the cut, her innards had been ever so carefully mixed up, and every one of her organs was missing little bits and pieces from it. Elisabeth shifted her gaze over to the figures clad in black. Each of them was holding a set of cutlery in their hands. The forks and knives in question were all wet with blood, and the silver plates in front of them were adorned with fresh chunks of meat. Livers and eyeballs reflected back the room's light. And the dinner sets were each replete with a cup full of freshly drawn blood. Even as she was being eaten, the girl yet drew breath. While the group in black continued in their innocent excitement, the girl moved ever so slightly. She returned Elisabeth's gaze. A single tear rolled out of her sole remaining eye. Her tongue was gone, as were her teeth. She still had lips, though, and they mouthed a silent plea. Kill me. Not save me. Elisabeth snapped her fingers. A heavy thump echoed out as an iron stake pierced the girl's heart clean through. Then a moment later, blood sprayed up from her chest and dyed the chandelier bright red. The girl who'd been eaten alive was dead. The room went silent. Nobody had expected that from the Torture Princess in the slightest. Eventually, though, one of the people\u00e2\u20ac\u201dprobably a noble\u00e2\u20ac\u201dspoke up. \"W-was there something wrong with the sacrifice?\" \"Oh, shut up. I have one question for you lot, and one question alone.\" The group straightened their backs in alarm at the Torture Princess's words. Elisabeth smiled bewitchingly to set them at ease. They let out deep sighs, captivated by her beguiling expression. Elisabeth raised her fair arm and pointed at the dead girl. \"Any among you who did not partake in the banquet, raise your hand now.\" A troubled murmur ran through the air. However, most of the group proudly shook their heads no. That said, there was one sole exception. Unable to withstand the others' animosity, one younger man raised his hand. One of the others must have forced him to come along with them. Even before he raised his hand, his face was pale as a sheet. He also had no cutlery or plate, so it would appear that his declaration was true. \"I see, I see. Right, then.\" Elisabeth lowered her hand. Everyone looked at her expectantly. In contrast with the rest of the crowd's excitement, though, the young man let out a pathetic little scream. None of them had any doubt that his failure to participate in the sacrificial rite had angered the Torture Princess. She was going to brutally kill him. Everyone there trembled in unconcealed anticipation. Elisabeth gave the young man her finest smile. Then she snapped her fingers. \"...Huh?\" A dumbfounded voice sounded out from behind her. It was the man who guided her there. He blinked several times. His head had toppled off his neck, and he was holding it in his hands. Even separated from his torso, the man's head continued to blink. His eyes turned upward and looked at his neck as blood began spurting forth from it. He gawked at it in shock. Then his lips went slack, and his body collapsed onto the floor while still holding his head. His feet flopped back and forth like fish out of water. All the while, his blood spread farther and farther across the carpet, seeping into it and dying it crimson. After a slight delay, the screams started. The room descended into a panic. Elisabeth, the only calm person present, simply shrugged. \"'Just like the Torture Princess,' eh? You have nerve, I'll give you that... But know this\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou were under a grave misapprehension. I have no patience for those who would use me for their own ends or make me their lapdog. 'Tis an insult of the highest order, and I've slain all who tried heretofore. I must admit, though, this banquet you've thrown truly is not unlike my own. I may be unto a demon, but you lot are no different. Very well! I recognize you, then, as having deviated from humanity's path!\" Elisabeth spread her arms wide in a haughty, magnanimous gesture. This time, the smile on her blood-drenched face was of a wholly different nature than it had been before. When she made her sonorous declaration, her expression was downright villainous. \"And as such, this is a task well befitting the Torture Princess! For killing those who are unto demons is a task that belongs to those just as wretched!\" Sometimes, the only thing that could kill evil was a different brand of evil. That was one of the world's many truths. After all, those who sang the praises of righteousness would never have been able to find this underground banquet. To be invited here, one would have to be the kind of evil that other evildoers looked up to. And only someone evil would be able to tell just how wicked the banquet truly was. For Elisabeth could tell\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmercy would be wasted on their kind, and they were unfit to receive even the faintest of amnesties. She could tell that the girl before her wasn't the first one they'd eaten alive. No, the victims whose blood stained those walls numbered in the hundreds. This was a place that was well worth being called a demon's banquet hall. And as such, there was but one act for the Torture Princess to take. \"Duke of Exeter's Daughter!\" Elisabeth's voice echoed out loud and clear, and a torrent of darkness and flower petals whirled up in response. A storm of black and crimson swept violently through the room. Then it vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. In its place stood an adorable young girl. The guests all shrank back and cowered in fear. Several of them let out confused yelps. The girl gave them an elegant bow. Her flaxen hair rustled, setting off her amber eyes. She was wearing an understated dark-green dress, and it was adorned with a white lace collar and a porcelain brooch. At a glance, she looked like an ordinary young girl. What was strange, though, was that there were four of her. Their faces were the same down to the smallest detail. One might think they were quadruplets, but that wasn't right, either. Even that wouldn't account for how unnaturally identical they were. It was like something straight out of a nightmare. To drive home that point, the arms extending from their sleeves clearly weren't those of a human. Their fingers were made of metal and were the perfect size for binding a person's limbs. It was like someone had taken a sheltered young maiden and replaced part of her flesh with restraints. The girls gracefully made their way over to the pedestal. Then they used their restraints to grab the stake stuck in the human sacrifice. \"\"\"\"Heave-ho!\"\"\"\" As they called out in unison, they wrenched the stake free. They then rolled the corpse onto the floor, blood spurting all over them in the process. Entrails got spread everywhere, ruining the expensive-looking carpet. Once they were done, the four of them stood in an elegant little line. Elisabeth let out a whisper in a voice like honeyed venom. \"Judgment is handed down, and I am she who hands it. Behold, as I take your dull destinies and forever alter them.\" *** A violent scream sounded out. A horrible, graphic noise filled the air, and it was soon followed by a desperate moan. The victim's body was torn in half at the waist, and organs and guts spilled from the fleshy tear. Several other such corpses were already piled atop the floor. Even though the air was thick with the stench of blood, the girls' smiles hadn't faded in the slightest. And why would they? Duke of Exeter's Daughter was a torture rack given flesh. Never once had they felt qualms or revulsion at the prospect of stretching people out. The girls tossed the new corpse aside, then set off and walked in formation by the group of people cowering stock-still by the wall. Finally, they stopped before one portly man in particular. \"You.\" The man had been holding his breath, afraid that he'd get picked if he so much as moved. His eyes went wide when he discovered that his efforts had been in vain. He swallowed, then let out a throat-shattering scream."}, {"text": "The girls quickly reached out before he could make a break for it, binding his limbs with their metal restraints. Then they hoisted him up like a pig on a spit and began carrying him in cordial unison. \"\"\"\"Heave-ho. Heave-ho. Heave-ho. Heave-ho. Heave-ho.\"\"\"\" \"Please, no, no, stop, I'll do anything, no, aaaaaaaagh!\" The girls plopped the fat man down on the stone pedestal like it was a cutting board. Then they began pulling on his limbs. His joints began breaking and dislocating. His skin tore, and his flesh started to stretch and snap apart. His voice was hoarse by then, but he continued screaming all the same. However, the girls just kept on smiling. They launched into a happy song. \"\"\"\"Father asks a question, aren't you glad? Have you been good, or have you been bad? If you've been bad, then it's stretching time, until you decide to confess your crimes! You can scream and say no, no, no, but even if you do, we won't let you go!\"\"\"\" \"Stop, stop, please, Elisabeth, ELISABEEEEEEEEETH!\" \"Oh, don't go squealing like a pig. Surely you people should know from your own experience, but it normally takes far longer for a torture victim to die. Though I can't exactly keep your compatriots waiting, so today, you get the abridged version. 'Tis little reason to weep and moan, no? If anything, you should be grateful for how merciful I'm being.\" Elisabeth scoffed. The man started foaming at the mouth, unable to even scream anymore. His eyeballs swelled up, and urine began dripping from his nether region. Then came a squelching noise, and the man's innards began gushing out. Once little more than sinew and intestines were left connecting the two halves of the body together, the girls stopped pulling. They tossed it aside, as though they'd grown bored of it. Then they turned around. Their hair rustled as they blinked their eight innocent eyes. There were barely any survivors left, but the few remaining ones stayed paralyzed in fear by the wall. The girls strode forth once more. One of them began pointing her dainty finger from person to person. \"Are you next? Are you next? Are you next? You're next!\" \"Forgive us! Please, Torture Princess, have mercy!\" The woman's thick, black-painted lips quivered as she rushed toward Elisabeth. She knelt, knees trembling, and held her hands together as if in prayer. Tears streamed from her eyes as she made her desperate supplication. \"Is our sin truly worthy of such punishment? Surely, you realize how twisted the Church is, don't you? But if so...then why?! Why subject us to such cruel judgment?!\" \"Oh, I'm well aware of how perverse the Church is. Any group that employs inquisitors, lets extremists run rampant in their ranks, and retains saints the way Church does is liable to bring about disaster hitherto unseen. But I ask this of you.\" Elisabeth reached out a slender finger and propped the woman's chin up. Then she curled her crimson lips as she offered her a sweet whisper. \"What in the world does that have to do with your banquet?\" \"Th-that's... We needed to demonstrate our rebellion against the Church, to venerate demons...\" \"No, no. There's no need to be shy. Come now, say it with pride. 'Twas fun, wasn't it? I should know. The pain of others is a delight beyond compare, and their screams are like the finest of symphonies. You supped your fill of those luxuries, did you not? But now the bill for your feast has come due. Dissatisfaction with some other group hardly begins to justify your grim indulgences.\" Elisabeth swung her foot and kicked the silver plate the woman had used. It went flying, as did the sticky chunks of meat atop it. Her plate had been piled notably higher than the others. The woman let out a pained squeak. As the woman's teeth began chattering, Elisabeth lovingly stroked her chin. \"As long as the Church opposes the demons and works to maintain order in the world, I shall willingly serve as their lapdog. And once my task is finished, I shall pay my bill in kind and give myself to the flames. Such is the fate I've chosen. And, ah, what a fitting end it shall be.\" \"B-but...why? Why subject yourself to that humiliation? Your power is beyond that of even the demons... You could just summon a new demon, make a contract, and break the Church's shackles, couldn't you? Why just resign yourself to dying a cow's death?!\" \"Then I shall ask you the reverse. Why should I have to do any of that?\" \"Huh?\" The Torture Princess's question rang with honest curiosity. It was enough to make the woman forget the peril she was in for a moment. A dumbfounded silence descended on them. The smell of blood wafted through the air as Elisabeth quietly gazed down at the woman. Then with an expression that seemed almost reminiscent of the Saint's, Elisabeth dispassionately went on. \"Despots are killed, tyrants are hung, and slaughterers are slaughtered. Such is the way of the world. The demise of torturers should be garnished with their own screams as they sink to Hell with no chance for salvation. Only at such a time is a torturer's life truly complete. So why balk at it? Were you people ignorant of even that basic truth?\" Elisabeth looked downward as though in newfound comprehension. Her black hair cascaded in front of her, concealing her expression. Yet even in spite of that, the woman could tell\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Torture Princess was furious. Scathing malice danced on Elisabeth's tongue as she spoke once more. \"Ah, I see. I see... So you indulged in the flesh of the innocent, not even knowing that.\" The Torture Princess looked up. Elisabeth curled her lips into a fierce smile. All of a sudden, the woman felt a heavy tap on her shoulder. She nervously turned to look. There, she was greeted by four identical smiles. She screamed, but the girls captured her without missing a beat. And with that, Duke of Exeter's Daughter dragged her off, kicking aside corpses as they sang their merry song. \"\"\"\"Father asks a question, aren't you glad? Have you been good, or have you been bad? If you've been bad, then it's stretching time, until you decide to confess your crimes! You can scream and say no, no, no, but even if you do, we won't let you go!\"\"\"\" \"No, no, nooooo! Please, Torture Princess, have mercy, I beg of you! I... No. No, I'll never apologize! Curse you, dammit! I curse you to death, you shameless sow! You're no different from me! Nobody will save you! Not God, not Diablo, not anyoooooooone!\" \"Aye, indeed! None shall save me! God and Diablo have abandoned me, as has all creation! And so be it! So be it. Go on, you fool, curse me to your dying breath!\" \"Go to hell, go to hell, GO TO HELL, ELISABEEEEEAAAAAARGH!\" Midway through, the shrill shout transformed into a muddled scream. The woman's torso was beginning to tear. Her back audibly creaked through her tight corset. Her tongue flopped out of her mouth, and blood and drool spilled out along with it. It was only then that her chest finally burst. Elisabeth didn't flinch at the spray of blood or guts, just as she hadn't at the woman's hatred. The girls let go of the body, and it collapsed with a splat atop the veritable mountain of corpses. No more desperate pleas were forthcoming. The executions continued on dispassionately. Eventually, Elisabeth calmly surveyed her surroundings. The room was empty of movement. The banquet was over. Or so she thought. \"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!\" Suddenly, an absurd cry sounded out, and someone dashed off like an arrow from the corner of the room. Elisabeth, thinking she'd missed someone, made to snap her fingers again. The moment before she did, though, she stopped in her tracks. \"...You?\" It was a young man, his fists clenched and his face as pale as a sheet. He ran deeper into the room, some sort of resolve evident on his face. He reached out, grabbed the ornamental ax hanging from the wall, and turned its massive blade toward Elisabeth. Elisabeth quietly returned his gaze. It was the one person she had planned to leave alive. The sole man who hadn't participated in the banquet. Impulsive bravery burned bright in his eyes. It was plain as day what he had resolved himself to do. Elisabeth shrugged in exasperation. \"What's this now? You fancy yourself a hero or something? You never took part in the banquet to begin with, so it's not as though I've any intention of killing you.\" \"Shut up! You...you're no different than they were! How could you do something like this?!\" Spit flew from the youth's mouth as he shouted. The pair of atrocities he'd just borne witness to had stretched his spirit to the breaking point. Now, powerless as he was, he was choosing to fight. However, Elisabeth only shook her head. \"A question, then. Where was this foolhardy bravery of yours to be found when the girl was still alive?\" *** The boy squeezed the ax so tightly that it made the bones in his fingers press up against his skin. Elisabeth sighed, then looked around at the ghastly scene surrounding them. Having finished her task, Duke of Exeter's Daughter was standing in a neat little line. Elisabeth turned her gaze back away from her, then spoke. \"Why, if it's the brutality you object to, you could have even made this stand of yours back when they were alive. So why now? What will this baying of yours accomplish? Whose pain will it heal? At this late hour, how\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Be quiet! Shut up already, you monster! Yeah, you're right. I regret it. I regret it, okay! This is what I should have done the moment I stepped into this damn room! I don't know how long it'll take me to atone for not doing so, but I'll do whatever I have to!\" \"I see. Well, I know not the scale of your resolve, but if it's resolve you have, then I shan't say any more.\" \"But here and now, what I need to do is kill you! How am I supposed to move forward if I let a monster like you live?!\" Tears welled up in the youth's eyes as he shouted. Elisabeth nodded her understanding. When a person met a monster\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201deven if it posed no threat to them personally, it was still their duty to kill it. Such was the fate of people and monsters. The young man raised his ax high and charged at the Torture Princess. However, his movements were so slow, it was almost sad. One snap of her fingers was all it would have taken for Elisabeth to end things. However, she didn't move a muscle. She merely returned the youth's gaze. That, too, is one of this world's many truths. Sometimes, the only thing that could kill evil was a different brand of evil\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut in the end, only good could break that cycle of malice. Elisabeth Le Fanu stood motionless. The executioner's ax drew ever closer. Then it happened. \"That's right. If this was the only thing you saw of her, then that would be a perfectly reasonable conclusion to draw. After all, it is an undeniable truth.\" \"...Huh?\" A dignified voice cut through the air. A slender figure made its descent and swooped down in front of Elisabeth. Then a maid made a gentle landing. Her outfit looked wholly out of place, but the emerald eyes beneath her silver hair were as serious as could be. \"...However, I refuse to let you call her a monster.\" \"Hina?\" Elisabeth spoke the woman's name aloud. The maid, Hina, swung her halberd. The young man's ax head was cut clean from the handle. Its blade went spinning through the air, eventually planting itself in corpses' torsos. As the"}, {"text": "youth tripped over his feet, Hina, still holding her halberd, dropped her voice an octave. \"Never again utter such rudeness to my dearest Lady Elisabeth.\" \"Wha...? I don't\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"And heeere I goooo! Hachaaaaaah!\" The young man started to let out a bewildered yelp, but he was cut off by a loud, cheerful cry. At some point, the doorway had gotten thrown wide-open, and something large and heavy came hurtling through it. It was a massive piece of bone-in meat. After spinning through the air, it struck the young man square in the forehead. It made for a bizarre sight, but it was apparently effective nonetheless. The youth keeled over backward, then went still. It looked like it had given him a concussion. Elisabeth blinked in confusion. It wasn't a dream. It was reality. And there were two people she was well acquainted with standing behind her. Specifically, Hina and the Butcher. \"Now hold on a minute... What are you two doing here?\" \"One thing led to another, you see!\" \"And we ended up tailing you!\" With the grisly room to their backs, the two of them proudly puffed out their chests. \"One thing led to another,\" eh? Elisabeth scratched her cheek. The fact of the matter was, considering how slow he was moving, she still could have returned the young man's attack with time to spare. She had never been in any real danger. Yet somehow or other... ...she felt as though she'd been saved nonetheless. The carriage rattled along the dark night road. The driver who'd been manning the reins on their way there had already fled, so the Butcher was filling in for him. \"Why, I could do that with my eyes closed!\" he'd claimed. And sure enough, he was handling the carriage more deftly than even the driver had. There are mysteries about when it comes to that man. Is there anything he can't do? As Elisabeth pondered that question, she stole a glance at Hina, who was sitting beside her. Hina said nothing, a silence that Elisabeth mirrored. However, their expressions were like polar opposites of each other. Hina was smiling happily, but Elisabeth was frowning in discontent. Eventually, Elisabeth looked back away from her seatmate and quietly spoke. \"...You've no objections, Hina?\" \"About what, might I ask?\" \"You saw the atrocities I committed back in that room. You ordered the man not to call me a monster, but...your master is Kaito, not I. There's no need for you to flatter me. I appreciate your diligent service, don't get me wrong, but you needn't pretend to hold me in such regard.\" \"I'm sorry, Lady Elisabeth, but please don't misunderstand me.\" Hina's voice rang out dignified and resolute. Elisabeth turned back toward her so fast, it was like she'd been slapped in the face. Hina was staring straight at her. Even in the dim, her emerald eyes shone like jewels. She softly opened her mouth, then spoke with a gentle calmness. \"I might not have a sense of morals the way humans do, but I am aware of how your past deeds and cruel nature have drawn hatred and criticism from many. I can't refute what they say...but at the same time, it's my right to choose who I want to protect, and who I want to hold dear.\" My heart is mine and mine alone. Not even my beloved master can deny me that. That was what Hina was saying. Elisabeth had no answer for that. Instead, she just stared off into space. Eventually, she curiously posed a question. \"...How utterly puzzling. What about me do you find so worthy of your admiration?\" \"Hmhm, there are oh-so-many things... But the specifics are a secret. That's something you'll have to figure out for yourself someday, Lady Elisabeth. It wouldn't mean anything if I just told you.\" Hina playfully raised a finger in front of her lips. Yet again, Elisabeth had no answer for that. It seemed wrong for the Torture Princess to affirm herself in that way after committing such a massacre. Beside her, her automaton companion kept on smiling. It was the expression of someone who knew their own heart inside and out. As the Butcher let out a strange \"Heigh-ho!\" cheer from up in the driver's seat, Elisabeth let out a low murmur. \"You're a strict one, aren't you?\" \"Oh yes! I may dote on Master Kaito, but even I know when it's time for some tough love!\" Hina puffed up her chest with pride. Elisabeth shook her head in defeat. The tension drained from her face, and a smile spread across it\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe first genuine smile she'd worn that day. She nodded. \"You know, in the interest of avoiding a large hassle, what say we\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Keep this all a secret from Master Kaito? Oh, of course.\" They exchanged a glance, and with that, their girls' promise was official. A moment later, they both broke out into laughter. Another strange \"Heigh-ho!\" echoed through the air as the carriage rattled beneath the dawn sky. And back at the castle, a certain dim-witted, softhearted boy was still fast asleep. A Message from Someone (4) To begin with, though\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat does it really mean to go mad? Whenever I start pondering that question, I immediately feel my sanity begin to slip away. Big deal, you might think, coming from a self-proclaimed lunatic. And you'd be completely right to do so. But it's the truth, so I'm afraid there isn't much I can do about it. Honestly, though, I'm really not sure. When was it, I wonder, that I went completely mad? Was it when I chose this world's appointed time? When I sowed the seeds of evil throughout it? When I made an attendant who would serve me and me alone? Was it when I brought about the worst possible result, one that could never be undone? Was it when I decided to take responsibility for the deed I'd committed? Or was it, perhaps, long, long ago\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhen I made up my mind to perform that summoning? When I decided that I wanted to save the world? If so, though, wouldn't that mean that there has been something messed up about me all along? That there is something wrong with me as a person? That it was a mistake for me to ever have been born? Surely, that's too harsh. It's not as though a baby can bear sin. Would the mistake lie with the very world that created such a person, then? No, no, I'm getting this all wrong. Blame and criticism, I can take. They're far more pleasant than the blind faith and respect I was subjected to before, after all. But at the same time, I can feel it keenly. Is there anyone in this world who has the right to condemn me? Who? Who has that right? Certainly not you all. You don't know anything. Not a single, solitary thing. I'm not the Saint. I'm not the Suffering Woman. I'm not someone worthy of respect. I'm just a person. Just another lunatic. Yet\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Yet even so\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dI've been alone all this time. Elisabeth's Daily Routine (Back Side) Ever since the moment she was first turned on\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dHina the automaton had been Kaito Sena's eternal lover. In his sickness and in his health, she was his soldier, his love outlet, his sex doll, and most importantly, his faithful companion and maid. Constant caring and devotion were Hina's trademarks. However, even she had a secret that she couldn't share with her lover. Specifically, it was about the \"brief little indulgence\" she enjoyed before getting to work on breakfast. Each morning, Hina would go to Kaito's room and press herself against his door. Kaito's traumatic past life left him frequently plagued with nightmares, so Hina wanted to make sure she could \"accidentally\" wake him up whenever he started moaning in his sleep. If his rest was peaceful, though, then that was when the fun really started. After all, Hina's secret hobby was listening to Kaito breathe as he slept. Each and every day, she would devote the considerable full force of her automaton hearing capabilities toward that one task. Then as she listened to him, she would trace idle little circles in the air with her fingers. \"Pant, pant... Oh, Master Kaito... You're sleeping so soundly, so defenselessly today. It's ever so adorable! Why, it hardly seems fair for one person to be so cool and so lovable! Yet nobody in the whole wide world is your better in either regard! Oh, I fall harder for you each day! ...Eep, you just said 'mmm'! How erotic! Oh, if only my most fervent wish could come true, and I could wake you up each morning with a passionate smooch!\" \"H-hmm... It feels as though it might be dangerous to call out to her right now, doesn't it? Ah, but nothing ventured, nothing gained! Now here I go! Ahem... Ms. Lovely Maid?\" \"Eep! Wh-who goes there?! Who's eavesdropping on me?!\" Hina leaped up with a start and wasted no time in assuming a combat pose. She normally preferred to fight with a halberd, but she was still a force to be reckoned with even when unarmed. She could snap a bear's neck with her bare hands, and a single one of her kicks could knock a man's head clean off. And the other party was well aware of that fact. He quickly raised his hands in a show of surrender. \"I come in peace! It's me\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe one who everyone loves, the one who's always by your side when you need him most! Your humble Butcher!\" \"...Oh, Mr. Butcher?\" \"Me, friend!\" \"Ah, my apologies... You won't tell Master Kaito about any of what you just heard, will you, Mr. Butcher? I'm sure I can count on your discretion. And on that note, welcome to Lady Elisabeth's castle! What brings you here today?\" \"Oh goodness. I feel as though if you trusted me any less, my head and torso would be sharing a tearful farewell right now...\" He shivered, and atop his shoulder, the large round sack he was carrying, which was covered in X-shaped patches, shook in turn. The Butcher was a demi-human merchant who often frequented Elisabeth's castle. The tattered black cloak he wore covered everything but his scaly hands and feet, adding to his already considerable air of mystery. When Hina saw him tremble like a scared puppy, she hurriedly moved to comfort him. \"Oh no, there's no need to be afraid! Worry not\u00e2\u20ac\u201das long as you don't become an enemy of my beloved Master Kaito, I would never dream of attacking you!\" \"For words intended to set my heart at ease, they still have a decidedly frightening ring to them... Ah, but I have a task that needs doing, so I had better pull myself together, hadn't I? I apologize for showing up at such an early hour, but the thing is, I believe I left something here.\" \"Oh my! What is it?\" \"One of my pieces of meat on the bone.\" Suddenly, a cry of \"Again?! How do you keep forgetting those?!\" echoed out from Kaito's room. However, it didn't sound like he was actually awake. What a dedicated straight man he was. Meanwhile, Hina gently tilted her head to the side. \"Oh, goodness me... I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news. When Lady Elisabeth was drinking and making merry last night, I believe she grilled it and ate it.\" \"I'm too late already?! Rgh... How transient and fleeting the life of meat is...\" \"Hmm. Come to think of it, though, while I'm certain she got something out of the ice-spirit fridge, it might have actually been something else. Here's an idea\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's a little earlier than usual, but I was just about to head to the kitchen to prepare Lady Elisabeth's morning tea. Would you like to come with me and check?\" \"Ah, you're too gracious! A thousand thanks!\" Without Hina accompanying him, he couldn't enter the"}, {"text": "kitchen. It was physically possible, to be sure, but the prospect of Elisabeth finding out was a terrifying one indeed. The Butcher leaped up and down in joy at this fortuitous outcome. Hina smiled genially. Early as it was, her daily indulgence was complete, and she set off. Together, the two of them headed for the kitchen. It was a decision that neither of them put a great deal of thought into. There was one step remaining on Hina's morning itinerary. Namely, preparing Elisabeth's morning tea. Each day, she would take the ambient temperature and humidity into account to mix the perfect ingredients for a cup of tea that would hit the spot just right. The thing was, there wasn't much else she could do for her masters in the morning. Elisabeth's dress was constructed out of magic, so she never needed assistance getting dressed, and Kaito had firmly turned down Hina's offers to help him out with his morning routine or bring him any sort of beverage. As such, she poured all her efforts into Elisabeth's tea. This morning, as always, her maid's spirit fired up as she mixed the tea leaves. The weather was slated to be chilly, and while it wasn't supposed to rain, it was definitely going to be overcast. \"In that case, the situation calls for a tea that can warm up body and mind alike to start the day off right!\" With her mission decided, Hina opened up the white cupboard before her. Inside, there was a large selection of cube-shaped boxes. She popped off a few of their lids, then scooped out some leaves with a silver spoon, blending together, in perfect, exquisite ratios, types that warmed up the body with varieties that had refreshing flavors. Then she added some dried red flower petals and bitter orange seeds. That way, the tea would come out in a nice transparent shade of vermilion and would have a sweet aroma to pick up one's spirits. After successfully finishing the mixing process, Hina turned to move on to the next step. Then she blinked. The Butcher was standing in front of the ice-spirit fridge, visibly at a loss. Hina hurried over to him. \"What's the matter, Mr. Butcher?\" \"All the meat on the bone I intentionally delivered is still here. In other words, the one that Madam Elisabeth ate last night must have been the one I forgot! Ohhhh, what a cruel turn of fate.\" \"Oh no, I'm so sorry. But knowing Lady Elisabeth, I'm sure she at least enjoyed it more than anyone else in the whole world would have!\" \"Well, well, well, I suppose that is a silver lining... Being enjoyed is the greatest joy that meat can have, after all.\" \"It really is, isn't it? Come on now, please, don't look so down! Here, why don't I prepare you a light snack? First, though, I should check the weather just in case so I can... Hmm?\" The stonework kitchen was cramped and claustrophobic, but it did at least have a window for ventilation. When Hina rushed over to it, she squinted, her artificial skeleton creaking as she pressed her head against the gaps in the window's iron grille. By craning her neck, she could just make out the area around the castle's front entrance\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand, more importantly, the person leaving the castle through it. Thanks to her preeminent vision, Hina could recognize the figure's silky black hair even in the dead of night. \"...Lady Elisabeth? Shouldn't you still be asleep?\" \"Hmhm, ah, such beauty recognizable even from behind! That's Madam Elisabeth, sure as a dragon has wings!\" All of a sudden, the Butcher's head popped up beside Hina's. However, he was too short for that to make sense. The secret, as it turned out, was that he was standing atop his sack, and what's more, he was perched precariously on his tiptoes. Totally unfazed by his sudden appearance, Hina asked him a question. \"Oh, Mr. Butcher, you can see her, too?\" \"Heh-heh-heh. To tell you the truth, I'm made of sterner stuff than the average demi-human! There's a reason I've lived as long as I have, I'll have you know!\" He puffed up his chest with pride. However, doing so caused him to lose his balance. He wobbled back and forth for a moment, then puffed up his chest again. Hina gave him an impressed round of applause. This time, there was no straight man to be found. Meanwhile, as the two of them shared their friendly little chat, Elisabeth kept on walking. Soon, she vanished into the tree line. Hina tilted her head to the side. How very odd. Where could Elisabeth be going at such an early hour? Hina crossed her arms. The Butcher did likewise. Then they stepped away from the window in unison and turned to look at each other. \"You know, Mr. Butcher, this is just my intuition speaking, but...\" \"...it feels as though there's something afoot, doesn't it?\" The two of them both nodded. And with that, the curtain rose on their small little grand adventure. The two of them were both the type to act first and think things through later. After making their decision, both Hina and the Butcher got to work without wasting a moment. Hina grabbed her magic leather bag on the off chance they'd need it, and the two of them rushed outside all helter-skelter and made their way into the forest after Elisabeth. Luckily for them, they were able to hide in the tall underbrush without anyone spotting them. As Hina carefully carried the hem of her maid uniform to avoid getting it dirty, she looked to her side. Standing there, she saw a big green blob. At some point, the Butcher had taken some leaves and grass and affixed them all over his cloak. \"That looks very professional.\" \"Hmhmhm, at long last, the time has come for me to leverage the skills I've developed in the long battles to establish this world's distribution channels! Behold\u00e2\u20ac\u201dField-Mode Butcher!\" The Butcher replied to Hina's compliment in a tone dripping with confidence. All the way back at the castle, Kaito's unconscious straight-man retort of \"What the hell does that even mean?!\" echoed through the halls. Sadly, though, there was no one there to hear it. Down in the dark forest, however, a voice overcome with emotion was heard by just about everyone. \"It's a wondrous honor to be graced with your radiant presence, O beautiful Torture Princess. O ravishing Elisabeth Le Fanu!\" A group of birds took off at the sudden noise, cawing loudly as they flew away. Hina and the Butcher quickly pulled their heads back, then looked out again. The speaker quivered passionately and spread his arms wide. As he did, Elisabeth's mood grew visibly more sullen. This clearly wasn't someone she was excited to be meeting. \"\"Hmm,\"\" Hina and the Butcher murmured. They turned their gazes to the other party. It was a middle-aged man wearing a high-quality black cloak, with a bowler hat perched atop his head. An ornate mask gleamed on his face, no doubt to capture the attention of any who looked at it and get them to forget the rest of his appearance. However, his voice was obnoxiously shrill. If Hina used her Self-Recording Device, identifying him would be trivial. \"...Mr. Butcher, I fear this is terribly rude of me to say, but I get this strange feeling that he's kind of an idiot.\" \"Worry not, Ms. Lovely Maid. That there is an authentic Grade A idiot.\" The two of them nodded quietly as they completed their blunt evaluation of the man's nature. Then Elisabeth spoke. \"You wake a person at this ungodly hour, then have the nerve to say I'm 'gracing you with my presence'? If every word that comes out of your mouth is going to be this insipid, I've half a mind to slice you in two where you stand.\" \"Hyoh-heh, I suppose that's the Torture Princess for you. That pride, that arrogance...how fitting for the one who will guide us and share our path!\" \"What? No, a rebuttal such as that hardly scratches the surface of the Torture Princess's arrogance. What are you, some wet-behind-the-ears noble? If the Church found out you were saying such things, they wouldn't just stop at seizing your assets, you know. They'd subject you to a full-on inquisition.\" As though to support their hypothesis, Elisabeth leveled one biting remark at the man after another. Despite having the wind thoroughly drained from his sails, the man valiantly continued talking. After a short back-and-forth, Elisabeth shot him a question. \"Then I shall ask you thus\u00e2\u20ac\u201dare you a demon worshipper? An organization that stands against the Church? Or perhaps the leader of a religion all your own?\" Hina and the Butcher nodded in agreement. It was painfully obvious what the man's affiliation was. Plus, given that an anti-Church organization had sent Elisabeth an invitation, Hina had a pretty good idea what they wanted from her. The Torture Princess was beautiful, powerful, and shouldered peerless sins, all of which made her a perfect symbol. There was no shortage of people in the world who wanted to get their hands on her, and the man clearly numbered among their ranks. \"It would seem I don't need to introduce myself, I see... Very well! Then let's talk, you and I. As you surmised, we stand against the coercive brainwashing the Church conducts on the masses, and we hold demons in the highest regard in their stead.\" \"I don't doubt it for a moment. You're as black a lot as they come; that much is clear enough from your garb. You people do love that color, don't you?\" Acknowledging her remark, the man launched into a tirade about the Church's inconsistencies. Hina and the Butcher nodded some more. Hina wasn't an expert on the topic by any means, but she was aware of the Church's corruption. Kaito had told her about the deeds of an inquisitor named Clueless, and that aside, Hina had a bone to pick with any organization that proclaimed themselves good and just while forcing the Torture Princess to fight the demons all on her own. In contrast, the Butcher didn't seem to have any specific thoughts on the matter. The darkness beneath his leaf-covered hood was simply black, just the same as always. Then all of a sudden, Elisabeth said something wholly unexpected. \"That meat was fresh. Were they yet living when you sliced it off?\" \"Ah, so you enjoyed our little present!\" \"...'Present'?\" Hina couldn't help but let out a puzzled little murmur. Apparently, the man had given something to Elisabeth. Hina thought back over what they'd just said. \"The meat was fresh.\" \"Yet living.\" \"Sliced it off.\" No matter what it was, it couldn't have been anything wholesome. This time, the Butcher had something to say as well. \"Rgh, just because they're alive when you cut it off doesn't mean the meat's necessarily going to be any good, you know. Some meat is better off being aged in a storehouse, and whether or not you drain the blood has a huge impact on the flavor as well.\" As the Butcher drew from his seemingly bottomless well of expertise, Hina decided to forgo commentary so she could focus on Elisabeth's conversation. The man continued his horrible speech in grand fashion. \"Our group holds rituals, which involve human sacrifices, to deepen our bonds and to further blasphemy against God. We take the offering alive and make beautiful artwork out of them. Just like you\u00e2\u20ac\u201djust like the Torture Princess!\" Hina tried to rise to her feet right then and there, but the Butcher quickly grabbed her by the arm. After pulling her back down, he quietly talked her down as well. \"Do settle down, Ms. Lovely Maid. I understand how you feel\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI really do! But the man is talking nonsense! Why, he's best ignored altogether! Besides, if you rush out, he might be"}, {"text": "able to catch Madam Elisabeth by surprise! Right now, the best thing we can do is wait here and watch them!\" Hina gave his calm words of reason a nod. She clenched her fists tight, but she sat back down all the same. Meanwhile, Elisabeth's mood visibly shifted. However, the man didn't notice the change. The Torture Princess gave him a sweet smile. \"I see. So you claim to be imitating me, of all things...\" Such were Elisabeth's words as she gently guessed at the reason the man wanted the Torture Princess on his side. Then she made him an offer in a voice as intoxicating as poisoned liquor. \"First, I must confirm something. Bring me to this meeting place of yours, and I shall see for myself if you've prepared a throne befitting the Torture Princess.\" \"Y-you're serious? You'll become our sponsor\u00e2\u20ac\u201dour figurehead?\" \"Enough blathering. 'Tis rude to make a lady repeat herself.\" Elisabeth gently raised her fair hand, and the man extended his in kind. His fingers were trembling\u00e2\u20ac\u201dperhaps in fear, and perhaps in delight. Elisabeth elegantly took his hand in hers. Then out of the blue, she yanked him toward her. After bringing her lips close to him, she whispered something in his ear. His eyes went wide. Then he hurried off with Elisabeth in tow. The driver opened the carriage door, and the two of them boarded it. Hina and the Butcher were many things, but they were by no means willing to let the opportunity before them slip away. In a flash, the two of them were on their feet. \"Our time has come, Ms. Lovely Maid!\" \"I'll roger that with a big old hurrah!\" Then they broke off at a dash in perfect unison. As the carriage began moving, the two of them lined up side by side and leaped on board. They held on to its roof with their hands and managed to skillfully place their feet so they were only just barely protruding. The frame lurched. The pair panicked, worried they'd been found out. Fortunately, though, the horses' strength won out. The driver assumed that the ride had just hit a rock or something, and the carriage continued on through the forest as though nothing had happened. The dawn was yet unbroken. Under the cover of night, the two of them continued their stealthy pursuit. After exiting the forest, the carriage kept going for a good while longer. Eventually, though, it came to a creaky stop. Hina looked up. They were beside a dilapidated manor. However, Elisabeth and the others ignored the main building. Instead, they entered its attached chapel and used the secret staircase beneath its altar to head underground. And Hina and the Butcher followed them. Taking care not to let their footsteps echo or the reflection from their lantern light shine down the tunnel, Hina and the Butcher continued shadowing the other group. As she quietly strode across the pooled groundwater, Hina let out a whisper. \"Thank goodness you had a lantern on you, Mr. Butcher. Little holes and bumps would never be enough to trip me up, but it's certainly nice not having to worry about accidentally stepping in mud and having it splash everywhere.\" \"Hmhmhm. It's a wonderful thing, having a lantern and a fire slime in your sack! No gentleman should leave home without them! Why, in two years' time, everyone'll be carrying a pair around! Ha-ha-ha!\" The Butcher struck a bizarre pose as he laughed. He seemed oddly confident in his prediction. Either way, his preparedness had allowed them to make good time down the tunnel. Suddenly, though, Hina stopped in her tracks. However, the Butcher obliviously strode on, so Hina had to grab him by the scruff of his cloak. \"Mr. Butcher, please wait!\" \"And a heigh-dee\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Hmm? What's... Ah. They stopped, then?\" Hina nodded. Around the corner, the other party's light had stopped moving. It would appear that Elisabeth's group had reached their destination. The Butcher set his lantern on the ground and blocked its light with his sack. Then the two of them stuck their heads around the corner to start observing. Elisabeth, the man, and the driver were standing in front of a door. After exchanging some sort of passcode, Elisabeth and the man went inside. The driver stayed behind. He rolled his shoulders, then set off. There was probably some sort of antechamber he was heading to. Hina and the Butcher exchanged a glance. Hina nodded. The Butcher grabbed his sack. Then he took off and shot down the tunnel like an arrow. The driver turned, but it was already too late. With one fluid motion, the Butcher drew his signature weapon from the sack. \"Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers!\" His war cry was quiet, but he made up for it in vigor. As the cry echoed down the passageway, his meat on the bone collided with the back of the driver's head. The weapon was blunt, but even so, the force from the blow was enough to make the driver collapse. However, the Butcher swooped down and caught him the moment before he hit the ground. In a pointless display of kindness, he even gently plopped the man's head down on his lap. Hina gave him a small round of applause, to which the Butcher replied with a big thumbs-up. \"The man is down!\" \"That was a very impressive 'cheers,' especially for how quiet it was!\" \"That's what you're gonna comment on?!\" Kaito cried back at the castle. However, there still wasn't anyone around to hear him. Over at the actual site, Hina suddenly looked up. She quickly rushed over to the door. \"Now then, our one obstacle is out of the way! Allow me to check on the situation!\" Just like she had at Kaito's room, she pressed herself against the door. There was a fleshy, nude etching of the Saint carved on its wooden surface, but Hina paid that fact no heed. She brought her head next to its carved breasts and leveraged the full power of her automaton hearing capabilities. \"W-was there something wrong with the sacrifice?\" \"Oh, shut up. I have one question for you lot, and one question alone.\" She could hear Elisabeth talking to someone. Her eyes went wide, and she pulled away from the door. When she turned back toward the Butcher, he tilted his head to the side in confusion. \"What seems to be the matter, Ms. Lovely Maid?\" \"The situation is bad! At this rate, things are definitely going to come to blows!\" \"Oh my! Are they preparing for a fight?\" \"Lady Elisabeth is pretending not to, but in truth, she actually is! Only someone who knows her as well as I do would be able to tell, but that's her super-mega-ultra-angry tone!\" Hina rapidly nodded up and down. And in no time at all, her conjecture was proven true. Screams started echoing out from inside the room. Hina pressed herself back against the door to check what was going on. When she did, she was greeted by a voice dripping with bloodlust and rage. \"'Just like the Torture Princess,' eh? You have nerve, I'll give you that... I must admit, though, this banquet you've thrown truly is not unlike my own. I may be unto a demon, but you lot are no different. Very well! I recognize you, then, as having deviated from humanity's path!\" Hina narrowed her emerald eyes, and her expression contorted in sadness. Behind her, the Butcher tilted his head in puzzlement and stroked the area that was probably his jaw. \"The thing is, Ms. Lovely Maid...it would appear these enemies are demon worshippers. The means Madam Elisabeth has every reason to fight them, and to be honest, I can't imagine there being the slightest chance they'll best her... So even if a battle breaks out, it is what it is. Wouldn't it be fine just to leave her to her devices?\" \"No! Why, I could never do such a thing!\" Hina violently shook her head. She glared at the door. His interest piqued, the Butcher let out a long exhale. His next question had a strange weight to it. \"Are those your feelings as an attendant speaking, perhaps?\" \"That's correct. Right now, I can't leave her alone. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I did.\" Hina answered without a moment's hesitation. The Butcher gave her a slight nod. Meanwhile, Elisabeth spoke once more. Her voice rang out proud and true. \"And as such, this is a task well befitting the Torture Princess! For killing those who are unto demons is a task that belongs to those just as wretched!\" Even Hina knew. Sometimes, the only thing that could kill evil was a different brand of evil. That was one of the world's many truths. And yet\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201din Hina's opinion, that was far too sad a truth\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand at the same time, far too contradictory. The automaton had some thoughts about the words of man. What exactly was evil that killed evil? The righteous would never have been able to reach that underground banquet. Would people praise someone who had been invited there and gone on a rampage, then? The answer was no. They would attack the person who reached the banquet and point fingers at them, all while singing the praises of righteousness. And the Torture Princess wouldn't even get mad at them. She'd laugh, saying that theirs was a natural reaction. But Hina also knew someone who would get mad at them, who'd rage at them with all his might. It was her beloved master\u00e2\u20ac\u201dKaito Sena. You're looking down on someone who got their hands dirty to slay evil while you got to keep yours clean?! he'd shout. Righteousness is a difficult thing to pin down in this world and in every other. Everything can be right, and anything can be wrong. But... ...believing in your beloved's words was what it meant to love someone. Hina reached into her leather bag, a magic device that had no bottom, and pulled out a halberd longer than she was tall. She aimed its brutal blade at the door and launched a swing to break it open. The Butcher immediately let out a yelp. \"No, no, no, no, no, think it through! It's dangerous to smash down the door all of a sudden! Why, you might well hamper Madam Elisabeth's focus! Stand dooown!\" \"How\u00e2\u20ac\u201dvery\u00e2\u20ac\u201dright\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou\u00e2\u20ac\u201dare!\" Hina nodded. However, she was already far enough in her swing that stopping the halberd was no longer an option. In an unbelievable display of strength, she changed the blade's course and cleaved through empty space. As the handle spun up into the air, Hina righted her stance. Her silver hair rustled as she lowered her head. \"I'm very sorry. My composure was lacking. I offer you both my thanks and my apologies.\" \"I must say, for you to be able to restore your posture from that position... You never fail to impress, Ms. Lovely Maid. Now then... It would be nice to find a key that could open this door quietly, or perhaps a different entrance we could use in order to take our enemies and just our enemies by surprise. And both would be even nicer still... Glance.\" The Butcher looked down at the driver, whose head was still resting on his lap. He rapped him on the cheek. He landed several such strikes before the driver woke up. When the man realized what was going on, his expression froze. It was a reasonable reaction. After all, anyone would react that way upon discovering that their head was in a mysterious, dark figure's lap. The man began to cry Aaaah, a monster! but was stopped; the Butcher spoke in a deep murmur. \"Heh-heh-heh. Be quiet, now, and we won't have to hurt you.\" \"Mr. Butcher, that sounds suspicious in a whole different way!\" \"Ha-ha-ha. You say that, but you're giving off a far more threatening vibe than I am... Now as for you,"}, {"text": "do you know of any key that can open the door from the outside, or perhaps of another way to get in?\" The driver blinked at the line of questioning. However, his eyes twitched to the side for a moment first. Hina's preeminent automaton powers of observation allowed her to pick up on the change, and the Butcher caught it, too. Both of the things they were looking for existed. However, the driver shook his head no. Apparently, he was planning on courageously keeping his master's secrets. The man's reaction caused the Butcher's expression to change. It was still dark beneath his hood, but Hina could tell. The Butcher was smiling. \"Mr.... Mr. Butcher?\" \"Ah, such loyalty. Feeling responsibilities toward your post, fulfilling your duties as your master commands... It's the mark of a good man, and a mark I can respect. So I take it this means you're prepared to bear your share of the burden of your master's sin?\" \"...Hmm?\" The driver let out a muffled voice through the Butcher's hand. The Butcher responded by slowly lifting his other arm. His claws gleamed as he laid them on the scruff of the driver's neck and spoke in a strangely syrupy voice. \"Goodness, for you to so readily share the sin of whatever horrible ritual is going on in there... Hats off to your dedication, good sir.\" The driver started thrashing about, his eyes wide. He frantically tried to tell them something. However, the Butcher pretended not to notice, instead digging his claws into the man's skin. \"Then I suppose I have no choice! I'm a proud Butcher, uninterested in matters that don't concern meat, but out of respect for your loyalty, I shall deliver the coup de gr\u00c3\u00a2ce myself!\" \"Agh, gack... No, stop, please!\" The driver threw the Butcher's hand off in utter desperation. The Butcher stopped for a moment. Before he could say anything, the driver shouted out the information of his own accord. \"Th-the key is in the antechamber! And you can get into the observation balcony from there, too! If there's anything else you want to know, I'll tell you anything! Anything and everything! So please spare me, if no one else!\" The driver sobbed as he made his desperate entreaty. Then he even began denouncing his employer. \"The banquets are horrible.\" \"Those demons.\" \"They're the worst.\" \"They're like fat pigs, all of them.\" The Butcher listened in silence to what the driver had to say. Eventually, he smiled once more within the darkness. \"I see......... So that was the limit of your resolve as an attendant, then.\" \"...Mr. Butcher?\" Hina let out a puzzled little murmur. The Butcher's words were clearly full of all sorts of complicated emotions. But as far as she knew, he himself wasn't anyone's attendant. Hina tilted her head to the side. However, she didn't have time to put that confusion into words. All of a sudden, the Butcher's demeanor did a complete about-face, and he spoke in the same cheery voice as always. \"Now then, if you'd be so kind as to lead the way! Tallyho!\" The abrupt change appeared to strike even more fear into the driver. He nodded repeatedly, then practically took off at a dash. The Butcher tallyhoed on after him. Hina clenched her halberd tight and hurried on to join him. There was only one destination on her mind. The Torture Princess's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dElisabeth's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dside. \"The balcony is just past here.\" The driver pointed at one section of the darkened tunnel. Now that he mentioned it, they could see a stairway hidden there. According to the driver, the organization didn't officially allow observers, as one of the requirements for taking part in the banquet was to become complicit. However, they were willing to waive that requirement for some of their wealthier financiers. There was no small number of their older patrons who, while brutal in nature and filled with licentious appetites, lacked the willpower and physical resilience to partake in the banquets themselves. To accommodate them, the organization had built a balcony that was far enough back so as not to dampen the enthusiasm of those down below. That way, they could enjoy the bloody banquets to their hearts' content whenever they liked. \"Hmm. For a group of so-called demon worshippers, their business senses seem much more on point than their actual beliefs... Ah, I see you're in quite the hurry. Fare thee well, Ms. Lovely Maid.\" The Butcher gave Hina a little wave as he watched her race down the stairs like a tempest given flesh. The decorative carvings on the wall flitted into her peripheral vision one after another as she barreled past them. They featured a horned monster laughing as it ate people. They were impressive pieces of artwork, albeit in rather poor taste. The devout probably depicted what they imagined a demon to look like. How completely absurd. Hina found the whole thing exasperating. For she knew one thing\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthose images didn't even begin to compare to how horrifying actual demons were. The pain they inflicted on people was beyond imagination. Admiring Diablo and its demons and altering them to make them more palatable to blindly believe in were both acts of utter ignorance. No matter how much you change them to suit your fancy, God and Diablo will never be worth believing in. No matter how many hordes of people praised and extolled them, Hina would never be able to bring herself to join the chorus. In her mind, there was only one entity worthy of her faith. It was Kaito Sena, her eternal lover. Him alone. For that was what love was\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmadness and faith. And beyond that staircase waited the woman whom the man she believed in believed in himself. And that was why Hina was making such haste. Suddenly, the walls at her flanks ended. Hina raced out onto the balcony. A chandelier glittered beside it, and past the balcony, Hina could make out what was going on below. She gasped. Or rather, she replicated the human gesture of gasping. The lower level was red with blood. In all likelihood, the scene that had just taken place was far grislier than any the rich financiers had ever witnessed from atop this balcony. Now, though, the carnage was over, and the floor below was a sea of blood and viscera. Ravaged corpses were piled up like mounds of dirt. Many of them looked to have been slain by the Torture Princess without so much as a chance to fight back. At long last, their crime had found its punishment. However, there was someone down there who was still alive. A young man with an ax leveled his blade at Elisabeth, squaring off against her with some sort of resolve burning in him. Elisabeth shrugged. \"You never took part in the banquet to begin with, so it's not as though I've any intention of killing you.\" \"Shut up! You...you're no different than they were! How could you do something like this?!\" The man shouted, practically bellowing, and Elisabeth just shook her head. Then in the same level tone as before, she went on. \"A question, then. Where was this foolhardy bravery of yours to be found when the girl was still alive?\" *** \"Why, if it's the brutality you object to, you could have even made this stand of yours back when they were alive. So why now? What will this baying of yours accomplish? Whose pain will it heal? At this late hour, how\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Be quiet! Shut up already, you monster! Yeah, you're right. I regret it. I regret it, okay! This is what I should have done the moment I stepped into this damn room! I don't know how long it'll take me to atone for not doing so, but I'll do whatever I have to!\" \"I see. Well, I know not the scale of your resolve, but if it's resolve you have, then I shan't say any more.\" \"But here and now, what I need to do is kill you! How am I supposed to move forward if I let a monster like you live?!\" Hina quietly listened as the youth raged. Elisabeth merely nodded. And Hina knew. When a person met a monster, even if it posed no threat to them personally, it was still their duty to kill it. Such was the fate of people and monsters. And yet... \"Such is the fate of people and monsters.\" As Hina whispered those words, the young man raised his ax up high. He charged at the Torture Princess. However, his movements were so slow, it was almost sad. One snap of her fingers was all it would have taken for Elisabeth to end things. However, she didn't move a muscle. The Torture Princess calmly returned the youth's gaze. And Hina continued: \"But you, my lady, are no monster.\" Sometimes, the only thing that could kill evil was a different brand of evil. But in the end, only good could break that cycle of malice. That, too, was one of the world's many truths. The Torture Princess knew that fact well. And anyone who knew that fact couldn't possibly be a monster. She was just Elisabeth Le Fanu, and she was standing motionless. The executioner's ax drew ever closer. \"And I will never leave you alone.\" If the people of this world refused to see that, then it fell on those who didn't fit that criterion to stay by her side. Namely, a foreigner from another world and an automaton. Hina practically pirouetted as she leaped off the balcony. \"That's right. If this was all you saw of her, then that would be a perfectly reasonable conclusion to draw. After all, it is an undeniable truth.\" Her maid uniform fluttered as she descended straight down. After that ghastly scene, it was impossible to deny the Torture Princess's brutality. Even so, Hina's feelings remained unchanged. \"...However, I refuse to let you call her a monster.\" The person whom her beloved admired, a woman whom she herself adored\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas standing there with a forlorn look in her eyes. What more reason could she possibly need? Hina's silver hair swayed as she gracefully made her landing. She swung her halberd and easily lopped off the head of the young man's ax. Its blade went spinning through the air, eventually planting itself in corpses' torsos. Hina lifted her beautiful face and spoke without a moment's hesitation. \"Never again utter such rudeness to my dearest Lady Elisabeth.\" \"Wha...? I don't\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"And heeere I goooo! Hachaaaaaah!\" The young man began to let out a bewildered yelp, but he was cut off by a loud, cheerful cry. At some point, the doorway had gotten thrown wide-open. The Butcher had used the key. Something large and heavy came hurtling through the entrance\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe massive bone-in piece of meat that had put in so much work this day already. After spinning through the air, it struck the young man square in the forehead. The youth keeled over backward, then went still. It looked like it had given him a concussion. Hina fixed her gaze on him. His life didn't appear to be in any danger. When he woke up, he would probably flee. Then he would report what had happened to the Church, and they would learn of Elisabeth's brutal act. In the end, though, she'd successfully put down an equally brutal group of demon worshippers, so the Church would try to quietly put the matter to rest. Yet even so, the rumors would linger on. Loathsome Elisabeth. Repulsive Elisabeth. It was true. The punishment that the Torture Princess had handed down was a fate no person had the right to subject another to. But at the same time, no more innocents would fall victim to these dark underground halls. Each was just as true as the other. And because of that, Hina elected to gaze. She gazed straight at Elisabeth. Elisabeth, for her part, blinked repeatedly. This clearly wasn't a turn"}, {"text": "of events she'd anticipated. Eventually, Elisabeth spoke. \"Now hold on a minute... What are you two doing here?\" \"One thing led to another, you see!\" \"And we ended up tailing you!\" Choosing to omit some details, the two of them proudly puffed out their chests. Elisabeth scratched her cheek as though unsure of what to say or do. And Hina and the Butcher both knew\u00e2\u20ac\u201deven considering how slow he was moving, she could have easily countered the young man's attack. However, whether or not she had actually needed help was beside the point. Hina simply refused to leave the Torture Princess alone. Hina and Kaito had promised to stay by Elisabeth's side, and it was their duty to follow through on that. She silently addressed her eternal lover. Isn't that right, Master Kaito?! She then cleared her throat, her chest puffed out all the while. The carriage rattled along the dark night road. Beside Hina sat Elisabeth, who'd been making a tense expression for some time. The only thing that broke the silence was the Butcher's occasional cheers of \"Heigh-ho!\" Eventually, though, Elisabeth spoke in a quiet, stiff tone. \"...You've no objections, Hina?\" \"About what, might I ask?\" \"You saw the atrocities I committed back in that room. You ordered the man not to call me a monster, but...your master is Kaito, not I. There's no need for you to flatter me. I'm appreciate your diligent service, don't get me wrong, but you needn't pretend to hold me in such regard.\" \"I'm sorry, Lady Elisabeth, but please don't misunderstand me.\" Hina immediately rejected Elisabeth's premise, and Elisabeth turned back toward her so fast, it was like she'd been slapped in the face. Hina returned her master's master's gaze and returned her stare. Her emerald eyes gleamed. \"I might not have a sense of morals the way humans do, but I am aware of how your past deeds and cruel nature have drawn hatred and criticism from many. I can't refute what they say...but at the same time, it's my right to choose who I want to protect, and who I want to hold dear.\" My heart is mine and mine alone. Not even my beloved master can deny me that. That was what Hina was saying. That was the one thing she refused to waver on. In fact, not even Kaito had the power to change her heart. Whenever he made a big decision, Hina would always think things over on her own first before making her choice. That was the mark of her dignity. That was the mark of her pride. And that was the mark of her love. Elisabeth had no answer for that. Instead, she just stared off into space and, eventually, curiously posed a question. \"...How utterly puzzling. What about me do you find so worthy of your admiration?\" \"Hmhm, there are oh-so-many things... But the specifics are a secret. That's something you'll have to figure out for yourself someday, Lady Elisabeth. It wouldn't mean anything if I just told you.\" Hina playfully raised a finger in front of her lips. She and Kaito both adored Elisabeth. However, it was important that Elisabeth figure out for herself why that was. It was important for her to realize there were people who willingly stood alongside the Torture Princess in the hellish wasteland she'd created. There was something the two of them had changed. A truth that had seemed unshakable. \"Heigh-ho!\" the Butcher cheered once more. Elisabeth let out a little murmur. \"You're a strict one, aren't you?\" \"Oh yes! I may dote on Master Kaito, but even I know when it's time for some tough love!\" Hina puffed up her chest with pride. It wasn't good to spoil people, so at times, even love required a strict hand. Elisabeth shook her head as though to admit defeat. At long last, the first genuine smile she'd worn that day spread across her face. Hina loved it dearly when Elisabeth made that expression. She thought it was very becoming. Then Elisabeth whispered to her. \"You know, in the interest of avoiding a large hassle, what say we\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Keep this all a secret from Master Kaito? Oh, of course.\" They exchanged a glance, and with that, their girls' promise was official. A moment later, they both broke out into laughter. Another strange \"Heigh-ho!\" echoed through the air as the carriage rattled beneath the dawn sky. And back at the castle, Hina's favorite person in the whole world was still sleeping soundly. A Message from Someone (5) To begin with. To begin with, to begin with, to begin with. Let's begin with basic premises. What am \"I\"? To begin with? Even if I asked you, I doubt you would have a good answer. I'm not even sure I do, so there's no good reason for you to. Or wait, do I have it all backward? Do you understand what \"I\" am better than I do? It's certainly possible. After all, the world is full of stories about \"me,\" every one of them dressed up with pomp and flair. It's as though my own life were a fairy tale. A beautiful myth, adorned with a gorgeous bouquet of lies. How utterly absurd. How completely obnoxious. I don't want to be glorified, I have no desire to be revered or worshipped, and I certainly don't think you should put your faith in me. After all, what good will your prayers do? I have no way to reply and wouldn't have anything to say even if I did. In short, what I'm trying to say is this. Fuck off. Why should you people get to erase the fact that I was myself? Why should I let the sin I shouldered get stolen and painted over with pretty words? But you see, this is where I stop being so sure of myself. Are these thoughts simply the product of madness? Or would someone of sound mind have arrived at them as well? In truth, I don't much care either way. There's just... There's this acute feeling I have in the bottom of my heart. Why was it me? Why wasn't it you? Hina's Daily Routine (Front Side) \"So Hina left these diary entries behind before she vanished, huh?\" \"What even is a 'daily routine'?\" It all happened one evening, a short while after the Grand Governor was trounced; Hina and Elisabeth swapped outfits and roles to kill some time, and the group got wrapped up in an incident involving a curse. All the chaos had died down, and life at the castle was peaceful once more. Or so they thought, until a new incident reared its ugly head. Kaito Sena and Elisabeth sat facing each other, their expressions clouded with worry. Sitting them between was a single book with the words Hina's Diary written on its cover. Things had all begun a few hours prior, just after dinner. \"Hiiinaaa.\" \"Oi, Hina, where are you?\" At the time, Kaito and Elisabeth were both looking for Hina, albeit for different reasons. Kaito's motive was that he needed to confirm the number of spare bottles of wine they had in stock. Elisabeth, on the other hand, just wanted to cajole Hina into making her a midnight snack. However, Kaito couldn't find her in her room, nor could Elisabeth find her in the kitchen. At that point, though, both of them had yet to realize just how serious the situation really was. The two of them each casually wandered about and checked the places they thought she might be. The route she patrolled at the night, the pantries she might be reorganizing, even the spirit-filled reservoir. But no matter where they looked, Hina was nowhere to be found. \"Huh? Where'd she go? Hiiinaaa, where aaare you?\" \"Hmm. Not here, either? Hina, where did you wander off to?\" As the two of them called out to her, they bumped into each other. And the moment they did, they realized something. Something had probably happened. That mutual hunch of theirs was soon proven. No matter how long the night waned on, Hina never showed up. They exchanged a glance. Not only could they not find her, but Hina also had automaton-level hearing. The fact that she hadn't come bounding over like a loyal hound the moment Kaito started calling for her was strange in and of itself. They crossed their arms and headed for the throne room. Elisabeth plopped herself down on the throne. After crossing her fair legs up high, she gave her final verdict with a grim expression on her face. \"'Twould seem we've no choice but to consider the chance that she's gotten herself wrapped up in some sort of trouble.\" \"Don't tell me a demon broke in...\" Kaito's expression froze. There was precedent for that, as Elisabeth's castle had once found itself under attack by the Knight's beast. He didn't want to consider the possibility, but he couldn't deny that it existed. However, Elisabeth shook her head no. \"'Tis too early to make assumptions. Remember that curse that befell us the other day? Not every foe that makes its way into this castle is a demon.\" \"Y'know...I really do feel like you should do something about this place's defenses.\" \"'Tis intentional, you fool. I leave the defenses shoddy to lure in demons. I will admit that it's the mark of a third-rate master to expose her servants to undue danger, but...spiriting Hina away without a trace is a task that would daunt even the Grand King, highest ranked of the remaining demons. Even if demons were to attack, I imagine we'd lose you at worst.\" \"I mean, I'd appreciate it if you put a little effort into keeping me alive. Anyway, if this isn't a demon attack, then what is it?\" \"I haven't the faintest... The worst-case scenario is that she was subjected to some manner of curse or suggestion and left on her own. But if that's the case, then any technique that could control her with such precision would have required some time to take hold. We'll need to examine the actions she took over the past few days.\" \"Yeah... I really hope that isn't what happened, though.\" \"All we can do is believe. At present, we have but one fact we know for certain.\" Elisabeth rested her chin on her finger. Her crimson eyes gleamed as she made her quiet declaration. \"Trouble's fell scent is in the air.\" And with that, the story wrapped back around to the start. Currently, Kaito and Elisabeth were in Hina's room. The two of them were sitting cross-legged on the floor and going through Hina's diary. After reading the entry from the day prior, Elisabeth snapped the book shut. She crossed her arms with a guilty expression on her face. \"Hmm, nothing that particularly strikes me as odd.\" \"So you're the reason the meat keeps going missing at night.\" \"Let's not dwell on that. It's not important right now.\" \"Huh, and when did she have a chance to hear me sleep-talking?\" Kaito cocked his head to the side in confusion as he thought back over the passage in question. According to Hina, he had said, \"I'm stuffed\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI can't eat another bite,\" but he had no idea when that might have been. Elisabeth blinked. \"Hmm? When she was pressing her ear against your bedroom door that morning, as she does every day. When else?\" \"Wait, hold up.\" A piece of information he would have been happier not knowing had just been mercilessly added to his brain. Kaito squeezed his temples. Elisabeth tilted her head with a quizzical expression on her face. \"Hmm? Oh, did you not know? She presses herself against it so firmly, and you never once complained, so I'd just assumed it was all consensual.\" \"That makes it sound like some sorta weird kink thing! I'm telling you, I had no idea! Eugh...\" Kaito looked up at the ceiling in lament. He crossed his arms and sank"}, {"text": "into thought. After thinking it over for a while, he let out a quiet murmur. \"...What does she find enjoyable about that?\" \"Oh heavens, I haven't the faintest. Nor do I suspect I wish to.\" Elisabeth followed him in crossing her arms in thought. Now they had another useless riddle on their hands. However, this was hardly the time to be worrying about it. All of a sudden, Elisabeth rose to her feet and returned Hina's diary to her desk. \"Anyhow, none of the entries here seem suspicious. 'Twould seem there weren't any hints inside.\" Kaito nodded. He'd expressed qualms about looking at Hina's diary without permission, but Elisabeth had informed him that Hina let her read it from time to time anyway. It was nice that the two of them got along in spite of their professional relationship. Unfortunately, though, the diary hadn't given them any clues into their current missing-person problem. Hina's strong. But that's what makes this so worrying. \"'Tis too early to give up hope, Kaito. Let's retrace the steps she took today.\" \"Oh, that's a good idea. Yeah, let's do that!\" Elisabeth strode off, proactive as always. Worried as he was, Kaito gave her plan his enthusiastic endorsement. If worse came to worst, they might at least find traces of any magic that got used. Kaito stood up. And with that, the two of them left the room and set off in search of leads on Hina's current location. There was nothing to be found in front of the door to Kaito's bedroom, nor did they have any luck in the surrounding hallways. After checking them, they headed to the next place that Hina stopped by in the mornings. Namely, the kitchen. When they got there, Elisabeth proudly puffed out her chest. \"Each and every morning, Hina brews me the finest cup of tea, you know! See, unlike a certain someone, she knows what it means to be considerate! You could stand to learn a thing or two from her, Kaito!\" \"Oh yeah, Hina's great; I'm with you there. But you do realize that if I tried doing the same thing, I'd end up with a cup of toxic sludge, right?\" \"...'Tis a mystery to me how your cooking skills remain so singularly catastrophic.\" \"You're one to talk, with that poison cooking of yours and all.\" \"You know, if we weren't in the middle of an investigation right now, you'd be meeting a brutal end for that comment.\" As she spoke of bloody murder, Elisabeth headed to the white cupboard and threw its doors open. Inside sat Hina's collection of tea leaves, seeds, and dried flower petals\u00e2\u20ac\u201dall of which were sourced from far and wide and arranged into neat little rows. The lowest shelf was home to the silver spoon, small dish, and mortar that made up her mixing set. Each morning, Hina would carefully consider the ambient temperature and humidity that day to come up with the perfect blend. Elisabeth circled the cupboard, looking it over from top to bottom. Kaito did likewise. This was where Hina did much of her work\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnot just in the morning, but in the afternoon and evening, too. However, they couldn't find anything out of order in the cupboard or its surroundings. They then gave the rest of the kitchen a thorough once-over and, upon doing so, discovered that it was completely spick-and-span. Not so much as a single knife was out of place. Elisabeth nodded in admiration. \"Hina's efforts really do exude excellence, don't they?\" \"Yeah, you can say that again.\" As her beloved master and her master's master, it filled their hearts with pride. However, this was no time to be getting sentimental. The two of them quickly hurried out of the kitchen. This time, they headed for the stairs. \"Why, Hina even cleaned the stairs throughout the castle today! Yet another display of magnificent thoughtfulness!\" \"Yeah, she said dust was starting to build up in the corners. For the record, I did help her out.\" \"And you accomplished but a fraction of what she did, no doubt. The difference between your work and hers is as vast as the distance between Heaven and... Hold that thought.\" \"What's up?\" \"Now that I say it, something dawns on me. 'Throughout the castle'?\" Elisabeth massaged her temples. Kaito nodded\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe knew exactly what she meant. Not only was the castle gigantic, but in keeping with its fortresslike exterior, its layout was also complex and unintuitive. Elisabeth's face turned a little pale. \"I-in short, we, too, have no choice but to climb and descend its entire godforsaken span?\" \"H-hey, at least we're just looking around; it's not like we have to clean it or anything!\" Kaito gave his response enthusiastically, but after thinking it over a little, he, too, came to appreciate how daunting the task before them was. As his mind swam, he recalled the interaction he'd had with Hina earlier that day. At the time, it was midafternoon, and the hem of Hina's maid uniform was swaying back and forth in the most adorable way as she diligently swept her broom to and fro. \"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho, my meats are the finest meats around! Filled with love and bravery, they'll never let you down! Eat them and your courage will increase a millionfold! As always, I'm your friendly neighborhood Butcher! Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho! And I am Master Kaito's maid!\" While she briskly cleaned the stairs, Hina was also singing, and her revised version of the Butcher's peculiar song echoed through the halls. Each time she finished clearing a given step of its dust and cobwebs, she would hop down to the next step in turn without wasting so much as a single movement. It gave her work an almost rhythmic flow to it. Impressed, Kaito walked over to her. She immediately turned around. When she spotted him, her face lit up like a puppy whose owner had just returned home. In fact, Kaito could practically envision a little tail wagging back and forth behind her. \"Oh my! I sing Master Kaito's name, and here he is before me! Surely, this must be destiny!\" \"I dunno if I'd go quite that far.\" \"In fact, I have half a mind to hold a wedding ceremony right here and now, but when I think about it, I suppose I'm already your eternal companion. Yee! ...Ahem. Forgive me, Master Kaito, I let my excitement get the better of me. Is there something you needed me for?\" \"Nah, I was actually just wondering if you wanted me to lend a hand.\" \"Goodness me! Why, that's so kind, I could just swoon! I would be overjoyed to have you help!\" In spite of the snarky quip it had been preceded by, Kaito's offer caused Hina's face to flush with glee. She was an automaton, so it was unclear if she actually needed the help, but she was clearly delighted by his consideration regardless of its efficacy. Hina smiled happily. Bliss practically radiated from her expression. Upon remembering that smile of hers, Kaito clapped himself on the cheeks. When he spoke, it was with renewed motivation. \"And besides, we gotta do what we gotta do! Remember, this is for Hina!\" \"Right you are! For Hina's sake, no task is too onerous!\" Kaito and Elisabeth gave each other a firm nod. Then they took off at a run. How did things go after that? Well, for all his enthusiasm, Kaito ended up being largely useless. Without a supplementary source of mana, his stamina quickly ran out, so despite verbally lambasting him as being a weak-kneed coward, Elisabeth ultimately had to cover the majority of the stairs herself. In the end, though, their investigation came up empty-handed. They did receive a scare when they found traces of mana-rich blood on the first floor of the main western stairwell, but they quickly realized that it was just Kaito's from when he keeled over in exhaustion. \"Don't go leaving red herrings!\" Elisabeth cried as she clapped him on the head. And there was something else they discovered as well. It was about the leftmost stairwell in the servant quarters, the one Hina had assigned Kaito to clean. After investigating the castle's staircases, they discovered that out of all of them, that one was both the shortest in length and had the widest steps, meaning it was by far the easiest one to clean. \"...Man, I'm so tired that I can't even move, and even so, I can feel Hina's love.\" \"...You're surrounded by it constantly. You should be feeling it all the time, you dunce.\" During their quarrel, the two of them were both sprawled out on the hallway floor. Kaito idly gazed at the ceiling. The light streaming in through the stained-glass windows was as creepily ominous as ever. He let out a dull murmur. \"Elisabeeeth.\" \"Whaaat?\" \"You really should remodel those, y'know.\" \"I share the sentiment, but they're so high up, 'twould be a right royal pain.\" \"Yeah, I feel you.\" Both of them sounded like their brains weren't getting enough oxygen. Before they even noticed, they got deeper into the night. Normally, this would be the perfect time to start drinking. However, they still hadn't found Hina yet. The two of them racked their exhausted brains for ideas. \"...Man, I wonder where Hina went.\" \"Well, we did cover the whole castle without turning up so much as a single trace of her. It seems rather unlikely it was any sort of curse or suggestion. No mage, no matter how skilled, could have pulled such a stunt off so cleanly.\" The good news was, that meant it was less likely that Hina was in any immediate danger. Even if they hadn't learned anything else, that alone was reward enough for their trials. Kaito breathed a sigh of relief. If that was the case, though, then where had Hina gone? Why did she vanish? Kaito and Elisabeth furrowed their brows. \"Hey, Elisabeth. Are there any other possibilities that come to mind?\" \"At the moment, the most likely one seems to be that Hina left the castle of her own volition.\" \"What, without telling either of us?\" \"Hmm. No, perhaps not.\" The mystery only grew deeper. Another silence descended on them, and they each closed their eyes and thought. Their bodies were hot from running all over, and the hallway floor was cold against their skin. Right when the two of them had just started cooling down, though, Elisabeth's eyes shot open. She sat up with a start. \"Wait just one minute!\" \"Forget waiting\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI wasn't even moving.\" \"Precisely! No, not precisely.\" Elisabeth lay back down, then used her arms to lift her body off the floor and rose to her feet with movements reminiscent of a clockwork doll. She pointed her finger at Kaito, who was still lying on the floor. \"I found it! Something strange!\" And with that, they returned to the starting point. Namely, Hina's room. Elisabeth strode over to the desk and retrieved Hina's diary from between the desk's bookends. Then she flipped it open to the final entry and pointed at the passage in question. \"Here!\" \"Uh... You mean this bit? 'However, I discovered that one of the rooms that had been listed as empty was actually being used to store grain. And just as I feared, the place was home to a large rat infestation. Perhaps due to the preservation magic that had been cast on the grain, each of the rats had grown to the size of a human baby. Oh my! As a result, we ended up having a rather heated battle.'\" \"I often cast magic on grain to preserve it for long periods, then forget that I did so or that it was even there in the first place!\" \"I feel like that's the sorta thing you should try to remember.\" \"But see, even eating it would never cause rats to grow as large as babies!\" \"Say what?\" Kaito stared at Elisabeth blankly. Being from another"}, {"text": "world, that was all news to him. He couldn't help but glance back and forth between her face and the passage. \"Wait, that clearly means something weird is going on! How could you not notice that?!\" \"No, well, they do grow fairly large, so I just overlooked it. But still, I've never once heard of them growing to the size of babies. Now that I think on it, these rats could well be someone's familiars.\" Kaito's face went pale. If Hina ran into someone's familiars and got into a fight with them, there was a very real chance she was in danger. He and Elisabeth had inspected the stairwell leading underground and the main corridor at its bottom when they were searching the castle, of course, but there were still a lot of rooms in its branching, labyrinthine hallways that they hadn't checked yet. Elisabeth snapped the diary shut with a stern expression on her face. They exchange a pair of grave murmurs. \"So the place we should head to...\" \"Aye, 'tis the basement.\" After returning the diary to its desk, the two of them set off, throwing the door to Hina's room wide-open as they strode through it. Then they broke into a run. Their destination: the basement corridors. The basement corridors were dark, stank of rust, and were constantly filled with a noise that resembled a low moan. On top of that, they had been constructed in an obtuse, winding manner. Setting foot in them without proper preparation was just asking to die lost and alone. However, Kaito's life experiences had left him with a particular ability\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe could remember anything perfectly as long as his memory of it was accompanied by pain. Thanks to the time he got Elisabeth to carve a map of the key areas in his flesh, he knew those spots like the back of his hand. However, there was a limit to that map's scope. And unfortunately, he wasn't familiar with the place that Hina had written about. \"So, you have any idea where this 'room that was listed as empty but was actually being used to store grain' is?\" \"...About that. I haven't the faintest.\" \"Don't you own this place?\" Kaito frowned. If Elisabeth didn't know where it was, then they were at an impasse. Elisabeth impatiently glanced from left to right and back again. After painstakingly racking her brain, she let out a shout. \"Well, you can hardly blame me! This is me we're talking about, remember\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe person who shoved the grain into some random room, forgot about it, and listed the room on the map as unused in the first place! Why, it would be contradictory if I did remember where it was!\" \"You don't have to get so defensive, geez! It's not like I'd get anywhere by pointing fingers... So, uhhh, I guess our only option is to figure out which rooms you listed as empty, exclude the ones I remember, and go check all the others.\" \"Aye. If we've other options, I certainly can't think of them.\" Elisabeth readily nodded. It was a boring plan, and labor-intensive at that. However, this was no time to be losing heart. Hina does so much for us; this is the least we can do for her. And with that, the two of them began their search of the basement. As they walked through the cold and the dim that permeated the basement hallways, their footsteps echoed in a manner that was downright unsettling. Although there were magic lights dotting the walls, the night down there was far deeper and darker than it was aboveground, and the shadows lurking in the nooks and corners seemed to defy any attempt at illumination. Elisabeth trembled just like she had the last time they found themselves wandering about down there. \"Urgh, how do I describe it...? As always, this place is disagreeably disquieting. It plays on a person's childhood scars in a way demons can only dream of... Not that I'm afraid in the slightest, mind you!\" \"...I still can't get over how much being down here bothers you.\" \"Don't you take that tone with me! Why, I've half a mind to subject you to the same ghost stories that Marianne and that wretched uncle of mine so gleefully tormented me with in my youth!\" \"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say,\" Kaito listlessly replied as he took the lead and strode on. The two of them turned away from the main hallway, which led to the teleportation circle, and headed even deeper into the basement. Eventually, they reached an area that was predominantly filled with storerooms. It was dead quiet there. Just like Hina had reported, none of the traps were turning on when they weren't supposed to. However, that only served to accentuate the basement's gloom. Elisabeth trembled even harder, a fact that Kaito found downright astounding. \"Seriously, what gives? How is it you can fight such horrifying enemies without even flinching, then get freaked out by your own basement? Actual real-life monsters have to be scarier than stuff from made-up stories, don't they?\" \"...Our grim tale begins just after a young bride meets a most untimely death.\" \"Wait, hey, no, I don't wanna hear this.\" Apparently, Elisabeth intended to make good on her threat. The darkness of their surroundings did a perfect job of setting the mood, and Kaito couldn't help but break out into a cold sweat. Elisabeth ignored his pleas and went on. \"The nightmare first took root in the manor's exquisite flower garden. Before anyone noticed, the rosebushes underwent a horrible change.\" \"Elisabeth, man, you gotta cut it out\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI'm not kidding around... Huh?\" Suddenly, Kaito arched his brow. The bend in the hallway in front of him was almost completely cloaked in darkness, but he felt as though he could make out something writhing within. When he realized what it was, his eyes went wide. \"Wait, what?\" Just around the corner, there was a thick tangle of bizarre, undulating ivy. In fact, it almost resembled the plant from the ghost story that Elisabeth was telling him. He frantically yanked at her arm. \"E-Elisabeth! Elisabeth!\" \"The first tragic victim was the gardener... What is it now, Kaito? We're just getting to the good part. At least let me get through the first night before you... Ah!\" When Elisabeth caught sight of the aberration, she froze in place. The moment she did, Kaito realized something. This was bad news. Maybe getting Elisabeth's attention was a mistake. However, hindsight was twenty-twenty. He hurled himself backward, and without a moment's warning, Elisabeth let out a yell. \"Death Rain!\" \"I knew it!\" A surge of jet-black miasma and crimson flower petals whirled through the air, and red-hot lead began raining down from within it. The mysterious plant found itself completely dashed by molten metal, and Kaito had to frantically scurry around to avoid getting splashed. Then they heard a horrible \"Screeeee!\" Apparently, there had been something under the strange vegetation. Kaito turned back to look at it, then tilted his head. There were large piles of clay lying on the floor. However, he didn't see any collapsed walls or anything, so it seemed odd for there to be so much clay in the closed-off underground basement. But he didn't have time to ponder the mystery for long. The lead had started loudly cooling and hardening around the ivy, and a writhing swarm of something else entirely had emerged from beneath it. Kaito desperately tried to keep his cool and hold his ground. He squinted at the swarm to try and identify what it was composed of. Then he finally came to a realization. \"It's some sort of weird plant...and a swarm of giant rats!\" \"Hmm? But why? There were no rats in the ghost stories I was told.\" \"Those never had anything to do with anything!\" As Kaito let out his exasperated bellow, the rats continued crawling over their comrades' corpses and advancing toward the two of them. Their size was just as Hina had reported it. They were about as large as human babies. The bigger problem, though, was just how damn many of them there were. The rats' noses twitched as Kaito and Elisabeth became the new targets of their single-minded hunger. The creatures seemed absolutely ravenous. As far as Kaito was concerned, this was far more terrifying than the ghost story had been. To Elisabeth, though, they didn't even register as things to be feared. She immediately regained her usual composure. Then she clapped her hands together. \"I see, I see! I've cracked all the mysteries!\" \"Wait, you figured it out? You know whose familiars they are or whatever?\" \"No, no, these are no familiars! They're normal rats, born and raised!\" \"They're what?!\" \"Even if they ate magically preserved grain, rats would never grow to this size! But take a gander over there!\" Elisabeth pointed toward the rats' feet. Kaito was confused, but he squinted in that direction regardless. There, he saw the odd pile of clay from before, the one that seemed so out of place. Now he realized that pile was where the ivy had sprouted from. Elisabeth puffed her chest up with pride. \"That, right there, is the remains of a golem\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlikely one that got too old and broke down of its own accord!\" \"Oh, huh. You store unused golems down here, too? ...No, you don't. You were just running it ragged until it up and died on you. Isn't that dangerous? C'mon, you gotta keep a better eye on your stuff.\" \"Yes, yes, many apologies, so sorry! Anyhow, when the rats were carrying the grain back to their nest, one of them must have dropped some in the golem's clay remains, and the mana stored in the golem caused the seeds to germinate. The rats weren't just feasting on the mana from the grain, but from the golem as well\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat's why they grew so large!\" \"Ohhh... Wait, hold on a minute.\" If that was the case, then that put them all the way back at the beginning. Just as they'd originally concluded, there wasn't, nor had there ever been, an intruder. So where had Hina gone? But right when Kaito was about to ask that, Elisabeth looked up with a start. She strained her ears. \"Hmm, hmm... Hmm... Hmm?\" \"C'mon, Elisabeth, listen to me when I'm talking to you. Hina is\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"There's something behind the rats...and it's moving? I have a bad feeling about this. Fall back!\" \"Huh? Hwah!\" Elisabeth grabbed Kaito by the collar, then fled with him in tow. In the blink of an eye, they rounded the previous corner they'd turned. Elisabeth came to an abrupt stop. She crouched down with the wall to her back and dumped Kaito on the floor beside her. The rats chittered as they drew ever closer, and the ivy rustled along with them. Suddenly, both those noises were drowned out by a bizarre, intense FSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. \"...Huh? What?\" \"Good going, me. Call me forgetful if you will, but my intuition is as sharp as ever.\" Elisabeth nodded proudly. Some wispy smoke flowed over from around the corner. It would seem that the noise had been from some sort of vapor billowing out. Kaito and Elisabeth were fortunate enough to have avoided a direct hit, but that wasn't enough to save them from being assailed by its horrid, pungent odor. They frantically covered their mouths. Still holding her breath, Elisabeth snapped her fingers. A whirl of black darkness and crimson flower petals coalesced, then began rapidly spinning to blow the vapor away. Luckily, that was enough to thin out the smoke. The two of them cautiously rose to their feet and slowly made their way across the corridor. They peeked out around the corner where the rats just were. \"Huh?\" \"Hmm?\" And what they saw there\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas some sort of bizarre life-form. \"...It's a space alien.\" \"The hell is a space alien?\" Elisabeth reacted to Kaito's dumbfounded murmur with a frown. She wasn't"}, {"text": "familiar with the term. Unfortunately, though, Kaito couldn't think of any other way to describe it. After all, the entity before them was clad from head to toe in silver. It was even holding some sort of copper tublike implement in its hands. It was bizarre, even by space-alien standards. Communicating with it probably wouldn't be possible. Kaito was at a loss for what to do. Then all of a sudden, it popped its head off. Beautiful silver hair flowed out and landed atop the entity's shoulders. \"Wha\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?!\" \"Oh?\" Kaito and Elisabeth's eyes went wide. Then they cried out in unison. \"\"Hina!\"\" \"Phew, that should finally be all of them... Oh? Why, if it isn't my beloved Master Kaito and my dearest Lady Elisabeth! Whatever brings you down here?\" *** The two of them were relieved, but that wasn't going to stop them from shouting. Hina blinked her emerald eyes in puzzlement. Still dressed like an extraterrestrial, she cocked her head to the side. At that point, Kaito elaborated: \"You went missing, so Elisabeth and I have been looking everywhere for you.\" \"For me? Oh goodness, I'm ever so sorry. It was all part of my work for the day, and I figured I would be done in no time, so I didn't think I needed to tell you, but...could it be that it's much later than I think it is? Eek, oh no! I got so wrapped up in mixing that I lost track of the time! However can I possibly apologize?\" Hina gave a hurried bow. However, Elisabeth told her that all was well. \"A-as long as you're safe, then there's no harm done. Come now, raise your head.\" Kaito felt he should say something as well, but his attention kept getting drawn to what Hina was holding. Inside her copper tub, there was some sort of dark-green liquid sloshing about with a number of half-dissolved plants in it. He tried to peer inside. The moment he did, though, Hina quickly hid the tub behind her back and shook her head. \"There isn't much left, but it's still emitting vapor! It's dangerous to stick your head in!\" \"Hina...what exactly is that?\" \"A secret mixture for exterminating rats, passed down since time immemorial, that I had stored in my Self-Recording Device! Or to be more precise, a special Murder Supreme Version of it that I came up with!\" \"'Murder Supreme Version,' huh...?\" That certainly had a scary ring to it. By the sound of it, the rats didn't stand a chance. And given that that's what she was holding, it was easy to surmise the rest of the story. Hina must have gone back for a rematch with the rats. More than a little embarrassed, she bashfully told them the details. \"You see, I ran into one of their survivors when I was making my evening rounds. After that, I was able to discover that their main diet wasn't actually the grain, but the plant growing here, and that their nest was tucked away behind it. From there, I went into the basement storage area and retrieved my ingredients and an outfit to safely handle them with...\" \"Goodness, I had no idea we even had such things stored in the castle.\" \"Wasn't I just telling you to keep a better eye on your stuff?\" \"Then once I was done mixing the treatment chemicals, I evaded the swarm, put the tub in their nest, and finished them off by adding an herb in to release poison smoke! If the unthinkable happened and a rat that large were to bite one of you, why, I wouldn't have been able to rest until I killed every last rat in the world!\" Hina clenched her fist tight, and the other two nodded in understanding. With that, all the mysteries were finally solved\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhy Hina had vanished, why they hadn't been able to find her, and why there hadn't been any traces of her. Everything was clear now. In short, there hadn't been any reason to worry in the first place. The fact that they were currently embroiled in a series of battles against the demons notwithstanding, it was certainly possible that they had let their imaginations run a little too wild. It would probably have been smarter to at least wait until the next day before sounding the alarm. But right as Kaito and Elisabeth were about to start reflecting on their actions, Hina gave them a big, bright smile like a flower coming into full bloom. \"I really am sorry about the inconvenience, but thank you both so much. Knowing that my beloved Master Kaito and my dearest Lady Elisabeth were worried for my sake, why...it makes me feel more blessed than I could possibly dream of!\" Overcome with emotion, she blinked happy tears from her emerald eyes. Kaito and Elisabeth couldn't help but scratch their cheeks. Then they puffed up their chests like what they'd done was the most natural thing in the world. A Message from Someone (6) That's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhy was it me? Why wasn't it you? Why me? Why was I the only one who had to endure this? If I think back, there was no real reason why I should have had to do all the things I did. All the stories they tell about \"me\" are far removed from the truth, so really, it should have just been someone who fit that idealized mold from the start. So why the hell did it have to be me? Why not you? You still live free of care in this fragile world I reconstructed, don't you? Yet you know nothing of the truth. Nothing of the facts. You just guzzled down the faith they laid in front of you like a pig at a trough, didn't you? That's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dflocks of sheep are fundamentally stupid. And that is the way things ought to be. Honestly, you probably don't think I have any right to blame you. But that self-indulgence of yours is a sin unto itself, and because of it, you never even tried to notice. Surely, the grace period I gave you was long enough. Yet even so, you were unable to learn. Stupid sheep. Fattened swine. I keep sending you these messages, but you never reply. Is my voice even reaching you? ...Because if it is, if you can hear me, then surely, you're putting in a commensurate amount of effort trying to respond, aren't you? Don't tell me you didn't try at all, did you? Surely, surely, surely that isn't the case. Fine, then. Fine. If no one will listen to my message, then so be it. But if that's the case, then...I curse you. A curse on you. A curse on you. A curse on everything\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand a curse on you. Hina's Daily Routine (Back Side) \"I understand, I really do\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou all have your peace, just as we have ours.\" An earnest voice could be heard in the dim light. It echoed against the walls, gradually growing deeper and heavier before eventually fading into nothing. The speaker\u00e2\u20ac\u201dHina\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfixed her emerald eyes straight ahead of her. She was squaring off against a foe. \"However, your peace is in danger of encroaching on the lives of my beloved and my dearest.\" It was rare for Hina to take such a tone with her adversaries. Normally, she made no efforts to conceal her hostility and scorn. However, her current conduct was an exception to that, and for good reason. Chance encounter though it was, it wasn't her first rodeo with this particular foe. It was a rematch. Hina had defeated them once before. In fact, she thought she had stamped them out. After all, there was a marked gap between her capabilities and theirs. She was powerful; they were weak. And yet even so, they had escaped annihilation and concealed a fair number of survivors from her. Given her overwhelming advantage over them, that in itself was a form of defeat for her. The mere fact that a rematch was necessary had earned them a fair bit of her respect. \"Prepare yourselves\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor it is my duty to end your lives until none of you remain.\" With that declaration, Hina made her intentions known to the enemy forces once more. The darkness before her wriggled and squirmed, and cries that were filled with a mixture of bloodlust and primitive animal fear cut through the air. Hina nodded in satisfaction. It looked like their second bout was going to be just as heated as the first. Hina adjusted her grip on the instrument of death she was holding. This time, though, it wasn't her usual halberd. It was a copper tub filled to the brim with rat poison. \"Now then, have at you!\" And with that, Hina charged alone into the massive swarm of rats. As an aside, she wasn't wearing her standard maid outfit, either. Instead, she had on a silver outfit that was cylindrical at the torso and wide at the arms and legs. It somewhat defied comprehension, although to put it in terms from Kaito's world, it looked sort of like a space suit. Her stout legs went thump, thump, thump as she raced down the corridor. It was a sight that begged the question: How did things even get to that point? Answering that, though, would require going back a few hours before the final showdown began. \"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho, oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!\" After serving dinner, Hina happily sang a little song. And why wouldn't she be happy? The day had been lovely in so many ways. Kaito had helped her clean the stairs, and Elisabeth had complimented her cooking. She was filled with the kind of joy that could only be expressed through song. \"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho, my meats are the finest meats around! Filled with love and bravery, they'll never let you down! Eat them and your courage will increase a millionfold! As always, I'm your friendly neighborhood Butcher! Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho! And I am Master Kaito's maid and lover! Eep!\" Even though she was the one singing, she bashfully covered her face anyway. She had been able to spend yet another day working for the people she loved, and just thinking about that fact filled her with joy and pep. The group was smack-dab in the middle of their prolonged battle against the demons, but as far as Hina was concerned, these were the happiest days imaginable. For there was something she knew. She was, without a doubt, truly fortunate. The automatons Vlad built as presents\u00e2\u20ac\u201dHina's sisters\u00e2\u20ac\u201dcouldn't feel strong emotions. Yet even so, if they saw how she was being treated, it wouldn't be odd for them to feel driven to tear her limb from limb. She was just that blessed. Carefully crafted automatons like her could sometimes develop emotions and rich minds of their own, depending on how they were used. It blurred the line between her and actual humans. However, this world had magic, so there was something of a surplus of entities with minds of their own. There were familiars, spirits, mythical beasts, and even summoned souls like Kaito, and all of them were frequently used as servants. In a world like this, the thought of automatons having human rights was absolutely laughable. As a general rule, things created using magic were viewed as nothing but tools for their users. That was just a commonly accepted fact. However, Hina's two masters treasured her like she was an actual human girl. For starters, both of them were kind people. Also, in Kaito's case, he was from another world, and for Elisabeth, she probably just didn't pay the matter much thought. Neither of them realized what they were doing, but from Hina's perspective, the way they treated her was a blessing she could never have even dreamed of. To her, being able to work for their benefit was the ultimate form of bliss. The only way it could possibly be better was if her eternal lover, Kaito, would let her dote on him"}, {"text": "to her heart's content. \"Sigh, Master Kaito was the coolest today, just like he always is... The way he ties up his hair into a little knot is so lovely, I could just lick him all over and smooch him until the cows come home... All right, it looks as though I've finished making the rounds. What should I do now? I wonder if Lady Elisabeth wants to play some cards or some chess, or perhaps even do some drinking...\" It had been cloudy that afternoon, so although things could go either way, there was definitely a risk it could rain. Depending on the weather, they might have to pick somewhere different to hold their evening activities. Hina headed over to one of the windows lining the hallway to see how things looked. *** Suddenly, she sensed a presence. She whirled back around on the spot. At present, Elisabeth and her servants\u00e2\u20ac\u201dHina included\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwere locked in battle against the fourteen demons. No matter what else she was doing, Hina never let down her guard. Even if, by some turn of fate, she had been sloppily making out with Kaito, she would still have been vigilantly attuning herself to her surroundings. Thanks to that, her reaction was swift. She reached into her magic leather bag, pulled out her halberd, and brandished it menacingly. \"Who goes there?!\" However, Hina's shout was met with silence. Instead, some sort of figure dashed behind the sword-wielding suit of armor stationed at the bend in the hallway. It made its way down the stairs as fast as it could. Hina shifted her center of gravity down low, then took off at a dash, pursuing the target of her suspicion like a beast on the hunt. Down at the landing, the figure she saw earlier joined up with another, similar entity. The newcomer was holding a biscuit tight in its mouth. Kaito or Elisabeth must have dropped it while they were snacking on it. The figures were each about the size of a human baby. ...No. It can't be! When Hina realized what they were, she was shocked. And if she hadn't been sure enough before, the next noise she heard sealed the deal. Squeak! The two of them descended down into the basement. For a moment, Hina stopped in her tracks. She squeezed the handle of her halberd tight. A few tense words escaped her lips. \"...I see there were survivors.\" Not only was that wholly unexpected, but also, to her, it was proof of a grave failing on her part. For to a servant like her, rats were her natural enemy. Unfortunately\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe castle's custodian had no patience whatsoever for dust, bugs, cobwebs, weeds, or rats. Whenever she found them, dead or alive, she would fight to the bitter end to ensure they were completely purged from the castle's halls. For example, there was the valiant battle she'd fought the day prior. As part of her task for the day, Hina went down to the basement. There were no problems with the teleportation circle, and all the traps were responding properly. But in one of the basement's rarely used rooms, she discovered that there was something strange going on. The records listed the room as empty, yet inside, it was full of grain. As a result, a rat infestation had taken root there, and to make matters worse, the preservation magic cast on the grain had resulted in a problematic side effect. Thanks to its power, the rats had grown to be as large as human babies. When Hina fought them, it was a fierce affair indeed. In the end, though, she managed to trounce them with ease, albeit with her legs a little more gnawed on than before. She knew that dumping their bodies in the forest ran the risk of disturbing the ecosystem, so she instead buried them out by the rear garden. Was it coldhearted of her? Perhaps. But the world was a coldhearted place. At that point, though, she got complacent and made the incorrect assumption that the battle was over. And that was a grave error. Some of the rats had survived. And where there were two survivors, there were probably two hundred more out of sight. \"Oh dear... It would appear I've made a blunder. This time, I must be sure to finish them off before my beloved Master Kaito or my dearest Lady Elisabeth runs into them!\" Hina clenched her fists tight. The thing was, her beloved Kaito dwelled in a golem body. In theory, it was immortal, but not even he would survive being eaten alive. In that regard, a huge swarm of giant rats was like his natural predator. And as for Elisabeth, the rats themselves didn't pose a threat to her, but if they scared her badly enough, there was a chance she would end up bringing the whole castle down just to kill them. Hina needed to settle this alone, and as quickly as possible. Before she descended the stairs leading into the basement, she massaged her temples and thought her options over. I remember the room where I faced the rats yesterday, and I think it's safe to assume their nest is somewhere near it. Now, if I head to that room and that room, I should be able to find... Hina searched her memory for all the bits and pieces she needed. Each time she walked through the castle's labyrinthine basement, she added the route she took to the ever-expanding map of the area that she kept stored in her brain with astonishing accuracy. She even recorded the contents of every room she visited. She would need materials for this rematch, and she knew just where to find them. It was unclear how many survivors there were, but it was essential that she wipe them out completely this time. Now certain of her path, Hina snapped her eyes back open. \"All right, this will work! I was the one who made the mistake, so it's time for me to make things right!\" After rallying her spirit, she stowed her halberd in her leather bag and daintily lifted the hem of her maid outfit. Then she gracefully descended the stairs. Her silver hair swayed as she vanished into the gloom. Incidentally, this was around the same time that Kaito and Elisabeth started looking for her to check the wine-bottle count and coax her into making a midnight snack, respectively. However, there was no way Hina could have known that. Down in the basement, not even her beloved master's voice could reach her. Undeterred, Hina began running through the underground corridors. Her first mission was to figure out where their nest was. To do that, she headed for the grain storeroom where their previous battle took place. To get to the present, you had to start with the past. At the moment, their old battleground was devoid of rats, but Hina didn't let that discourage her. Not faltering or panicking in the slightest, she pulled a block of strong-smelling cheese out of her leather bag, tore off fragrant little chunks, and placed them throughout the hallway. Cheese might seem like an odd thing to carry around, but she liked to have some on hand so Kaito or Elisabeth would have something to eat if the situation called for it. Then she concealed her presence and waited. When she really put her mind to it, Hina could even silence the cogwheels inside herself and truly act the part of an object. Before long, a single rat appeared. Not noticing her, it took the cheese in its mouth and happily scurried off. Hina followed behind it with silent footsteps. After tracking it for a little while, she arrived a corner and made a sudden stop. She peeked around it. There was something writhing around the bend. Upon further inspection, she discovered that it was some sort of strange, rapidly growing ivy. It would seem that the rats weren't her only enemies. Hina carefully surveyed the surroundings. In doing so, she finally realized what had driven the rats' irregular growth. There were several large piles of clay scattered all over the hallway floor, which was odd, given that she was underground. They were where the ivy had taken root. Considering the golem, the rats, and the grain seeds, the answer was as clear as day. \"I see... It all started when one of them dropped some seeds it was carrying. And I suspect that their nest is inside it.\" Ever since the ivy grew around their nest, the rats had been enjoying its blessing. It made for the perfect defensive wall. However, now Hina knew where they lived. Her task was set. Hina nodded. The method she had in mind should end up getting rid of the ivy, too. This wasn't a problem. \"Now then... Let's get this started, shall we?\" Her emerald eyes flashed as she shifted her battle plan into its second phase. Little did she know, though, that things were only going to get harder from there. \"Hmmm. It really is kind of old, isn't it?\" Hina crossed her arms. She was in another storeroom that had been listed as empty on her maps. Several jars sat before her, all of which she'd pulled down from the crumbling shelf embedded in the wall. At a glance, they looked like antique bottles of wine, but they were actually chemicals infused with mana. However, these weren't the kinds of fancy chemicals that professional mages used in their research. They were just minor household supplies, like pesticides and herbicides. It wasn't exactly a trivial task, but by going to Mage's Row in the Capital and getting a membership card, which demonstrated that one understood enough about magic to know how dangerous they could be, even members of the general public could get their hands on such chemicals. However, it was unlikely that anywhere but Elisabeth's castle had them stocked in such variety or quantities. It was a complete mystery as to why she'd bought so much. In all likelihood, though, she'd probably had a small bug problem at some point, freaked out, and completely overreacted. Later, Hina had taken it upon herself to draw strangely adorable skull marks on the lids of each one. That way, nobody would accidentally mistake them for wine. It was a more legitimate concern than one might think, as Elisabeth was secretly a giant klutz. It really is such a charming feature of hers... That aside, though, we have a problem. After mentally reaffirming how adorable her master was, Hina sank back into thought. She stared at the box of herbs and the two types of bottles she'd picked out. \"It's as I feared. They've grown too deteriorated.\" At the moment, Hina's plan was to concoct a powerful rodenticide. She was using a recipe listed in her Self-Recording Device; these instruction had been passed down since time immemorial by traveling mages who used it when they visited small villages stricken by plagues. The process involved combining two kinds of simple cleaning chemicals, then tossing in an herb that would release poisonous fumes to kill the vermin. The problem, though, was that the chemicals had weakened with age. \"Well, no sense in standing around worrying about it. Let's at least see how it looks.\" Hina ripped the oil-paper lid off one of the bottles. Even just doing that was enough for her to tell how half-hearted the bottles' supposedly airtight seals had been. She frowned, then poured a drop on her finger and placed it atop her tongue. It was a special automaton technique for testing such things. For a moment, she closed her eyes. Then when the analysis was complete, she nodded. \"Yes, just as I thought. I can't really expect these to have much of an effect at all.\" The chemical had lost almost all its mana, and its composition had badly degraded. As a result, the toxin's effect on the rats"}, {"text": "would be much lower in turn. There was no way such an inferior poison would be enough to take down those massive rodents. Hmm. Hina closed her eyes and thought. One option was to simply head back upstairs. From there, she could get in contact with the Butcher and order fresh chemicals. However, that would mean leaving Kaito and Elisabeth to coexist with the rats while she waited for the chemicals to arrive. In Hina's mind, that was a complete nonstarter. Why, she was Kaito's eternal lover, his faithful companion, his soldier, his weapon, his love outlet, his sex doll, and his maid. She refused to expose her lover to so much as the faintest possibility of harm. And she refused to allow rats a place by her masters' sides as well. She had her pride, after all. \"That's right. I can't give up now; it's simply not an option.\" She clenched her fists in determination. Running away with her tail between her legs would be a disgrace on her name as a servant. As a good wife, and as a proper maid, she didn't have the option of giving up. \"It's all right, though. I have a plan. The only thing I need to do is follow my master's example.\" Hina placed her hands, overlapping one over the other, atop her sizable chest. She closed her eyes as though in prayer. Then she spoke in a voice brimming with faith and affection. \"That's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's time to emulate Lady Elisabeth, poison-cooking extraordinaire!\" Hina was completely serious, by the way. Her words were intended as a sincere compliment. If Elisabeth herself had heard her, though, she would have let out a shriek like an avian cryptid and sent Kaito flying with a ferocious kick. Why MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?! he'd have cried as he spun through the air. Fortunately, however, no such victim emerged here. Hina nodded vigorously and reached for a new bottle. \"Luckily for me, I'm an automaton, and poison has no effect on me! Thanks to that, I can make my concoction with the Lady Elisabeth Method: 'Throw random things in the dish as the mood strikes me'!\" Then she grabbed the large copper tub from the bottommost crumbling shelf. Just as originally planned, she dumped the two chemicals into it. After taking the now-empty bottles and tossing them on the ground helter-skelter, she immediately reached out and grabbed more bottles. She steeled her resolve. \"All right, let's do this! Time to make an even stronger rat poison\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Hina's special Murder Supreme Version!\" And with that, she announced the start of her horrific experiment. A centipede tried to flee from a crack in the wall, but it died before it could travel far. Several spiders plopped down from the ceiling. Not one of them was still alive. Hina let out a cry of delight at the successful completion of her slightly deranged experiment. \"I-it's finished! I knew the Lady Elisabeth Method would do the trick! Now I've successfully defended my honor as Master Kaito's maid! Pant, pant, oh, Master Kaito, how I wish I could lick you and smooch you and nibble your adorable face!\" Her cheeks flushed scarlet. Before her, the surface of the completed brew burbled and gleamed in a most unnatural way. At first, it was purple, then red. For a moment, it faded into a dull gray, before then shifting into an array of rainbow hues. For whatever reason, it ultimately settled on a deep, dark green. The whole process defied explanation. At least the color it ended up as was a fairly reasonable one for a chemical to be. Automatons didn't sweat, but Hina wiped her brow and let out a long breath all the same. It felt like the appropriate gesture to make, given the circumstances. She took another look at her finished concoction. It had plenty of mana, its effect was similar to the original rodenticide recipe, and its toxicity had received a major power-up. Thoroughly satisfied with her work, Hina surveyed the room. The floor was so covered in empty bottles, the scene looked like the morning after a night of revelry. She went silent for a few seconds, then eventually puffed up her chest with pride. \"I thought I might be taking things a little too far!\" That was a fact that she couldn't deny. However, it was also a fact that she completed her concoction. She eagerly grabbed the tub but, a moment later, quickly came to her senses. She was an automaton, so the poison wouldn't affect her, but if she carelessly spilled any... ...th-then the maid uniform Lady Elisabeth so graciously gave me will get ruined! She frantically glanced over her clothes. Fortunately, her mixing technique had been impeccable. In spite of all the countless bottles she'd thrown into that tub, not a single drop ended up getting spilled. It turned out that her status as a first-rate maid wasn't just for show. She breathed a sigh of relief. However, not even she would be able to protect her outfit while she carried the tub. After all, she was about to embark on the grand task of trying to break through the swarm of rats. \"Um, well, I suppose I'll need one of those, but is there even one here...? Ah, there is! How lucky!\" After searching the room, she was able to locate the item she sought sitting on the left-hand shelf. It was a large box. She rushed over to it and opened it up. Inside, she found exactly what she was looking for\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe protective clothing that came bundled with large purchases of caustic chemicals. Just as she hoped, the two had been stored together. \"All I have to do is put this on, and it'll be smooth sailing from here! Ha-ha!\" Hina cheerfully donned the gleaming silver outfit, completely covering her lovely maid uniform. It looked rather bizarre, to the point where if Kaito saw it, he'd undoubtedly cry, It's an alien! However, Hina paid its appearance little heed, putting on the headpiece to cover the last bit of her body. Then she took the tub in her heavily bundled hands and held it tight. \"Just you wait, my beloved Master Kaito and dearest Lady Elisabeth! This time, I'm going to go finish what I failed to settle last time!\" Through the outfit, her resolute declaration got muffled and ended up sounding more like \"Mm-mm, mm-mm, mm-mmph!\" Incidentally, this was around the time that Kaito and Elisabeth were lying sprawled in the hallway at the end of their unsuccessful grand search. However, Hina still had no way of knowing that. Fully fired up, she began lumbering off with big, clumsy strides. She headed out into the hallway. However, she immediately turned around and lumbered back into the room. This time, she remembered to grab the herbs. Then she majestically strode out into the hallway. And with that, the story wrapped back around to its beginning. \"Now then, have at you!\" And with that, Hina charged alone toward the massive swarm of rats. The rats responded by rushing at her in kind. A cacophony of squeaking and chittering surrounded her on all sides. In fact, even the ivy began winding its way toward her. Apparently, obtaining such a large quantity of mana had bestowed it with something akin to intellect, and it had struck up a symbiotic relationship with the rats. Both it and the rats wanted to kill Hina and use her corpse for sustenance. However, Hina didn't slow her charge. Gah! They're a lively bunch, aren't they? \u00e2\u20ac\u201dNot that I would expect anything less! The tub's contents lapped against its sides as she lugged it along. If the ivy wound its way around her ankles or if she tripped on a rat, all her efforts up until then would have been for naught. However, her prospects of success still looked good. Even though she hadn't added the rodenticide's final ingredient\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe herb\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyet, it was already releasing a powerful odor. That alone was enough to make some of the more cowardly rats among her enemies' ranks hesitant about approaching her. The rest were still leaping at her, but she managed to successfully dodge their attacks one after another. However, the biggest reason behind her confidence was her protective clothing. The material it was made of was unbelievably thick and durable, leaving her foes at a complete loss as to what to do. Incidentally, there was a good reason behind its ludicrously sturdy design. The kind of person who would go all the way to Mage's Row just to pick up some pesticide was invariably wealthy and powerful. If one of their servants ended up dying when using the shop's chemicals, they would likely come back demanding serious compensation. Now, though, the sellers' callous, calculating business savvy was helping Hina out in a major way. Hee-hee-hee. If you think you can stop me, you're welcome to try! Her clothing made it difficult to walk, sure, but even when the rats bit her, she didn't feel a thing. Plus, her legs were too thick for the ivy to be able to get a good grip on them. The only thing she had left to worry about was tripping, but the outfit's weight helped out on that front, too. After breaking through the opposing defensive line, Hina steadily made her way forward. If Kaito had been there to see her, he'd probably have shouted, When'd you become a rugby player?! Sadly, not a single game of rugby had ever been played in this world, but that didn't stop Hina from continuing her unstoppable advance. However, the forces guarding the nest were the best of the best, and Hina knew better than to try brute-forcing her way through them. \"Oh dear...\" Then out of the blue, the rats and ivy changed tacks. Hmm? It feels like...they've fallen back? Hina tilted her head to the side in confusion. It was almost as though they'd sensed some sort of new enemy behind her. Many of the rats broke off their attack on her, and some of the vines began making their way behind her as well. As it turned out, her hunch was on the mark. But although there was a great commotion taking place behind her, her thick protective gear kept her from noticing it. A few drops of molten lead even splashed on her back, but somehow, that wasn't enough to catch her attention. Instead, she just took advantage of the fortuitous opening and made a mad dash straight ahead. At long last, she reached her goal\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe dead end at the far side of the corridor. Behind her glass visor, her emerald eyes gleamed. There it is, just as I thought! The rats had built their nest in a hole at the bottom of the wall. Because of their oversized bodies, their nest was similarly large, and it looked like the hole continued on for quite a way. However, rodenticide as powerful as Hina's could reach that far with ease. The rats gnawed Hina all over as she stooped down. She shoved the tub into the burrow's entrance. A chorus of indignant squeaks and chitters rose up around her. Hina replied in an apologetic murmur. \"I'm sure you all just wanted to live out your days peacefully. I really am sorry about this.\" However, she didn't stop. Instead, she raised one of her hands, which was carrying the herbs, above the tub. When she spoke next, her voice rang with determination. \"But I'm the one who's been tasked with keeping this castle clean. And sadly, that means that dust, bugs, cobwebs, weeds, and rats have no place here! When I find you, dead or alive, it's my job to purge you from this castle's halls! However, I do ask that you kindly stop biting me before I die.\" It was true. If not for her protective suit, the way they were biting her would have proved fatal, even for an automaton"}, {"text": "like her. She raised her arm up high and spoke without a moment's hesitation. \"Now then\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's time to settle this!\" And with that, she hurled the herbs into the tub. The herbs bobbed as they floated on the liquid's surface. A heavy silence filled the air. Hina tilted her head to the side. Hmm? Then a tremendous quantity of smoke gushed out with a deafening FSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. *** Hina tensed up so badly, she practically joined the rats in their scream. The smoke, still making a FSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH sound, billowed past her at an alarming clip. It was so dense that she couldn't see a thing. Hina couldn't help being thankful that she was an automaton. It was dangerous to take a direct hit point-blank like that, even with the protective suit. \"Oh, goodness... That gave me quite a fright.\" At that point, she realized that the rats around her had all toppled, and the ones that had been clinging to her had fallen off. Her concoction had worked. In fact, it might well have been overkill. She quietly clasped her hands together as though in prayer, then rose to her feet and clomped back the way she came. The smoke had dirtied up her glass visor, and it soon became evident that it wasn't going to clear up on its own. Hina deftly swapped the tub to one hand, then popped off her protective headpiece. She shook her head to clear the hair out of her face. Then, her eyes gleaming, she breathed a sigh of relief. \"Phew, that should finally be all of them... Oh? Why, if it isn't my beloved Master Kaito and my dearest Lady Elisabeth! Whatever brings you down here?\" When she removed the protective gear, though, she discovered Elisabeth and Kaito standing before her. It made no sense for them to be here, and Hina herself had no idea what was going on. However, one thing was clear\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe two of them were definitely standing there. And what's more, their replies came in the form of a shout. *** She blinked her emerald eyes in puzzlement. Still dressed like an extraterrestrial, she cocked her head to the side. At that point, Kaito elaborated: \"You went missing, so Elisabeth and I have been looking everywhere for you.\" \"For me? Oh goodness, I'm ever so sorry. It was all part of my work for the day, and I figured I would be done in no time, so I didn't think I needed to tell you, but...could it be that it's much later than I think it is? Eek, oh no! I got so wrapped up in mixing that I lost track of the time! However can I possibly apologize?\" Hina gave a hurried bow. She had no idea that anywhere near that much time had passed. Then a thought crossed her mind that caused her to panic so hard, she felt steam might come bursting out of her ears. Oh, oh my, thank goodness they weren't there when I released the chemicals! Why, I very nearly engulfed my two most important people in poison gas! In truth, she had actually engulfed them, but she of course had no way of knowing that. \"A-as long as you're safe, then there's no harm done. Come now, raise your head,\" Elisabeth encouraged her. Hina very nearly replied that she couldn't because she hadn't finished expressing her penitence, but before she could get the words out, she spotted Kaito trying to peer inside the copper tub. She quickly shook her head and hid the tub behind her back. \"There isn't much left, but it's still emitting vapor! It's dangerous to stick your head in!\" \"Hina...what exactly is that?\" \"A secret mixture for exterminating rats, passed down since time immemorial, that I had stored in my Self-Recording Device! Or to be more precise, a special Murder Supreme Version of it that I came up with!\" \"'Murder Supreme Version,' huh...?\" \"You see, I ran into one of their survivors when I was making my evening rounds...\" And with that, Hina began honestly recounting everything that had happened in her long campaign against the rats. At the end, she passionately clenched her fist. \"If the unthinkable happened and a rat that large were to bite one of you, why, I wouldn't have been able to rest until I killed every last rat in the world!\" The other two nodded in understanding. It looked like they found her explanation satisfactory. That was a load off Hina's back. As her heart filled with relief, she felt a tingling of joy in it, too. Ah... How truly, truly blessed I am! In this world, nobody paid a second thought to the feelings of automatons. Yet these two had not just been worried about her, but they'd also even come looking for her themselves. It made her feel fortunate beyond belief. She gave them a big, bright smile like a flower coming into full bloom. \"I really am sorry about the inconvenience, but thank you both so much. Knowing that my beloved Master Kaito and my dearest Lady Elisabeth were worried for my sake, why...it makes me feel more blessed than I could possibly dream of!\" Tears began slowly but surely welling up in her eyes. Before long, she was crying in earnest. Unsure what to do, Kaito and Elisabeth scratched their cheeks. Then they cheerily went on. \"C'mon, of course we were. It was our precious Hina we were talking about.\" \"You work so hard for our sakes, and for all we knew, you might well have been in peril somewhere. 'Twas but a matter of course we'd come searching for you.\" Their words just made her happier and happier, and the tears kept coming. Kaito and Elisabeth affectionately came over and stood beside her. The moment they did, they both let out cries of surprised realization. \"Whoa, Hina, your outfit's crazy stiff.\" \"It really is. 'Crazy stiff' is just the way I'd put it.\" \"Hee-hee... It is built to be sturdy, you see.\" Hina smiled again and wiped away her tears. Now that the rematch with the rats was over, the three of them headed back the way they came. The battle had left a pretty disastrous mess, and Hina knew she'd have to come back later and clean it all up. For now, though, she was going to take a little break. Her day had been full of joy, and there were so many things she wanted to write about in her diary. With any luck, the next day would be similar, as would the day after it. A small wish welled up inside Hina. Deep down, she knew it couldn't possibly come true. Yet even so, she wished that the happy days the three of them were spending together could go on forever and ever. A Message from Someone (7) I cursed, I resented, I hated, I despised, I grieved, I lamented, I cursed, I cursed, I cursed, and at the end of all my cursing... ...my wish was finally granted. The end of days took place once more. The seeds of evil I'd sowed budded without fail. At that point, all that was left was for everyone to die. The stupid sheep would perish, persistent in their idiocy to the bitter end. That would have been fine. Just deserts would have been served. That was the verdict I cast, and that was the wish I made. However... ...the person I am now\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dis not who I was then. ...Will you hear me out? O anonymous listener who I once wished death upon? It is a tale from long, long ago. Back then, I made a fatal blunder. I brought about the end of days. But that wasn't my true intention. I didn't destroy the world because I wanted to. I was mistaken; don't get me wrong. One could even say that my very existence was an error. But even so, none of that changes the nobility of my goal. I just wanted to save the world when nobody else would. But in spite of that\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dat some point, I forgot. He\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Mad King\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas right. I forgot. Back then\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201deveryone was crying\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand I wanted to make it so they didn't have to\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dso now\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhy? Why are my ears\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dso full of screams and\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? \"I caaaught him.\" \"Excellent work!\" Elisabeth was in the beastfolk lands. Having successfully carried out her Peace Brigade duties for the day, Elisabeth returned to Valisisa Ula Forstlast's residence. With a listless announcement, she kicked the bound mage forward. Her beastfolk subordinates replied with their thanks, and one deer-headed soldier dragged the man off to the dungeons for having committed the crime of ritualistic demon worship. Elisabeth rotated her shoulders in exasperation. Lute walked up to her and handed her a hot cup of tea. \"I would expect nothing less. With this, we can strike another name off the most wanted list.\" \"That's all, correct? I shall be taking my break now. And my dinner, albeit a late one.\" Shortly after she made her announcement, though, the door got violently kicked open. The voice that rang out seemed somehow puppetlike, yet at the same time, it was strangely obnoxious. \"Pardon me. Elisabeth! Is Elisabeth Le Fanu around? Listen to what I gotta say for a minute, bitch!\" \"Ah. 'Tis Jeanne... I see you've made your way here from the Capital again. How many times does this make, anyhow?\" \"Don't worry about that; just listen. I don't understand what's going on in my little lady's head. Women, I'm tellin' ya! Like, does she hate me? She doesn't hate me, does she?\" \"As far as I can tell, Izabella's never been much of a clingy type. I'm off now. Good-bye.\" After exchanging a glance with Lute, Elisabeth beat a hasty retreat and made her way out into the hallway. Once she'd made sure nobody was coming her way, Elisabeth tossed a jewel downward. It struck the floor and drew a teleportation circle atop it. Crimson flower petals and darkness sprayed up as far as the eye could see, and cylindrical walls the color of blood formed around her. Fine cracks ran across them. Then they were gone, and nobody remained within. Elisabeth had vanished from the beastfolk lands. Tick, tock... Tick-tock... Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock... Ti\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Click. Click. \"I've returned.\" \"Hey, welcome home.\" Elisabeth spoke, and a cheerful voice called back. Kaito tilted his chair backward. Still seated, he turned around. The little knot that his faded brown hair was tied in dangled behind his head. As usual, his butler uniform looked completely ridiculous on his skinny frame. Appearing the same as always, he checked over the inventory listing for their main storeroom. Elisabeth started to raise her hand to greet him... Hmm? ...but halfway through, her arm froze. Something felt dangerously off. She cocked her head to the side. Meanwhile, Kaito continued scribbling away with his quill pen. From time to time, he would smudge some ink or begin idly doodling. It was an almost tear-inducingly mundane sight. There was nothing peculiar or amusing about it in the slightest. Elisabeth chose not to put her discomfort into words. Instead, she strode over to Kaito with a wide gait. Without even looking at her, he pulled out the chair beside his and gestured at it with his chin. \"Mmm.\" \"Aye.\" Elisabeth responded as though it were the most natural thing in the world, then sat down as well. A few seconds later, she cocked her head to the side again. However, she didn't get a chance to vocalize what it was that seemed so odd. Kaito slid the inventory list over to her and pointed at one of its blank spaces. \"Elisabeth, I gotta say, these documents suck.\" \"Dullard... That's the sole conclusion you reached after going at it all day? I'm out there working tirelessly, so the least you can do as my butler is keep my castle in order. Enough grousing\u00e2\u20ac\u201djust"}, {"text": "do your job!\" Hmm? Hmmmm? What was she talking about? The words came to her readily, but they were accompanied by a third wave of indescribable malaise. She raised her hands up and down in consternation. Kaito, for his part, stretched his arms, then pursed his lips. \"I mean, you say that, but... Here, how's this for a number that'll knock your socks off? The last seven years of inventory just...aren't listed.\" \"Heavens, wouldn't it be faster to simply discard them and start from scratch?\" \"Right? That was the only real option I could come up with... Ugh, all that time wasted...\" Kaito let out a big yawn, then went limp and slumped facedown on the table. Elisabeth poked him in the head. Now was no time for sleeping. For her troubles, she received a strange \"Gehhh.\" As the two of them fooled around, a pair of light footsteps drew near. \"Good work today, you two!\" Upon hearing the cheery voice, Elisabeth looked up and was greeted by a pair of gleaming green eyes and a head of silver hair. They belonged to a beautiful automaton in a maid outfit. Hina beamed adorably as she pushed her serving cart along. Elisabeth found herself overcome with dizziness. However, she still had no idea why. Hmhmmm? \"I've brought an afternoon snack for you, my beloved Master Kaito and my dearest Lady Elisabeth! There are tarts and muffins and cookies of every variety, so please go ahead and take whatever you like!\" \"Damn, you made all that? You sure you aren't overworking yourself, Hina?\" \"Eek, my adorable husband is ever so kind! Take me now! ...Ahem. Worry not. If it's for my beloved Master Kaito and my dearest Lady Elisabeth, then even baking sweets is like being in paradise! Right now, I feel super-duper happy in strict moderation! Eek, it's like the world itself is jealous of my joy!\" \"Uh, okay... Well, I'm not sure I totally follow, but if you're happy, then I'm happy, too.\" No, no, no, hold on a moment. 'Tis nice that Hina seems the same as always, but... Something about it was weird. Elisabeth massaged her temples. But no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't put her finger on what was so odd. Perhaps it wasn't just one thing. In fact, if she were to force herself to put it into words, then... \"Everything\" is odd. \"Lady Elisabeth, which one would you like?\" \"The raspberry and honey tart, I should think!\" In that moment, though, Elisabeth ceased wondering. She eagerly extended her hand. With a \"But of course,\" Hina deftly dished up the tart. Elisabeth peered down at the plate. The tart was piled extravagantly high with raspberries, and the honey gave it a glossy sheen. Looking at it was like feasting her eyes on a mountain of rubies. As Elisabeth grabbed a fork, Kaito made a sly quip. \"Man, I can practically see a tail and a pair of ears twitching on you.\" \"Silence, you. I'm no cat.\" \"And yet you're the only one who said anything about cats... Looks like even you realize it.\" \"If I had to choose between being a cat or a dog, I would be a dog! I'd roll on my back, show Master Kaito my belly, and wag my tail so hard, it would almost fall off! Woof, woof!\" \"That's nice, honey. Even without a tail, you're plenty cute already.\" Kaito patted Hina's head past her soft maid hat. As Hina let out more delighted woofs, Elisabeth joined her hand to the petting. Hina was overcome with joy. Their Hina-cherishing party continued on like that for a little while. Perhaps it was just Elisabeth's imagination, but the air in the room seemed a bit warmer than it had been before. With the mood suitably lightened, Elisabeth turned back to her plate and spoke with a smile. \"Now then, to the tart!\" \"I do hope it's to your liking!\" \"Make sure you slow down and chew it so you don't choke.\" \"What do you take me for, a child?\" As she shot a complaint Kaito's way, Elisabeth brandished her fork and sliced carefully through the crust so as not to disturb the cream or the raspberries. Then she slowly lifted the bite to her mouth, and\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"...It tastes like nothing.\" \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwith a thud\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dall the lights went out. Tick, tock... Tick-tock... Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock... Ti-ti-ti-ti\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Creeeeeeeeeeak. \"Now then, I suppose that marks the end of the first act.\" A deep voice echoed through the air, and a lamp lit up in the darkness as though it had been waiting for that very moment. The lamp's candle cast a white circle around itself. Because it was pitch-black, even that meager light source seemed as blinding as the sun. Elisabeth squinted. She could see a pearl-gray tablecloth extending out from the circle on into the darkness. Silver buffet platters sat atop it, laden with food so colorful that they almost looked like they were made of wax. There were a number of hors d'oeuvres, from a translucent jelled oyster dish and a vividly orange marinated salmon to a broad selection of p\u00c3\u00a2t\u00c3\u00a9s. The table was absolutely packed with fragrant foods. However, nobody was partaking in the spread, which looked too good to be true. There was but one person there. The silhouette of a man, sitting at the head of the table. He wore a silk shirt with a cravat, and his coat was decorated with silver thread. Ignoring the buffet platters, he instead ate from a single pure-white dinner plate. Upon the porcelain dish was a slab of meat with blood dripping from it. The raw liver didn't even look seasoned. The man cut thin slices of the meat and carried them to his mouth with his fork. The darkness was broken up only by the candlelight and the soft sound of dishes clinking. After looking at the man's crimson eyes, silky black hair, and beautiful features, which resembled her own, Elisabeth spoke. \"And who the hell are you?\" \"Oh, come now, precious daughter of mine. This thing you do where you forget I exist isn't nearly as endearing as you think.\" Vlad Le Fanu put down his knife and fork. Elisabeth merely gave him a scoff. She knew perfectly well who he was. However, her resentment toward Vlad ran deep. The mere fact that she was willing to regard him with apathy instead of outright hostility was a supreme display of self-control. At that point, though, Elisabeth cocked her head to the side. What was it that Vlad just said? \"...What first act?\" \"In a sense, we stand at a legend's end. The space beyond the fairy tale.\" All of a sudden, Vlad began speaking. He lifted his knife and fork once more. As he sliced up his meat, crimson blood trickled forth from it. \"This is the stage past the curtain's fall, the shell of what remains after the final act that was the end of days\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut the performance's end, you see, was nowhere near adequate. With its lease on life renewed, the world continued on. But the bells would eventually toll on a new curtain's rise.\" For that is the way bells and curtains are. Ting. After cutting his meat, Vlad dinged his knife against the plate's surface. Then he slowly looked up at Elisabeth, his mouth curling into a smile as he went on. \"Preventing the play from ending. The three races, unified. A noble sacrifice. It's moving, don't get me wrong. A tale well worth telling. But what about the story that follows it?\" \"...What story?\" \"Revolution. Revenge. Betrayal. Any and all of these require diving deep into the actor's psyche and motives. And that means the story that follows can hardly be told. Eventually, all of it will be buried beneath the black veil of history. And with no regard paid to those who fought so valiantly... Although, of course, it's entirely too early to tell if there'll still be a world where one could tell it in the first place. Things are starting to look a little grim.\" Deftly moving his fork, he brought a taut slice of liver to his mouth and laid it atop his tongue. Then he popped it into his mouth, almost as though hammering home his statement to Elisabeth. The meat's crimson blood painted his lips a slightly darker shade of red as he let out a casual laugh. \"Nobody's going to like this. Even seasoned veterans will want to avert their gazes. That's just the way it's going to play out.\" \"Vlad, don't tell me... Did you hit your head or something?\" \"You know, your concern might well be touching if it weren't always so insulting!\" On hearing Elisabeth's reply, Vlad set his utensils back down. In an unusual turn of events, it sounded like he was being relatively serious about what he was talking about. But what of it? Elisabeth frowned. For her part, there was a fretfulness eating away at her so intensely, it felt like her neck was burning. Something is off\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI'm certain of it. Her vision wavered. Vlad's description was unpleasant, but more than that, it was disquieting. There was something lurking just below the surface, something she mustn't lay eyes on. However, Elisabeth couldn't even figure out what it was. Every time she tried to think about it, she was obstructed by an intense headache. \"What...is this?\" Elisabeth pressed down on her forehead. Vlad went back to eating. After elegantly making his way through the meat, he wiped his lips with his napkin and looked up. \"Caught your attention?\" \"What?\" The question came out of the blue, and it was notably lacking a subject. However, Elisabeth didn't get a chance to ask him to elaborate. Vlad nodded all on his own, then snapped his fingers. Darkness and azure flower petals filled the air. When they cleared, all that remained on the table was a single bowl. It was deep, and filled to the very brim with water. The water's surface, flat as a mirror, was projecting an image of somewhere else. Elisabeth's eyes went wide. She gasped. \"Kaito, Hina...\" Kaito and Hina were sleeping, huddled up together with peaceful expressions on their faces. They looked almost serene. It was just beautiful, nothing more. There wasn't anything odd about it. Everyone knew they were married, and it was perfectly normal for married people to sleep together. However... It seems so...distant. That calm, gentle scene was farther away than the world's end. Elisabeth was overcome with a crushing sense of isolation. She knew that the image on the water was just that, an image, but that alone didn't explain why she felt the way she did. It was like the entire space they were in was cut off from her by some sort of transparent wall. She gazed wordlessly at the two of them. Vlad laughed a low, booming laugh. Ignoring him, she reached out, even knowing there was no way she'd be able to touch the scene atop the water's surface. After all, it wasn't real. There was nothing there to reach. There shouldn't have been anyway. And yet. And...yet? ...Splash! Tick, tock... Tick-tock... Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock... Ti-ti-ti-ti\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Creeeeeee\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201deeeak? \"Hey, Elisabeth, what's going on?\" \"Are you all right, Lady Elisabeth?\" \".................................Hmm?\" Elisabeth slowly opened her eyes, only to have them immediately seared by a dazzling light. At some point, the room had brightened up. She could still see the pearl-gray tablecloth stretched out atop the table before her, but the silver platters and waxy-looking food were nowhere to be seen. Neither was Vlad, for that matter. In fact, Elisabeth had even swapped places with him and was now sitting at the head of the table herself. And the silver bowl with the image of Kaito and Hina had been swapped out for something as well. It was some sort of strangely majestic container. Elisabeth peered intently at the newly appeared object. I"}, {"text": "know this. 'Tis... It was something she herself had once created on Kaito's request. It was an earthenware pot. What in the world was it doing there? No, no. There was something more pressing to consider. Namely, the fact that Kaito and Hina were standing right next to her. After looking down at her from both sides, they spoke. \"No response. It looks like she's a corpse or somethi\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Mmph!\" \"Come now, Master Kaito! I love you dearly, but you mustn't make rude jokes like that about women! Lady Elisabeth is a sensitive soul!\" \"Y-yeah, you're right. My bad... Seriously, though, Elisabeth, are you okay?\" \"Well, I am a tad worried about the way Hina sees me.\" Elisabeth frowned. From her perspective, she thought of Hina like a little sister, yet for some reason, it felt like she was the one being pampered. \"Hmhm!\" Hina puffed out her chest in an inexplicable display of pride. A half beat later, though, she hopped into the air with a start. \"Whoa! Why, Lady Elisabeth responded!\" \"Whoa! What's going on, Elisabeth? You were totally spacing out there.\" \"Spacing...out? No, I was just... Vlad was...\" \"Did you not want your purin?\" \"...Purin?\" On hearing that, Elisabeth looked back over to the earthenware pot. Its lid was still on, but now that he mentioned it, she could definitely make out the pleasant aroma of eggs, milk, and sugar. It was, without a doubt, packed full of wobbly, pale-yellow goodness. Elisabeth instinctively reached for its lid, but she then stopped and shook her head. \"No, wait, the raspberry tart... What became of my tart?\" \"Hmm? A tart? Would you have preferred a tart, Lady Elisabeth?\" \"No, no, that isn't it. It feels as though I can't tell up from down.\" Assailed by another headache, Elisabeth pressed down on her forehead. Now that she thought about it, everything was just downright bizarre. Her memories felt like they flowed into one another, but there were no logical links among them. They seemed to defy not just time, but space as well. As they watched her start brooding over the subject, Kaito and Hina exchanged a glance. They stepped back from the table. Then they crouched down and started whispering to each other. \"Did she say that she wanted a tart, and not purin? Am I just misremembering it?\" \"If I may be so bold, I'm quite sure she said purin... But you have to remember, Lady Elisabeth is a growing girl. It's not strange for her tastes to change from day to day. Not to worry, though\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwe have plenty of apples, so I can go start making a tart right this moment!\" \"Wait, what? Elisabeth's still growing?\" \"Oh yes! Why, she'll probably end up being as big as me!\" \"Are you talking about my chest or my height over there?\" At that point, Elisabeth couldn't help but cut in. It was a matter of some interest to her. Kaito leaped in place. \"Oh God, she could hear us.\" Hina cheerfully raised her arm up high. \"Your height!\" \"Very well, then!\" \"Huh? Wait, but if Elisabeth grows as tall as Hina, won't that make me the shortest one? This is bull.\" Kaito began quietly grumbling. Elisabeth considered poking fun at him but quickly thought better of it. She didn't want Hina scolding her and telling her that it wasn't nice to tease guys about their height. And besides, this was no time for snark, not when she still didn't know what was going on. Elisabeth turned back to the earthenware pot. Its lid seemed to have a sort of larger-than-life presence. EAT ME, it was saying. This is what appeared in the silver bowl's place... Elisabeth reached out again, but this time, she actually took off the top. When she did, the jiggly yellow purin within came into view. With the lid removed, the sweet smell of milk, eggs, and sugar was free to permeate the air unobstructed. Kaito and Hina started loudly chattering. \"Hey, looks like it came out pretty all right.\" \"Just what I'd expect from you, Master Kaito! Your powers of creation rival even God's!\" For some reason, hearing that comment filled Elisabeth with annoyance. That aside, though, purin was food. A dessert. That was an undeniable fact. And as such, it would be absurd for her not to eat it. She slowly picked up her spoon and plunged it into the purin's soft surface, scooping up a spoonful that was syrupy and droopy on the sides. Its texture was as splendid as always. She carefully lifted it up. Then she popped it in her mouth. \"Hey, she ate it.\" \"Hooray!\" \"Mm, mm, mm, mmph.\" What Elisabeth had tried to say was Why are you two getting excited? Due to the spoon in her mouth, though, the words came out all muffled. This time, she could taste it like normal, and its sweet flavor filled her mouth. The dish had a full-bodied aroma, just as it was supposed to. Its deliciousness had a rustic simplicity to it, yet at the same time, the way it melted in her mouth was unlike anything else she'd ever eaten. It was hard to believe that such a sublime dish had come from such a foolish servant. Now that she thought about it, though, she remembered that purin was the only thing Kaito had been able to make properly. Wait, had been? Not was? Elisabeth raised an eyebrow a smidgen. However, she didn't let her discomfort stop her from moving her spoon. For whatever reason, Kaito and Hina were watching her with bated breath. She couldn't exactly stop now. Eventually, the spoon met the bottom of the pot. With great vigor, Elisabeth scraped up the final bite. \"Ooooh.\" \"Aaaaah.\" \"As I said, what in the world is it that you two find so riveting about this?\" When Elisabeth shot her quip at them, though, they responded with a round of applause. They clearly weren't listening to a word she said. It defied explanation. However, it was also kind of nice. She held her spoon up and struck a proud pose. When she looked back down at the mouthful of purin atop the spoon, though, she froze. Sitting on the smooth utensil\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthere was something small and white. \"...A rabbit?\" A white rabbit. The white rabbit had a matter-of-fact look on its face, and it was carrying a pocket watch. Both of the watch's hands, long and short, were pointing straight at twelve. And Elisabeth knew. The appointed time had come long, long ago. Days gone past would never return. And though the rabbit didn't look like it was talking, it was. It opened its mouth wide\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand from inside, darkness came\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dDown Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down Down. Down. Alice fell down a very deep hole. \"Welcome, Elisabeth. Welcome to Wonderland.\" Elisabeth could hear a young girl. She was saying something about \"Wonderland.\" But Elisabeth couldn't see a thing. Everything around her was pitch-black. Lying on her back, Elisabeth cast her gaze in every direction. No matter which way she turned, though, all she was met with was a dark that never seemed to end. The blackness had an oddly stuffy quality to it. It was as though she were surrounded by heavy cloth, like the kind that kept stage wings hidden from the audience. But right when Elisabeth began pondering her situation in earnest, she heard a thump on the floor. The wooden floorboards creaked. Then the noise repeated itself, eventually developing into a sort of pitter-patter. 'Tis the sound of someone running. Specifically, a child's footsteps. They were innocently running laps around Elisabeth. Suddenly, though, she could hear the heels snap together. The resultant silence was nigh deafening. Elisabeth heard someone exhale, then rattle off a quote that sounded like a monologue from a play. \"After all that bouncing around, it's finally time for my debut, Elisabeth! Now, what act is this again? I haven't the faintest, you see. But neither do you, right? In fact, things have gone so far off the rails that nobody, not the actors or the director or even the playwright, can really tell what's going on. And you're also a spectator, so that goes double for you. Say, Elisabeth, isn't it sad? Even here, you're oh-so-very sad... No, actually, maybe that's wrong. After all, this isn't a tragedy so much as it is a farce... Wait, Father, where are we going? Huh? 'This isn't our place to appear,' you say? 'We weren't called for, so we should stand down'? You're ever so kind, Father... Hmm? Wait, hey, don't leave me behind! Wait for me!\" With a peeved cry, the girl pitter-pattered off, then leaped. Right above her, the sound of someone's joints snapping sounded out, and the echo of the girl's footsteps vanished. It would seem that she was dangling off someone's shoulder. The other party's clothes rustled a little as they set off. A short while later, Elisabeth heard a door open in the distance, then close. Silence descended on her once more. Who were those people just now? She didn't know. What she did know, though\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas that she didn't trust them one bit. \"And then just when you thought the still darkness would go on forever...\" \"...Hmm?\" \"...someone showed up with an incongruous hello, hello, hello!\" Elisabeth cocked her head. She could hear someone saying something stupid. There was obviously someone new present in the murk. However, she couldn't see anyone. She strained her eyes and cautiously scanned the darkness. Sure enough, one section of it had an oddly \"occupied\" feel to it. Yet I never heard any footsteps. It was like they had manifested out of thin air. She frowned. However, her concern went unnoticed by her mysterious guest. Intentional or not, they let out a merry cry. \"All righty then, Madam Elisabeth! Time to wake up, hey, hey, hey!\" \"Wake...up? No, hold on, I'm\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Up\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand\u00e2\u20ac\u201dat 'emmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!\" \"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!\" A shout that sounded like some sort of strange bird echoed through the air. Sensing danger, Elisabeth leaped to her feet, then rolled forward and opened her eyes. After, she shot a glance backward. Behind her, there was a scaly leg with gleaming claws resting atop a crack in the stone floor. The force of the kick had split open the ground where she'd been just moments ago. The perpetrator of this powerful attack let out a small breath. However, that wasn't to say Elisabeth actually saw them do so. The thing was, their entire mouth was hidden by the darkness beneath their hood. The man, concealed from head to toe in a tattered cloak, struck a pose. \"Phew... That there was my Butcher's Knockout Alarm-Clock Kick\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand brilliantly executed, if I do say so myself!\" \"You never possessed any such technique!\" Elisabeth couldn't help but shout back at the top of her lungs. The Butcher just stood there with his bag on his shoulder and his finger pointing at the sky. It was unclear if he'd even heard her. She turned toward his majestic back and gave him a piece of her mind. \"And besides, was your aim to wake me or to kill me?! The latter makes the former quite a challenge, I'll have you know! You're inscrutable, illogical, and baffling to boot! Cough, cough.\" \"Willing to even sacrifice your throat to deliver cutting jabs and comebacks... You never fail to impress, Madam Elisabeth. You're an artist through and through.\" \"And don't go accusing people of bizarre forms of artistry, either! Cough, cough, cough.\" Elisabeth lapsed into a heavy fit of coughing. It had been quite a while since the last time she strained her voice that much. Before her, a nostalgic figure\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Butcher\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhopped up and down in an excessive show of good cheer. Elisabeth sat cross-legged"}, {"text": "and decided to stop paying so much heed to his antics. The bare stone floor was cold on her legs. Curious as to where she was, she glanced around. It was a small, cramped room with little in the way of furniture save for the bed beside her. The bed had a simple design but was high-quality all the same. Over on the stone wall, there were magically reinforced knives embedded in a map. It was a room she was well familiar with. After all, it was the Torture Princess's own bedroom. Instead of the bed, though, she seemed to have been lying atop the floor. \"Why am I down here? Or no, rather...what exactly is going on?\" \"Hyah!\" \"Hmm?\" All of a sudden, the Butcher leaped. Elisabeth watched him as he landed on the wall, scuttled across it, and plucked a knife out from the map. He then landed back on the floor, pulled an apple from his sleeve, and began peeling it. There clearly hadn't been any actual need for him to crawl across the wall. Elisabeth gave him a skeptical glance. \"Peel, p-peel peel, peel peel peel.\" \"...What exactly do you think you're doing?\" \"Hoh-hoh-hoh, I'm peeling an apple.\" \"Well, yes, I can see that.\" \"Your cough got me worried, Madam Elisabeth! And so I thought, why not serve you this delicious, juicy apple?! And for dessert, I can make you some meat!\" \"You seem to have your dessert and your entr\u00c3\u00a9e switched up there.\" Elisabeth was starting to tire of having to play the straight man. The Butcher gave her a wordless thumbs-up. In translation, that probably meant Exactly! The skepticism in Elisabeth's glance grew, and silence descended on them. Round and round the apple went in the Butcher's hand as he peeled it. The long strip of red skin traced a path through the air that seemed almost preordained. As she watched it wind like a snake, Elisabeth let out a quiet murmur. \"Say, Butcher.\" \"What is it, Madam Elisabeth? Ah, could it be that you'd like me to cut it into a bunny shape for you?\" \"Why? Why betray us?\" The skin snapped. However, its descent was cut short. As the red peel fluttered in a downward spiral, the Butcher snagged it by the end. He spun it like he was playing with a toy, its red exterior and white interior turning and turning and turning again. \"...It doesn't mean much, asking that 'here' and 'now.'\" His voice was a soft whisper. Strangely, though, his tone was calm. He continued rotating the apple skin as he went on. \"Asking 'me' is no different from turning to a mirror and asking your own reflection. Asking yourself a question meant for another will leave you forever seeking a reply, and asking yourself a question with no right answer is the first step toward having your heart break for good... I agonized over the same thing myself, you know. Why did she appoint me as her apostle?\" \"...Butcher.\" Round and round the spiral turned. Then out of the blue, the Butcher released it, then dropped the apple itself in turn. Its bare white flesh spun slowly as it drifted through the air, silently passing through the space that was separating Elisabeth and the Butcher. He was standing on the other side of that apple. Elisabeth directed a faint smile at that hidden face of his. \"That was a falsehood, no?\" \"How very right. Or at least, just 'not a truth'... I'm sure even you realize, Madam Elisabeth\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe 'real me' never agonized over anything of the sort.\" \"Probably not, no... No, you didn't, no doubt. What a repugnant thought. You didn't even bother thinking; you just accepted your lot as a sacrificial pawn. Idiot.\" With zero warning, Elisabeth stuck out her arm and snatched the falling apple out of the air. Then with a chomp, she bit into it and began violently chewing its flesh. The Butcher said nothing. Elisabeth kept eating, spitting out seeds as she went. The small black lumps fell to the floor. Then she wiped her juice-covered mouth. \"Why, you might well be the biggest idiot I know. What kind of fool spreads seeds of evil through the world he claims to love so dearly?\" \"This kind of fool, I suppose. I'm not proud of it, you know. But 'in their heart of hearts, everyone has just one thing that truly matters to them,' so it's not like I had much choice in the matter.\" The Butcher quietly nodded. Elisabeth clicked her tongue as she ruminated on his words. \"In their heart of hearts, everyone has just one thing that truly matters to them.\" It sounded as though they'd come from someone else. When she finished eating the apple, she tossed its core over her shoulder. It smacked into the wall and fell to the floor. After turning to face the Butcher once more, she narrowed her eyes in irritation. \"And one more thing. About me.\" \"Yes? What might that be?\" \"I think I've come to understand.\" \"Come to understand what, might I ask?\" The Butcher cocked his head. Elisabeth closed her eyes and turned her gaze upward. Then she shifted her weight and collapsed back into empty space. But before she could fall, her head struck something. She was reclining against something hard, smooth, and cold. \"What 'this world' is.\" The Butcher offered her no response. Even with her eyes closed, Elisabeth knew. He was gone\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dnowhere to been seen. Tick, tock... Tick-tock... Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock... Ti-ti-ti-ti\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Creeeeeee\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201deeeak! \"...For in short, that is what your existence amounts to.\" As Elisabeth finished her murmur, she sat up straight and slowly opened her eyes. As she expected, there were two people smiling before her. \"Oh hey, Elisabeth's up.\" \"And a very good morning to you, Lady Elisabeth! Did you sleep well?\" \"Kaito. Hina.\" She was back in the dining hall. She realized now that she was sitting atop a cabriole-legged chair. As for the other two, Kaito was standing on a wooden stepladder, and Hina was holding it steady. For whatever reason, they seemed to be decorating the walls. After Kaito finished sticking some ribbons up by the ceiling, Hina passed him a handful of artificial flowers. The way they looked working together was so sickeningly adorable, Elisabeth could hardly bear to watch. She shot them a question. \"So what in the world are you two doing?\" \"Huh? We're getting ready for your third-year anniversary party as captain of the Peace Brigade\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat else?\" \"Master Kaito wanted to surprise you, and I was in full support!\" \"Yes, well, that's all very nice, Hina. But it hardly seems like much of a surprise if you do the preparations in front of me, does it?\" \"I mean, you're not wrong.\" \"In fact, I would go so far as to say that Lady Elisabeth is right.\" Kaito and Hina crossed their arms contemplatively. Hina aside, it was odd not having Kaito play the straight man. As a collective married unit, though, they definitely fell on the other end of that particular spectrum. Elisabeth pondered how best to respond. After giving the matter some thought, Kaito finally spoke. \"But at the end of the day, you wouldn't want us decorating the dining hall and inviting people over without your say-so, right?\" \"Aye, that would be a problem indeed.\" Elisabeth nodded. It was a legitimate concern. Plus, if he hadn't checked in ahead of time, there was a risk that Elisabeth would be busy meeting with an envoy from the Church or something on the day of the event. Kaito had clearly put some thought into the matter. However, Elisabeth cocked her head anyway. \"Wait, you said something about guests? It's not just you two\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou invited others?\" \"Hey, this is a big deal! It's been three whole years since you got a job besides just fighting demons! We even handwrote invitations and everything.\" \"Don't worry, Lady Elisabeth, you won't have to do a thing! Hospitality is a specialty of mine! Plus, we made sure to stock the wine cellar beforehand, and I prepared plenty of food!\" \"My my, it's so lively in here. Look at you all, innocent as babes. I must say, I'm impressed with your ability to maintain such dogged interest in this world.\" Suddenly, Elisabeth heard a deep voice that was as smooth as butter. She frowned. As Kaito fiddled with the artificial flowers' placement, he fired a casual response back. \"Vlaaad? You being snide over there?\" \"Perish the thought! This is sarcasm, snide's softer cousin!\" Elisabeth jerked her head to the left. Sitting brazenly beside her was a man dressed in an aristocratic coat. His was a face she'd seen not long ago. Elisabeth wrung a strained question out of her throat. \"And what exactly are you doing here, you lout?\" \"Ha-ha-ha! I wasn't expecting a warm reception by any means, but even so, that's quite the cold shoulder you're giving me, my dear. The fact of the matter is, here is where I am. There's little to be done for it.\" \"No, but why\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Come now, think about it. I've always been an obstinate one, if I do say so myself. Even death wasn't enough to get rid of me. And that's why I'm still here\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbecause that's the way you perceive me. You understand what I'm getting at, I assume?\" Vlad shrugged. After a short silence, Elisabeth nodded. In other words, that was just the kind of person she saw him as. She slumped back in her chair. \"I see. Then I suppose that's that, then.\" \"So it is. It's not like I'm here by choice, after all. Like it or not, here I am... I will remind you, though, that the world of man is full of pointless trivialities. Enjoying them is what makes us human. Our species' very existence is rooted in absurdity.\" \"See, now you're just spouting nonsense.\" \"Ha-ha. I see you won't be tricked quite so easily. You're a sharp one, my precious. If my dear successor were in your place, I'd have you fooled backward and forward by now. He really could stand to be a bit more of a skeptic.\" \"I can hear you, y'know,\" Kaito grumbled in annoyance. Now that he had finished putting up the fake flowers, he started descending the stepladder. Halfway down, though, he stopped in place and glanced at Hina. She was standing expectantly by with her arms spread wide. Without missing a beat, Kaito leaped into them. She caught him and spun him round and round. As always, the pair never missed a chance to flirt. \"Ha-ha-ha, Hina, Hinaaaaa!\" \"Hee-hee-hee, Master Kaito, Master Kaitooooo!\" \"By the way, those two have been like that this whole time, so it's taken them ages to get anything done.\" \"Aye, I don't doubt it for a moment.\" \"Expected as it may be, I must say, it's a most inefficient way of working. And I'm not sayin' that 'cause I'm jealous or anything, mind you!\" The voice that rang out seemed somehow puppetlike, yet at the same time, it was strangely obnoxious. Elisabeth looked up. Long, honey-blond hair fluttered at the entrance to the dining hall. It would seem that the first guest\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad arrived a little early. The girl\u00e2\u20ac\u201dJeanne de Rais\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad a golden beauty to her. Elisabeth glanced her over from top to bottom. Then she nodded and spoke in dispassionate tone. \"...Jeanne. It's a trivial thing, I'll admit, but this is ostensibly a banquet. Could you not have come in normal clothes or, at the very least, covered a bit more skin up?\" \"You say 'normal,' but to me, this outfit is normal. And besides, isn't your outfit much the same as mine? You look just as much like a flasher as I do, lady!\" \"See, you're even aware that you look like a flasher. Go and get yourself dressed up a little.\" Jeanne was wearing the same obscene bondage dress as always. Only mages"}, {"text": "possessed garments woven from pure magic like that, but even in the Capital, it was highly irregular for them to wear it when they weren't on duty. Jeanne did have a point, though. Elisabeth's outfit had a bit more cloth to it than hers, but on the whole, they were still exceedingly similar. That said, this was Elisabeth's castle\u00e2\u20ac\u201deven she had the decorum to put on a regular dress when she headed out in public. As such, she decided to ignore her own hypocrisy. Jeanne crossed her arms in annoyance. \"I must say, that really isn't any of your business. And besides, I came not as a guest but to help set up. C'mon, anyone coulda figured out that those two dumb-asses would be wasting the day away gigglin' and gagglin' at each other! And plus, callin' this a banquet? Get off your fuckin' high horse!\" \"Dressing up\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnow there's an idea. I think that's a wonderful suggestion.\" Suddenly, a dignified voice cut in. Jeanne froze, then quickly straightened her posture. Footsteps could be heard echoing from the entrance to the dining hall. When Elisabeth cast her gaze in that direction once more, she was greeted with the sight of an alabaster beauty. The comforting voice continued: \"After all, Jeanne, it would be a shame to waste that beauty of yours. I'm sure you would look stunning in a formal dress... We did leave separately, but even so, it was my oversight as well. Next time, I'll be sure to get you something nice to wear.\" \"Yes. No. Yes.\" \"Well, don't go panicking, now.\" Elisabeth tried to calm Jeanne down, but it was clearly an exercise in futility. Jeanne wasn't very familiar with the subtleties of her own emotions, and her romantic experience was more or less nonexistent. In other words, having her first love, Izabella Vicker, say something like that to her had proven instantly lethal. As Izabella took her spot by Jeanne's still-frozen side, Kaito and Hina finally noticed their new visitors. \"Hmm?\" \"Oh?\" The two of them had stopped spinning a little while ago. Still holding each other tight, they looked up in unison. Kaito let out an excited shout. \"Jeanne, Izabella, you made it! And so early, too!\" \"Of course. We would hardly turn away such an invitation, much less coming from you. But we owe all three of you a great debt; it hardly feels right being treated as guests. If you don't mind, I'd love to help out however I can. But first, Hi\u00e2\u20ac\u201drather, Mrs. Sena, this is for you.\" \"Oh, what lovely flowers! That's so thoughtful of you!\" \"I do hope they're to your liking. I'm glad I could do my part to add some color to the banquet.\" Izabella offered Hina the bouquet she was holding, and Hina took it with a warm smile. It was composed of lilies paired with a new type of flower bred by the beastfolk, and they were arranged in a beautiful silver-and-white composition. Their thin stems were adorned with countless little florets that shone like stars. As Hina buried the tip of her nose in the bouquet, Izabella smiled gently. \"Ah, it sets off your lovely hair just the way I hoped it would. I imagine it would look nice next to Elisabeth's dark hair, too.\" \"Hey! Izabella! Quit trying to seduce my wife!\" Izabella and Hina stared blankly at Kaito. A moment later, Hina's face went bright red. Words spilled out of her lips as fast as her mouth could make them. \"O-oh, no, no, no, I'm sure Ms. Izabella didn't have any such intentions, and even if she did, my gears would fall out and stop before I fell for anyone other than you, but even so, Master Kaito, were you being jealous just now? Was that jealousy? Eek! Thank you, God, for this blessing! My heart's beating so hard that it feels like it might become an inferno that turns all creation to ash!\" \"Th-this is a misunderstanding, Sir Kaito! I wasn't doing anything of the sort! It's not just your wife\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI do this for all sorts of people! To comfort wounded knights, and to welcome new recruits! And besides, I thought they would set off your strong-willed eyes as well!\" As Hina wriggled and squirmed with glee, Izabella hurriedly explained herself. Kaito couldn't help but massage his temples. Satisfied with her answer, he nodded. \"All right, I get what's going on now... You've got, like, bucket-loads of secret admirers among the other paladins, don't you?\" \"Wh-what? Secret admirers?\" \"Yeah, I figure you've got plenty of guys and girls who're totally head over heels for you,\" he continued. \"H-head over heels?\" Elisabeth nodded in agreement. \"Aye, I concur. I can picture it with remarkable ease.\" \"Right?\" Kaito quipped. Elisabeth thought about it. Over the years, the Church had been home to more than its fair share of corruption, and on top of that, many paladins had lost their lives in the battles against the Torture Princess and Vlad's demon army. How beautiful must their young commander have looked, carrying out her duties amid all that madness? Plus, not only did she comport herself with dignity and grace, but the frank manner in which she spoke also made it easy for people to fall for her as well. If you excluded the reconstruction sect, her approval rating among the paladins was probably through the roof. And that wasn't even getting into the other exceptional someone whom she had head over heels for her. \"And I gotta say, there's something really cool about an attractive woman dressed in a sharp\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Ow, ow, ow!\" \"How rude. Please revise that.\" Jeanne, the golden Torture Princess and Exhibit A of people who were head over heels for Izabella, reached over and grabbed Kaito by the hair knot. Her expression was downright sullen. Izabella, for her part, was still flustered from the earlier exchange. Just as Kaito was in the middle of saying, Izabella was dressed to the nines. Instead of her usual armor, she was wearing a slender dress suit. Its white jacket and trousers were designed to be worn by a woman, but they also would have looked just as spiffy on a man as well, a fact that accentuated Izabella's androgynous appeal. She was a beauty through and through. However, Kaito didn't get a chance to finish his compliment. He frantically apologized as Jeanne pulled harder and harder on his hair. \"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow... J-Jeanne, you gotta tone down the bloodlust back there! It was my bad, okay! I know she's your first love and all, and I probably said too much... Ow, ow, ow!\" \"I'm just glad you understand, mister. That saves us both quite a lot of time. You know what you gotta say now, don'cha?\" By the time she was done speaking, Jeanne's tone had grown downright murderous. Cold sweat trickled down Kaito's back. That said, they were in front of both Izabella and Hina, so there was probably a limit to how bad things could get. As far as Elisabeth went, though, the only help she offered was warmly noting, \"You seem to be in quite a pinch.\" Kaito raised his hands in surrender. \"Uh, I...I'm sorry?\" \"No. I'm not looking for an apology. Like always, your head's as full of mush as a cat in a sunbeam! Just cotton and fuzz from one ear to the next!\" \"Wait, then...what?\" \"Hmm,\" added Elisabeth. \"I haven't the slightest, either.\" \"Elisabeth, you know I'm your servant, right? So when I'm in danger, you're supposed to come help me.\" \"Not my problem, best of luck, et cetera, et cetera.\" Elisabeth's reply was decidedly aloof. Suddenly, Kaito noticed that Hina and Izabella had wandered off to get a vase for the flowers before they could wilt. If he had been in any actual danger, Hina would have intervened long ago. In other words, he didn't need to fear for his life at the moment. Well, probably. Jeanne curled the corners of her mouth ever so slightly as she spoke. \"Are you listening, mister? I'll only say this once. So clean out that shit in your ears and listen up!\" \"I'm listening, I'm listening!\" \"My fair lady...\" Jeanne took a deep breath, a rare human mannerism for the golden Torture Princess to display. Kaito, Elisabeth, and even Vlad listened intently. Then Jeanne spoke with barely concealed fervor. \"...isn't just cool, but adorable. Adorable, I tells ya!\" \"Wait, that's it? That's the bit you wanted me to revise?\" \"Also, why repeat it twice?\" Elisabeth asked. \"I suppose she thought it was just that important,\" Vlad replied. The three of them were all well and truly bewildered. Jeanne, expressionless as ever, bobbed her head up and down. Apparently, that was enough to satisfy her. At some point, she had also released Kaito's hair. Grateful for that stroke of fortune, Kaito beat a hasty retreat. That was when it happened. \"Huh?\" A black blur\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dshot toward him like a bullet. \"Up\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand\u00e2\u20ac\u201dat 'emmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!\" \"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!\" A shout that sounded like some sort of strange bird echoed through the air. Then the black blur\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat is, the hunk of bone-in meat\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsmashed directly into Kaito's face. Fearing an enemy raid, Izabella reached for the rapier hanging from her waist. However, her puzzlement quickly won out over her concern. People didn't normally use bone-in meat for launching surprise attacks, after all. The force of the blow nearly caused Kaito to topple over, but Hina quickly rushed over and caught him from behind. After gently lowering his head down onto her lap, she spoke indignantly. \"Come on now, Mr. Butcher, you can't attack Master Kaito by surprise like that! I'm very close to being quite cross with you!\" \"Wait, why're you giving me a lap pillow?\" \"Hello, hello, hello, Ms. Lovely Maid! My deepest apologies! I was just so giddy about being invited to this banquet, I couldn't help myself! Hello, hello, hello, Madam Elisabeth!\" \"Quite,\" Elisabeth replied. \"Oh yes, and congratulations on your third-year anniversary as whatsit of the Something-Something Brigade!\" \"Why is it that your attention to detail always fails at the most inopportune times?\" Elisabeth grumbled. Meanwhile, Kaito shook off the shock from being struck by the raw meat and made to sit up. As he did, though, his gaze met Hina's, and he stopped in place. Then the two of them exchanged a loving embrace. Elisabeth and Vlad offered up some bemused commentary. \"No, but...why?\" \"It's nice that they get along so well, I suppose, but it does seem to be getting in the way of the rest of their lives.\" Meanwhile, the Butcher spun like a top and made his way into the dining hall proper. Upon reaching the table, though, he came to an abrupt stop. He looked up at Vlad and went silent for a little bit. After reconsidering the matter, though, he gave him a big thumbs-up. \"And a fine hello to you as well, Sir Vlad!\" \"After contemplating as best you could how to act toward me, that's what you ended up with? I think we can dispense with this strained geniality. I'm a more tolerant man than I look, but even I have my limits.\" Vlad smiled cheerfully as he rested his chin on his hands and elegantly crossed his legs. In contrast to his demeanor, though, his voice dripped with outright hostility. On hearing their exchange, Elisabeth was reminded of something. That's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dVlad and the Butcher share a karmic bond. The Butcher was the one who'd given Vlad the First Demon's meat. However, that, too, had been part of the Saint's plan, and during Ragnarok, Vlad had made no secret of his fury at having been used as a pawn. I know not how they met, nor how their relationship developed from there. But Vlad clearly didn't appreciate being used. I've no doubt he harbors harsh feelings toward the Butcher. On hearing Vlad's comment, the Butcher lowered his hand. However, it would appear that he"}, {"text": "planned to just pretend like he hadn't heard anything. Instead, he whistled and meandered away. After making his way over to Hina, he quickly hid behind her back. When he spoke next, it was from the shadow of her maid outfit. \"Ah, that reminds me! On my way here, I spotted a group who looked to be guests as well! I imagine they'll be here any moment!\" \"There are guests yet to come? Who?\" Elisabeth furrowed her brow. However, her answer arrived quicker than she expected. Down the hall, she could make out a group of boisterous voices. \"Vice-Captain Lute...I know it's a bit late to be asking this, but are you really sure it's all right for us to let ourselves in?\" \"As far as Sir Kaito told me, it should be fine. Although I must admit, I didn't expect for us to get chased by a walking suit of armor the moment we came inside... Now, I think it was somewhere around...here?\" \"Lute!\" \"Sir Kaito! Madam Hina! Captain Elisabeth!\" Kaito sat up from his spot on Hina's lap, and Lute let out a cry of delight. He ran over, and the two of them exchanged a light fist bump\u00e2\u20ac\u201da symbol, perhaps, of how beastfolk-human relations had improved over the past years. Kaito thanked him for showing up. \"I'm so glad you could make it! Wasn't it hard on you, having everyone take the day off at once?\" \"Ha-ha-ha, not in the least. Our Lady Valisisa Ula Forstlast's magnanimity knows no bounds! And besides, there aren't nearly as many incidents these days as there were three years ago. Taking a day off like this is nothing! And that, too, is thanks to our captain's undying efforts.\" The rest of the Peace Brigade members nodded in agreement. Despite their praise, though, Elisabeth frowned. The image of a regal beastfolk woman flashed through her mind. \"Valisisa Ula Forstlast...\" The name carried a heavy nostalgia with it. It would appear that Valisisa was in good health, and La Christoph was probably carrying out his duties in the Capital like normal as well, praying and believing in God while accepting the love of the people. Elisabeth closed her mouth without finishing her sentence. Her Peace Brigade subordinates let out cries of relief at having finally found the dining hall. It was clear that they'd gotten lost in the castle's vast corridors. After a few of them handed Hina small gifts as thanks for inviting them, they all got to work removing their armor, revealing the layered formal wear beneath. Each of their chests was decorated with colorful tail feathers. Even in times of peace, it was exceedingly rare for a beastfolk soldier to take off their armor. It was a sign of their utmost trust in the castle's owner. They lined up in front of Elisabeth and saluted. However, they then paused. \"Um...Captain?\" \"I've a fair guess at what you wish to ask, but go on, say it.\" \"Is there somewhere you'd like us to put these gifts?\" The beastfolk gestured to the packages they were all carrying. Some were wrapped bundles of cloth, and others were covered baskets, but every one of them was impressively large. Still seated, Elisabeth let out a small sigh. \"This isn't a child's birthday party, you know. I appreciate the sentiment, aye, but surely, there was no need to bring that much! 'Tis excessive!\" \"We're sorry, Captain... We just got to thinking about how much you always like to eat, and we got a little carried away.\" \"Wait...you mean to say... That isn't all food, is it?\" Elisabeth reflexively leaned forward in her chair. The Brigade members meekly nodded. \"Just what kind of image is it you have of me?!\" she cried, turning her gaze up toward the ceiling. Then she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked to her side. There, she saw a beastwoman with a goat head. \"I'm sorry for interrupting your lament, but might I have a moment, Madam Elisabeth?\" \"Ain? What is it?\" Ain, Lute's talented wife, was wearing a modest gray dress. She gestured with her chin. Elisabeth looked and discovered that Kaito and Lute were surreptitiously peeking their way. Ain lowered her voice. \"Just now, Sir Kaito and my husband came to me with a request. It's a special occasion, so they were really hoping that all the women would dress up. I'm here to help with that. Do you have a wardrobe room somewhere?\" \"Hold on. Jeanne is one thing, but they want me to change, too? What a pain.\" \"Everyone's gotten on board, even me,\" replied Jeanne. \"As the star of the show, what are you waiting for? If you don't get ready, nothing can start, and nothing can end. The thing is, see, I gotta go get changed so a certain lovely lady'll tell me I look cute! Get a move on!\" \"I see it didn't take much to win you over.\" Nobody could have possibly imagined that the self-proclaimed \"oppressor of slaves, the savior of the world, the saint, and the whore\" would ever get so thoroughly domesticated. Elisabeth sighed in exasperation. A thought crossed her mind. If I don't get ready, nothing can start, and nothing can end, eh? There was some truth to that. Elisabeth nodded, and her heels clicked as she set off. Accompanied by Ain and Jeanne, she headed out into the corridor. The moment she left the dining hall, it went dead silent. It was as though nobody had even been there in the first place. However, Elisabeth pretended not to notice that. Tick, tock... Tick-tock... Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock... Ti-ti-ti-ti\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dti...tick...? Of the castle's many rooms, one of them was where Elisabeth kept various garments. Inside, it was a veritable sea of cloth. There were whites as white as snow, blacks as black as night, reds as red as roses, and blues as blue as the sky. Processed fabrics of every quality and texture had been haphazardly shoved inside. The room seemed to go on forever, yet at the same time, it felt as cramped as a box of sweets. Either way, though, it was an odd state of affairs. The thing was, Elisabeth didn't own anywhere near that many dresses. In fact, the wardrobe room had originally held mostly outfits for her servants. At that point, though, an irregularity that minor hardly even warranted notice. After all, nothing about the situation\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dcould be described as anything approaching normal. Hina hadn't accompanied them to the wardrobe room. Because of how early the guests had arrived, she was still in the middle of setting the table. Lute and the rest of the beastfolk had offered their services and were helping carry various plates to and fro. As she directed them around, Hina had offered Elisabeth a wave. Her warm smile was the last thing Elisabeth had seen before departing the area. Now Elisabeth was facing off against a seemingly endless assortment of dresses. Beside her, Jeanne let out a faint murmur. \"Man, I ain't got a fuckin' clue what to pick.\" \"Hey now, best not omit the polite bits entirely.\" Elisabeth shot Jeanne a warning. If Izabella were there to hear her, she'd probably have gotten upset and scolded Jeanne for her foul language. However, Jeanne proceeded to cock her head to the side. It would appear she actually didn't know what would be best to pick. Ain took that as her cue to briskly step forward. She spread her arms with the mountain of clothes laid out behind her. \"Now then... It looks like answer is no, but I'll ask anyway\u00e2\u20ac\u201ddo either of you have anything specific in mind?\" \"No. I'm up shit creek here, lady! How the hell does everyone else pick out their own clothes like it's nothing?!\" \"I haven't anywhere near the patience to look through that mass. I'm more than happy to delegate the selection to you. I'd prefer something extravagant, though, with bold lines and clean cuts.\" \"Ah...something to my lady's preference would be nice, actually.\" \"Something flashy and something trim, then. Very well. One moment.\" Ain strode forward, her expression as composed as ever. The other two watched as she descended into the sea of cloth. It was like a fish vanishing into a wave, or perhaps a honeybee slipping into a rose. The soft folds of fabric conformed to her shape, then went still again. Elisabeth and Jeanne waited in solemn silence. A few minutes later, the two of them shared a quiet exchange. \"...This is taking quite a while.\" \"It really is. Fuckin' hell.\" \"Sorry about the wait.\" Ain popped her head out of an opening in the mass of dresses. Elisabeth and Jeanne practically leaped out of their skin. Just as promised, she was holding a pair of dresses. The other two each took their proffered item. Elisabeth turned hers inside out, then nodded. \"Aye, not bad.\" \"Yes, mine looks good as well. I'm gonna be the belle of the goddamn ball!\" Jeanne seemed to have taken quite a liking to hers. The main dress was golden, and it was adorned with a number of pieces of faintly gleaming cloth, which were layered atop it. On its back sat a ribbon in the shape of a flower. And as for Elisabeth's dress, it was black with crimson highlights and had suggestive openings on its sides. Upon seeing their expressions, Ain nodded. \"Now, finding those took a good deal of time, so let's be nimble and quick about getting you into them.\" \"You know, I can't help but think...\" \"Yes, me too. I've got a baaad feelin' about this.\" Elisabeth and Jeanne were no strangers to corsets and tightened belts. Even so, though, the way the skilled healer in front of them looked to be itching to go was enough to strike fear into both of their hearts. But it was Ain's next words, and the unsettlingly cheerful tone she said them in, that truly sealed the deal. \"You're both in good health, but I can see you've let that keep you from learning to take proper care of your bodies. Let's see if we can't get those joints moving a little.\" The two of them were both Torture Princesses. As such, chirotherapy was a sensation yet unknown to them. Elisabeth and Jeanne tried frantically to flee. Before they could get far, though, Ain snatched Jeanne by the shoulder, and Jeanne replied by quickly grabbing Elisabeth's wrist in kind. \"H-hey, Jeanne! Don't get me wrapped up in this! Unhand me!\" \"Never! If I'm goin' down, you're comin' down with me!\" \"Making more victims is never the answer!\" \"Don't worry,\" Ain reassured them. \"When it starts hurting, just raise your left hand.\" \"By that phrasing, you make it sound as though pain is a presumption!\" \"W-wait, no, I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI said 'wait,' goddammiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!\" Jeanne's shrill cry echoed across the sea of cloth. The two Torture Princesses both let out rare screams, then were quickly silenced. Tick, tock... Tick-tock... Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock... Ti-ti-ti-ti\u00e2\u20ac\u201d ...Tick? T-tick? \"I-I've never been through such a harrowing experience in all my days.\" \"So much clicking and clacking and snapping and popping... Who knew bones could even bend like that?\" \"Now, I hope this will serve as a reminder to the both of you to take regular care of your bodies. If I don't see some improvement, next time is going to have to involve a medicinal bath.\" \"Heavens, woman, what do you intend on doing to us next? What more could you possibly ask of our poor bodies?\" Elisabeth and Jeanne clung to each other and trembled. Ain's nails were sharp, but her fingers were nimble enough to perform all sorts of minute movements. Never before had the two of them cursed the beastfolk's digital evolution so much. \"Welcome back! Oh, Lady Elisabeth, Ms. Jeanne, you look splendid! Those dresses fit you so well! They're splendid! Lady Elisabeth, you're like a gleaming jewel! And, Ms. Jeanne, you're like a"}, {"text": "lovely little flower! If the world could speak, it would boast of both your beauties to all creation!\" \"Mmm, 'tis a most pleasant way to be complimented.\" Hina hopped up and down before Elisabeth like an excitable puppy. Elisabeth nodded. That alone made all the strain and suffering she'd endured worth it. Kaito, who was in the middle of carrying a set of wine bottles with Lute and the others, stopped in his tracks. Then he rushed over to Elisabeth and let out a cry of astonishment. \"Hey, that looks nice on you! See, I told you it'd be good to try wearing a normal dress every now and again.\" \"Your compliment is perfunctory at best. I give it failing marks.\" \"Why?! I said you look nice!\" he shot back, flustered. At present, Elisabeth's slender frame was clad all in black, with her two arms bare at her sides. Her collar was so low that it exposed her collarbone, and she had a crimson shawl draped around her neck. She looked bewitching, yet at the same time, strangely ephemeral. \"You think a pedestrian word like nice is sufficient to capture the entirety of my refined beauty? Why don't you try that again until you get it right?\" \"Hey, having self-confidence is great and all, but you gotta cut me some slack.\" \"See, I knew it would look good on you!\" Then Elisabeth and Kaito heard a delighted cry. They looked over at its source. Izabella was standing in front of Jeanne, who was standing stiff as a board, and nodding repeatedly. Izabella scooped up a tuft of her full, honey-blond hair in her gloved hand. \"It's just as I thought\u00e2\u20ac\u201da maidenly dress like this truly brings out your beauty. It's so sweet, so charming. And the color goes perfectly with your hair!\" *** \"Oh hey, I guess we finally figured out how to get her to be quiet,\" Kaito commented. \"See, what Izabella gave there was a model compliment. Try taking a lesson from her,\" Elisabeth replied. \"Wouldn't that sound kinda creepy coming from me?\" \"...Ah, true enough.\" Elisabeth nodded deeply, and Hina hopped up and down in front of her. \"That's not true at all! The enchanting words that Master Kaito spins with his honeyed voice are always the finest there can be! Lessons are useless for him because he's been unmatched at compliments since the day he was born! Hmph!\" \"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Hina. You're the cutest, just like always.\" Kaito wrapped Hina in a tight embrace to calm her down. Meanwhile, Izabella took Jeanne by the hand and headed for her seat. The beastfolk, now finished with moving the wine, hurried back to the table as well. Lute theatrically pulled Ain's seat back for her. Vlad hadn't once budged from his seat, and the Butcher was restlessly scattering flower petals around the room. Elisabeth assumed the seat of honor and gazed out over the table. Sitting atop its pearl-gray tablecloth was a fine feast indeed. There was organ pie, a whole roast hen, potherbs of every sort, vegetables in jellies and potages, seafood, myriad desserts, and countless other labor-intensive dishes all arranged in a beautiful spread. And as a finishing touch, the silver and white flowers sat decoratively at their center. Kaito stood by Hina's side, his arm gently wrapped around his wife's back. They leaned toward each other, the very image of bliss, then faced Elisabeth and smiled. \"Congrats, Elisabeth. Good work these last three years.\" \"Congratulations on three years well served, Lady Elisabeth.\" \"Aye, thank you. And thank you, everyone, for coming.\" Elisabeth looked out over the group. All of them were wearing warm smiles on their faces. Kaito and Hina. Izabella and Jeanne. Lute and Ain. Her beastfolk subordinates. The Butcher. Vlad. Everyone was there. How unnaturally convenient. \"...Thank you, truly.\" For a brief moment, Elisabeth closed her eyes. She breathed in a deep breath. Then she clenched her fists and spoke. \"Now then, it seems high time...\" However, she stopped midsentence. She hesitated, unsure if she should continue. She glanced Kaito's way once more, her gaze strangely reminiscent of a child's. Is this for the best? she was asking him. I'm not making a mistake? But Kaito Sena\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201djust returned her gaze\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dsmiling at her like he had once before. And so Elisabeth opened her mouth, emptying her lungs of words and breath alike. To end it all. \"...we put this charade to rest!\" And in that moment, the world was filled\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwith the heavy, heavy ringing of a bell. Creeeeak... Ding-dong... Ding-dong... Ding-dong... Ding-dong Ding\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201ddong D i n g D o n g There was nothing there. And yet at the same time, there was everything. If one was to describe that place, the most apropos comparison would be to a blank white canvas. Or perhaps a completely black canvas. Nothing meaningful was painted atop it. In other words, one could paint over it to their heart's content. It was empty, and it was free. There was nothing there, yet there was everything. That was where Elisabeth now stood. At the spot that lay after the end and before the beginning. By all accounts, nobody should have been there. Mankind had yet to even be born. However, Elisabeth could sense someone behind her. They were still and silent. Not turning around, Elisabeth spoke in a soft whisper. \"I know nothing of this place. And I suspect it isn't just me. Nobody does, save for one exception.\" The list of people who'd witnessed the blank world before the reconstruction was short. In fact, it had but one name on it\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe reconstructor, the one who built the world, who wielded the brush all those lifetimes ago. The Saint. \"This scene was formed from your memories, was it not?\" \"...When did you notice?\" \"Notice what?\" \"That the world laid out before you was all just a fabrication.\" Despite the fact that they were asking a question, the other speaker showed no sign of alarm or confusion. This was an outcome they'd seen coming. Elisabeth looked up at the sky. Everything above her was empty and hollow. There were no clouds, no sun, and no stars. Not even color. It would seem the two of them truly were standing atop the canvas. Below them, it was white, and above them, there was nothing. It was a lonely place. There was no death there. But the world itself had no life. And a world with nothing born unto it was a lonesome place indeed. Elisabeth couldn't help but lower her voice. \"Subconsciously? Since the start, I daresay... But it only truly became clear with the Butcher. That man betrayed us, and he had no regrets. There was no reason for him to ever appear before us again. And that was precisely why I created him\u00e2\u20ac\u201das a method to put my confusion into order.\" In her eyes, that was the role he played. As a person, the Butcher was someone who constantly spouted nonsense yet always held the answers she was looking for. The person behind her didn't reply, leaving Elisabeth's words to echo across the ivory plane. Suddenly, those words materialized, taking on a form as hard and brittle as glass. Then they shattered and vanished into nothing. Even words were alien to a place as empty as this. Like ink spilled in water, they refused to conform, instead getting swept away by some invisible hand. Undeterred by their change, Elisabeth went on. \"This place resembles somewhere else\u00e2\u20ac\u201da dream, spun by a demon. Although, granted, that one was a psychological attack, so the nuance differed somewhat. This place uses memories as its base, and each time I grow suspicious of it, it breaks down and builds itself anew. Thus, the world within can remain gentle forevermore. Ha, what an absurdly convenient dream. Why, if the end of days hadn't come, I'd have been executed. Burned at the stake, as was my destiny.\" Elisabeth clenched her fists. Inside the dream, three years after Ragnarok, everything had fallen into place. Nothing had been lacking, and everything in her life had been good. But no matter how fate had turned, such a world could never really have come to be. \"Kaito was there, and Hina. The Butcher was alive. Jeanne, Izabella, my men\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey were all there as well, and I worked in the beastfolk lands. How could such a place possibly exist?! 'Tis ridiculous! Utter absurdity! Yet exist it did in there.\" Elisabeth bit down on her lip, hard. It had used her memories to temporarily bring about an impossible future. It was like a fictitious castle built out of sand. No matter how many times it fell, it would always come back. But because of that, it was a castle that could never hold a permanent form. \"A sandcastle by the beach. A stage, repeating the same act again and again. A piece of sugar candy, melting away\u00e2\u20ac\u201d'tis too pleasant to be called a nightmare, yet too unsettling to be taken as benevolence. So why? Why call me here?\" The figure behind her didn't move. Elisabeth didn't turn. If they wanted her dead, she would be dead. If she had expressed malice, they would likely have lopped off her limbs. However, they just stood motionless, seemingly bewildered by their own actions. And so Elisabeth pressed on. Without so much as looking at her face. \"Answer me, Saint.\" \"The thing about...dreams, you see...\" The Saint began to answer. Elisabeth closed her eyes as she listened to the woman's strangely childish voice. The Saint went on, as though trying to validate her own intentions. \"I felt that...everyone has the right to dream.\" \"How do you mean?\" \"You bore the burden of the world... Or rather, the people you care about most did. And it fills you with anguish. And so...I, too, would have liked to gaze upon a dream of the time before everything went to ruin.\" At the end, Elisabeth heard a small gasp. That was the wish the Saint had sealed away deep within her heart. It was an insipid, fleeting wish, to be sure. Eventually, Elisabeth let out a short sigh. \"I see. So not quite benevolence, then, but pity. However...\" With her eyes still shut, Elisabeth began walking forward into the darkness. After the first step, though, she felt a pair of hands grab her wrist. Those weren't the Saint's fingers. No, it was a sensation so nostalgic, it almost made her tremble\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe hands of the two people she loved so much, she couldn't stand it. But Elisabeth knew. Those two would never have stopped her there. They would have wanted her to move forward, even if it meant she had to do so alone. It was cruel, without a doubt. Yet even so... Yet even so. \"...I've no need of it. I saw the only dream I need long ago.\" Once, the Torture Princess saw something beautiful. Two beautiful people. They were people who made the world worth saving. \"And I was by their side.\" Now they were gone. Yet even so, there were some things that would never vanish. And so Elisabeth shook off the shadow of her memories and walked. Just like she had walked in front of Kaito when they were trapped in that nightmare long, long ago. Even though this time, there was no one by her side. \"That was enough.\" And with that, she quickened her pace, eventually breaking into a run. Without looking back\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe abandoned the Saint. Ding-dong.........ding-dong......ding-dong......ding-dong......ding-dong......ding-dong Ding-dong It felt like a bell was ringing somewhere. A solemn noise, echoing through the air before vanishing. It was a sound that signaled the end. However, it was probably just a trick of the wind. Or perhaps, without a doubt\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dit came from someone's dream. Elisabeth slowly opened her eyes. She was sitting in a place with no night or day. She glanced about. All around her was purity crafted from snow and water, wind and mana. Above her,"}, {"text": "a rainbow sheen hung in the milky-white sky. The sky had no sun, nor did it have a moon. It was beautiful, but there was nothing there, making its beauty hollow. Delicate snowflakes fell from the sky and piled upon the ground. Two toppled pillars of ivy sat atop the snow. She was at the World's End. The pillars rested in that pure world, corpses of giants lying on top of each other and propping the other up. There was a shrine-like cave where the two pillars met, decorated by the azure and crimson roses that yet dotted the ivy. And that cave was precisely where Elisabeth was sitting. Upon realizing that she was leaning against the crystal, Elisabeth let out a small breath. \"...Ah, I see.\" Even without turning to look, she already knew\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthere were two people sleeping inside that crystal. Their faces no doubt bore the same wordless smiles as always. This was reality. The crystal was cold and hard. The distance that its clear walls separated was slim, yet it was farther than the World's End. Inside, Kaito Sena was slumbering with his bride, bearing the burden of a world that, by all rights, he should have had nothing to do with. Elisabeth reviewed the situation. Mankind had committed a grave sin. Countless people had let themselves be bystanders, and now the mixed-race folk were taking their revenge. The imperial princess had died a noble death, the demi-human had betrayed everything for the people he loved, and the saints' representative had died while still believing in everything and in God. As a result, the living were descending into fear and suspicion, and a new battle was cresting the horizon. This was where Elisabeth had come before the fighting began in earnest. As she sat with her back to the crystal, she must have nodded off. And when she did, she dreamed. It was a long, long dream. She thought back on the words she'd said just before falling asleep. \"Would it not be better for a world such as this simply to end?\" \"Yet even so...\" The words slipped from her mouth. She wasn't going to turn back. And so she whispered to those she'd seen in her dream\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand to the smiles long since lost. \"Yet even so.\" She clenched her fists tight. Then she glared forward, her eyes gleaming like rubies. The battle to determine the world's destiny was beginning. The one that would determine if everyone deserved to live\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dor if everyone deserved to die. A short while later, the bell rang, and the curtain rose. A Message from the Saint (Final) I've been thinking about atonement. Up until now, it was a topic that never even crossed my mind. No, it would be more accurate to say I decided to forget about it. You see, long ago, I chose to reconstruct the world in order to make up for my sins. However, I was never able to forgive the innocent masses for theirs. I wasn't able to bear the weight of having to shoulder everything alone. And so I destroyed everything. But now, having survived, I realize something. I was in the wrong. And not only that, but I've also always known I was. What a terrifying thing that is to realize. People died. Countless throngs of them, savagely butchered. Corpses piled up thousands high, and in the end, even the world itself broke. Tens of thousands of sobbing voices filled the air. Some died trying to save others. Some died trying to save themselves. But they died all the same. And it was my fault. Mine, and mine alone. The Mad King told me something. \"Lucky you,\" he said. \"You got everything you ever wished for.\" And so I did. But you see, that wasn't it. I wanted everything to be destroyed. But I never wanted this. I'm well aware how contradictory that is. But no matter how many times I reconsider my answer, it never changes. You...you, who's been listening to my message all this time. I told you, didn't I? I never loved you people\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand certainly not enough to want to leave you with my words. Those were my true feelings; they really were. That was my wish. I cursed you. A curse on everything, and a curse on you. But I never wanted to soil my hands. I never wanted to cause you such profound pain. I never wanted to wrench your chests open and gaze upon your still-beating hearts. And I swear, I never wanted to kill you. I didn't want to hear your laughter\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut I didn't want to hear your screams, either. That was the long and short of it. That was how I truly felt. I know it seems late for me to be realizing that now. But that's the way things are. By the way, the Mad King told me something else, too. He told me that I \"chose\" to be alone. I needed to understand what he meant by that. I needed to learn about this person who he said he liked. But in doing so, I came to realize something else. I was ignorant. I should have known everything, yet I let so many things slip between the cracks. Will you...hear me out? O ye who never once replied? I hated you. I cursed you. I told you to go die. And yet\u00e2\u20ac\u201d And yet, even so... Hearing this from me now probably won't do you any good. But these are my true feelings, so I beg you to lend me your ear. Please survive. Please survive as long as you can. Even once the next ugly war takes this fragile little world in its grasp. And thank you for listening to my message. I waited and waited and waited, but no answer ever came. Yet even so, the fact that I had someone listening to me was what saved me. This will be my final message. To you, and to all others who bear life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dmay you suffer my curse\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand may you find blessings enough that it will not break you. And thank you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor being born unto this world I reconstructed\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand for fighting back against my hatred. Good-bye. Epilogue Two people slumbered in a crystal at the World's End. Before that crystal, the Torture Princess awoke. She stared up at the sky. In that moment, the Saint's consciousness rose from the depths of her dream as well. While the Torture Princess slept, the Saint had been in the fabricated world along with her, watching over the events within as the master of the transient castle. Although the Saint no longer had access to the massive amount of magical power she did when she had contracts with God and Diablo, a certain technique of hers allowed her to tap into bottomless reserves of mana all the same. Furthermore, she had been a peerless mage since before the world's reconstruction, and all her skills were still intact. Imitating the ability of a decomposing demon was child's play for her. Normally, the world that the Saint wove would have lasted a little longer. However, Elisabeth's malaise had hastened its destruction, forcing it to rebuild itself over and over again until the constant rejection caused it to lose its form for good and shatter completely. Like a sandcastle, getting struck by progressively larger and larger waves. And now the child playing in the sand had left the beach entirely. \"The path you've chosen is a harsh, solitary one indeed.\" Giving her that dream had been the Saint's expression of pity. For she knew better than anyone the agony of bearing a foolish world on one's shoulders. Fighting in solitude ate away at a person's heart and could even make them forget the things they once thought were beautiful. Elisabeth Le Fanu had the right to flee before she came to despise everything. Nobody could deny her that. But the Torture Princess had said, \"Yet even so.\" Yet even so. And as such, there was nothing more for the Saint to say to her. As Elisabeth glared off into space, the Saint made her move before Elisabeth could spot her. Garbed in a completely different outfit than the one she had worn long ago, the Saint pulled her hood down over her eyes, then quickly left the ivy-entwined corpses behind. Snowflakes crunched under her feet, and she gazed up at the sky. Its rainbow film was the same as ever, but far away, declarations of malice, hatred, and violence echoed through the distant sky. \"Then I, too, will go.\" The Torture Princess had chosen to fight, so she, too, had a duty to carry out. For the people she once cursed\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand for the things she once discarded\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the Saint herself was going to fight. And with that, the encounter between the Saint and the Torture Princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dcame to a quiet end. It all took place a little while before\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe final battle of those who loathed the world. Afterword Hello, Keishi Ayasato here. As you can tell, Volume 7.5 was a series of short stories. I wanted to make sure everyone got a chance to read these before you all headed into Volume 8, so I'm really glad I was able to get these tales compiled like this. Now, there's no page count to stop me, so it's time to dive into some backstory on each of the sections! Kaito Sena's Daily Routine (Front Side/Back Side) Chronologically, this story takes place right after the battle against the Knight. At this point, Kaito hasn't met Neue yet. Back when these short stories were being released as a web serial, this was the very first one I wrote. It was also where the idea of having a front side and a back side written from different points of view started out. What is a daily routine anyway? Incidentally, this was also the story that I needed to rewrite the most extensively for this compilation. I hope you enjoyed it. Elisabeth's Daily Routine (Front Side/Back Side) Chronologically, this story takes place before Volume 2 and after Animal-Ear Capriccio, the side story about the Grand Governor's defeat. Out of all the short stories, this one was definitely the most \"Torture Princess-y\" of the bunch. Although Duke of Exeter's Daughter doesn't show up in the main story, it's a personal favorite of the torture devices I've written into the story. I've also always wanted to try having Hina and the Butcher team up, so it was a lot of fun writing those bits. When those two get together, no straight man can possibly keep up. Hina's Daily Routine (Front Side/Back Side) This one also takes place before Volume 2, but even further after Animal-Ear Capriccio\u00e2\u20ac\u201din fact, it takes place after the special edition of Role-Swap Rondo and a Kiss for Sleeping Beauty. This story definitely skewed heavier on comedy than the others. When I was writing a story based around Hina, it was nice getting to come up with something that would let her spend the plot happily working away. The New Content As you could probably tell from reading this story, it takes place immediately following Volume 7. It was designed as a series of highlights to reminisce on where we've come and how we got here before we get into Volume 8 and the meat of Part 2, so I borrowed a lot of bits and pieces from several different volumes for the various scenes. It might be interesting to go reread it and see what you can find. The setup afforded me a lot of freedom in how I structured and wrote the story, so I had a lot of fun working with it. With this, we're ready to head into Volume 8. I really hope you enjoyed everyone's final party. A Message from the Saint When this was part of the web serial, it only went as far as A Message from"}, {"text": "Someone. Back then, I already had the outline of the Saint's story laid out, so I wanted to make sure these sections were set up such that it would all make sense later down the line. Finally getting to finish her Message came as a big relief. Now you have the full picture on what she thought and felt. I hope that someday, we'll get a chance to see her again. The Parent and the Child, or Perhaps the Enemies of the World Originally, this story wasn't part of the manuscript at all. Because of how the page count on the compiled short stories worked out, though, the book ended up having a lot of blank pages. That was when my editor O suggested that I write a story about Alice and Lewis, and the rest is history. I was really happy to have the chance to touch on their lives in this compilation, and I hope you all get a chance to read through it before you move onto Volume 8. In the end, it made me really happy to get to show off so many different aspects of Torture Princess here. I will note that the beastfolk didn't get much of a chance to appear this time, nor did the saints, so ideally, there'll be an opportunity to tell more of their stories in the future. For now, though, this intermission has reached its end, so I hope you all look forward to the main story continuing in the next volume. Finally, as usual, we move on to the acknowledgments section. I'd like to thank Saki Ukai, for the gorgeous cover and in particular for being able to fit so many characters on it; my editor O, for everything as always; Hina Yamato, for delivering a manga adaptation packed so full of love; everyone else involved in the series; and my beloved family, in particular my older sister. Thank you all so very much. And above all else, I'd like to give a heartfelt thank-you to every reader who picked up Volume 7.5. Next up is Volume 8. After I finished Volume 7, I could tell that the rest of the plot was going to be even more dense and detailed. Putting everything down on paper is going to be a challenge, but I'll do my best to get it right. If you don't mind, it would mean the world to me if you continue following along and watch the characters confront their destinies. \"And yet even so,\" she said. And now it all begins. A Publicity Stunt The room was red. Its walls, floor, and ceiling were all dyed the color of fresh blood. It was the kind of scene that burrowed its way into your eyeballs and chipped away at your mind. After all, staying calm and levelheaded when your entire field of view was filled with crimson was no easy task. In contrast with its violent hue, however, the room itself was constructed in an exceedingly normal manner. Firewood was stacked beside its hearth, and it had a cupboard decorated with modest little ornaments. The room also had a plain, well-built desk, and atop it sat two teacups. Each was filled with milk tea. Suddenly, a pale hand holding a silver spoon reached out. Grains of sugar cascaded down from the spoon and sank into the piping hot beverage. There, in that red, crimson, scarlet room\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201din that room that looked like a gaping wound gouged out of flesh\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe two of them spent their days as though it were the most natural thing in the world. \"Here you are, Master Kaito. It's still hot, so do be careful.\" \"Got it. Thanks, Hina.\" Kaito Sena nodded as he took the cup. His short hair's tied-back knot swayed as he took a sip. Sitting in the seat across from him was a beautiful maid. It was his eternal lover, his beloved automaton wife, Hina. Aside from their seats, the dining table also had a third chair. But that chair was empty. The vacuum it left was hollow and lonesome. Not only was the room itself perverse, it was also missing something important. However, they enjoyed their peaceful teatime all the same. But all of a sudden, that genial silence was shattered. A ghastly noise was ringing off in the distance. It was frail and shrill yet ominous all the same. It sounded like someone screaming or perhaps someone wailing in resentment. It was the sound of swords ringing, of flesh being eaten, of people being consumed, of crying, of screaming, and of all other noises combined. Hina turned her emerald eyes downward and let out a quiet murmur. \"It's started...hasn't it?\" \"Yeah. It has.\" Kaito looked down at the faintly cloudy surface of his tea and nodded. However, even though he himself was the one who fended off the end of days, he didn't seem particularly surprised. He went on matter-of-factly. \"I mean, I always knew it was going to happen. Every living creature is ignorant, every living creature is like a stupid animal, and every living creature is precious. And that's why they're worth protecting. But at the same time, it's also why they can never escape ruin. It's just the way they are... But still, just three years? That's crazy fast.\" \"It is, but it seems the stone began rolling before the final battle even began.\" \"Yeah. The question is, what's gonna happen now? The mixed-race folk are one thing, but the bigger problem is this new reincarnation. I dunno if she and her allies even realize that...or I guess I should say I dunno if they realize just how dangerous she is. 'This time, I'm going to accomplish everything I set out to do,' huh?\" Kaito frowned. He himself was proof of the power of that sentiment. That \"conception\" possessed by those who met cruel deaths could form the basis for limitless magical growth. But what if there wasn't anything that the person in question wanted to accomplish? A hollow vessel had the power to change its shape at will. It was impossible to tell what it would give the world and what it would do. Would it love or would it hate? Would it be just or would it be evil? \"In my case, I was filled with love. That much I know. But what even is justice? I'm still not sure.\" Back when he was alive, the Mad King obtained unrivaled power. Yet even so, he wasn't able to save everyone. He was aware of countless tragedies yet didn't reach out to prevent more than a scant few. And Kaito wasn't alone in that. The innocent begged for mercy, but nobody lent them an ear. Many committed horrible acts, and those who didn't merely stood by as spectators. Eventually, punishment always caught up with sin. Stupid sheep only saw what they wanted to see and only heard what they wanted to hear. Would they be granted salvation? Even just asking was completely shameless. In a world where God and Diablo actually existed, wishing for convenient miracles to occur was nothing short of comical. The living needed to learn their lesson already. Salvation wasn't coming. Eventually, all of them would die and the world along with them. That was the answer. Not a single person had the right to criticize the current rebellion. However, a single foolish person murmured, \"Yet even so...\" And now it was all beginning. \"Yeah, Elisabeth, that's right... Yet even so...\" Kaito didn't finish the rest. Now that he noticed, the noise was gone. Everything was quiet again. Of course, the room was completely sequestered from the outside world. It was distant from everything. It would be strange if anything were audible. The room was red. It had no windows. It had no doors. No one could leave. And no one could enter. It was almost like a graveyard. Or perhaps a prison. And in that place, that place where no one ought to be the two of them just sat. The sound of burning meat filled the air, as did the smell of charred flesh. Somewhere, people were burning. A bell rang off in the distance. The ground was hot, and the sky was black with smoke and ash. The land, the trees, the grass\u00e2\u20ac\u201deverything was burning. The water was bitter, and countless were dead. A single bird flew through the sky, crying loudly as it went. A slender man gazed up at it. The hem of his black, aristocratic coat swayed as he murmured. \"'A calamity cometh. A calamity cometh. To all the people of the land. The coming messenger aims to blow the bugle of the end.' ...Or something to that effect, I imagine. It does resemble the second coming of the end of days, though, doesn't it?\" \"Still thy tongue, Vlad. If you wish to wax poetic about tragedy, then go become a wandering minstrel or something.\" Someone standing behind Vlad shot him a biting remark. However, Vlad offered no response. He just kept gazing upward. Hard footsteps echoed out as the other speaker approached from behind. Her black hair and the hem of her lascivious bondage dress fluttered behind the beautiful woman when she came to a halt. She looked up as well, her crimson gaze cutting through the ashen wind. Then the Torture Princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201dElisabeth Le Fanu\u00e2\u20ac\u201dspoke. \"At the moment, we've no messenger, no God, no Diablo. Just a fat lot of survivors from the end of days trying to kill one another. Yet again, you succeed in being naught but foolish and annoy\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Hmm? You're finished? Were there any survivors on the east side?\" \"A-allow me...to give my report...\" The answer to Elisabeth's question came from the human conscript a little ways off. He had come running over from the houses to the east. Behind his metal epaulets, she could see a group of soldiers carrying bodies out of the still-burning houses. It was clear that most of the victims had already perished. The soldiers carried the brutalized corpses to the central plaza one after another. Although she was still waiting for the conscript's answer, the number of bodies she saw gave Elisabeth a fair inkling of what it would be. He came to a stop before her. Not forgetting to salute, he placed his arm horizontally across his chest as he spoke. \"No luck... It was horrible! As far as we can tell, they slaughtered the entire town! Women, children, even unborn babies... It was just like all the others.\" He clamped his mouth shut, no doubt resisting the urge to vomit. His face was blackened with soot and swollen from inflammation. The air inside the houses was still scorching hot. They had fought back the fires as part of their search-and-rescue mission, but they hadn't had time to put them out completely. In spite of all that, he was shivering as badly as if he'd just taken shelter from a blizzard. Upon hearing the peculiar phrase even unborn babies, Elisabeth clicked her tongue. \"Tch, again? How tasteless. And how persistent. This goes beyond the level of mere amusement.\" All of a sudden, Vlad slowly turned to them and spoke. \"Isn't it just proof of how exceedingly deep the rebels' hatred runs, precious daughter of mine? Not to say that there isn't a pragmatic reason as well, but as for their fundamental motive, I've little doubt that it's just pure unadulterated loathing.\" Elisabeth made no efforts to hide her grimace, and the conscript let out a small gasp. Vlad grinned gleefully. It was a decidedly unsettling sight in a place as hellish as that. He went on, seemingly unfazed by the other two's revulsion. \"'You're different from us... That means I can do whatever I want to you.' It's a cruel piece of rationalization some humans once came up with. Depressingly shallow logic, to be sure, and nothing but base sophistry designed to ward off feelings of guilt. You see, the"}, {"text": "true reason people have to show compassion to others is so they don't get killed themselves. But those humans violated that rule, taking those of mixed race just as intelligent as them and butchering them like animals.\" And that had led directly to this. \"A natural conclusion,\" Vlad whispered softly. \"How can you even say something like that?!\" the conscript cried back. However, Elisabeth placed a hand atop the man's shoulder to settle him down. There was nothing to be gained from getting worked up about the things Vlad said. Even as she ignored him, though, Elisabeth couldn't help but have a thought cross her mind. 'Tis far too indiscriminate to be neatly written off as retribution. She closed her eyes, then opened them. Now then, what to make of the grisly spectacle laid out before the Torture Princess? Buildings were burning. People were dead. Their corpses lined the streets. And ash rained from the sky. At the moment, Elisabeth and the others were in a nameless, medium-size village. It had been attacked by the rebels, and everyone within had been slaughtered. Originally, it had been just another unremarkable remote village. Its population was on the larger side, and it produced a decent amount of wheat. However, it wasn't linked to any major roads, didn't have any large farms or factories where magic item components were produced, and wasn't home to any rich deposits of ore. Attacking it might earn you a little money but nothing beyond that. By the time news reached the Capital that something had happened there, though, Elisabeth and the others were already too late. The village had been set ablaze, and the slaughter was finished. Because the villagers had chosen to prioritize looking for survivors, the fires in the fields and storehouses yet raged, but the dirty rain would take care of them in time. A charred weather vane creaked as it spun atop a burning roof. And down beneath its watchful gaze sat the villagers' corpses. However, the fire wasn't what had killed them. Their chests had been ripped open, their rib cages smashed, and their hearts extracted all while they were still alive. And the pregnant women's children\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe aforementioned unborn babies\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwere no exception. They, too, had been ripped from their mothers and had their organs savagely extracted, an act so barbaric it called into question the sanity of the perpetrators. However, there was a reason why the horrific acts had been carried out the way they had. After all, of course there was. Neither side had completely descended into madness just yet. In other words, there had to be some reason. At least for the time being. Elisabeth murmured the rebels' original motive aloud. \"Revenge for the fact that the Mixed-Race Massacre continued even after Ragnarok, then?\" The story began a little while before the three races successfully staved off the end of days. When confronted with the annihilation that was the end of the world, many people lost their minds. As a result of that, they began killing heretics despite the fact that none of their doctrine called on them to do so. It was their attempt at demonstrating their piety toward God and begging for salvation. Because the mixed-race people looked different from them and were close at hand, they made for obvious targets. And the incidents continued even after the end of days was averted. There were myriad reasons why, such as the reconstruction sect pulling strings and people fearing that another calamity was on the horizon. The widespread knowledge of Diablo's confirmed existence also caused a marked increase in people conducting ritual sacrifices. When it came to piety, though, that village fell in one of the former categories. At times, rustic simplicity and zealous devotion can make for an alarming combination. Elisabeth sifted through her memories. There was an incident she could recall from about a year back. A disturbing report had been brought to a church near that village. According to the report, a group of mixed-race vagrants had gone missing one after another in the area around the village she was now standing in. That led to a party of truth seekers being dispatched, but the villagers all seemed like devout people; none of them said anything suspicious, and the group couldn't find proof of any actual wrongdoing. And how could they? The villagers blindly believed that their actions were just and good. There was no reason why any of them would slip up, and there was no way they would leave any evidence. With all the villagers working together, it was nigh impossible for a rural church's investigation to see through their cover-up. And thus, the truth vanished into darkness...or so they thought. \"'Twould seem our mixed-race friends caught wind of what they did. One of them must have plied some friendly peddler with booze, and once their tongue slipped, that was that. Given the uniformity with which the villagers were slain, the mixed-race people were no doubt trying to repay like with like.\" As Elisabeth swept her gaze over the bodies, she narrowed her eyes. The putrid stench of death was strong and traveled well. The truth had been leaked, and revenge had been carried out. Retribution had caught up with sin. Still, the act of butchering not only children but also babies goes beyond the pale. In all likelihood... Perhaps having guessed what Elisabeth was thinking, Vlad let out a quiet soliloquy and voiced the words in her stead. \"Gender, age, creed...they didn't have the freedom to weigh such things when determining who they should and should not kill, my precious daughter. Not if they wanted to blindly insist that justice was on their side, like the villagers themselves did back when they were alive. For they knew that when they sobered up from their stupor of blood and pretext, all that awaited them were their own broken souls.\" In short, such was the nature of the act. He shrugged calmly as he gazed at the grisly spectacle. \"Avengers really are a troublesome lot, aren't they? The more righteous a man's motives, the deeper his obsession, the crueler his methods, and the sooner he brings about his own ruin... I can't say I hate it, but it is a little gloomy for my tastes.\" \"Vlad, no one gives half a damn about your opinions. As I just said, if you intend to compose poetry like a jester, then go find yourself a more suitable profession and venue. If you have time to wax poetic, that time would be better spent doing your job.\" \"Oh? And what job might that be, my precious daughter? What is it you would ask of me?\" Vlad tilted his head to the side in a feigned display of innocence. As he did, his malevolent smile broadened. Instead of immediately answering him, Elisabeth began walking. The conscript hurriedly followed after her. She was headed to the plaza, where the soldiers were still in the middle of moving the victims. The body count was high, and their work had no end in sight. As such, Elisabeth knew what they needed to do. \"That should go without saying\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhelp carry the bodies.\" A bird cried out. An eagle cried out. A crow cried out. A calamity cometh. A calamity cometh. To all the people of the land. A few days ago, the world's peace had been shattered once more. The mixed-race people had declared war against the three races. Not only had the rebels' spokesperson Lewis inherited the mixed-race organization's assets, knowledge, and technology, he had also successfully created the Fremd Torturchen, Alice Carroll, and the demon grandchildren. In contrast, the three races' preparations for war were decidedly lacking. After avoiding the end of days, they chose to pour all their resources into the reconstruction efforts. Plus, humanity's repeated battles against demons had left them exhausted. It was hard to find anyone who hadn't lost something important to them. They weren't mentally ready for another war. But revenge waits for no man. The curtain had risen on a new stage, whether the performers wanted it to or not. The conflict had begun. However, no large-scale fighting had broken out yet. At the moment, the big battle they were expecting had yet to come. Even so, the death count was soaring higher by the hour. And the people who were directly slaughtered weren't the only victims. \"Where are we putting the bodies we've yet to examine? Ah, I see. Very well... Hmm?\" Elisabeth, who'd been transporting the corpse of a middle-aged man, suddenly stopped. She looked up. Over by the plaza's well, a silver-haired woman was talking to a mage from the royal castle. Noticing Elisabeth's gaze, the woman returned it and looked over at her. Her face was beautiful and well proportioned. However, it was also covered in bizarre machinations, and a good half of her cheek was full of spinning cogwheels. Izabella Vicker narrowed her dignified blue and purple eyes and called over to Elisabeth in a solemn tone. \"Elisabeth, just the person I was looking for. I have news. Just as you suspected, the water was poisoned.\" \"Sure enough. So that's the cause behind the strange acrid odor I smelled.\" Elisabeth nodded. She'd first noticed it the moment they arrived at the village. The air was thick with smoke from the burning bodies, but she'd been able to make out a faint irritant amid the other smells. The bitter aroma had already been scattered by the wind, so it was hard to make out, but given the fact she could make it out at all, it must have pervaded the entire area during the time of the attack. Izabella held up two small vials between her fingers. One had water from the well and the other had water from the village's irrigation channel, but both had a layer of viscous green liquid floating at their tops. Izabella grimly gave voice to her mage companion's hypothesis. \"It's the same kind as what the underlings emitted during Ragnarok. I never would have imagined that anyone but us got their hands on any, much less analyzed it and managed to reproduce it. Now, fortunately, they weren't able to amplify its strength the way Sir Kaito did. If anything, they diluted it. Even so, any attempts to use this water to fight the fire would have caused a massive cloud of poisonous haze to spread through the town in an instant. That's undoubtedly why we didn't find any traces of the villagers fighting back.\" \"The haze cleared in time, but even then, the poison remained in the well and channels. As always, it seems they've little interest in keeping the land fit for future use. It's as though their goal is merely to dot the human map with unhabitable blots. Between that and the fact that they raid with small groups, set fires, spread poison, kill all they can, and promptly flee...\" \"That's right. In short...it's the same as the other villages that were hit.\" With a stern expression on her face, Izabella pointed at the rows of corpses. Elisabeth followed her finger. The first responder combat medics were conducting an inspection of the bodies. Their skill with healing magic was lacking, but they made up for it with their unparalleled knowledge of anatomy. At the moment, they were using gender, age, and any other characteristics they could make out to compare the dead against the village's population register. Given their clouded expressions, Elisabeth could guess at their findings. \"Too few corpses to account for the whole town, eh... Again?\" \"Of course. The ones slaughtered weren't the only victims. Many, such as the village leaders and their families, were abducted. And hoo boy, they're in for some nasty shit! Hell, they'd be better off havin' their hearts ripped clean outta their chests! At least that way they'd die quick!\" For how crass the words were, the voice was surprisingly demure. Elisabeth and Izabella turned. A"}, {"text": "girl who resembled a mannequin was coming toward them from the main road that led to the village's meeting hall. Her porcelain skin gleamed under a bondage dress even more risqu\u00c3\u00a9 than Elisabeth's. The girl shook her head lightly to the side. Doing so caused her golden hair to sway luxuriously. Her rose-red eyes were fixed emotionlessly on the scene before her. It was yet another Torture Princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201dJeanne de Rais. \"As suspected, I found this lurking in the belfry. Fucker was watchin' us pull cleanup duty!\" Jeanne took what she was holding and violently tossed it on the ground. The hideous creature crashed onto the cobblestones with a thud. It was a familiar, one that looked like someone had taken an eagle and affixed it to a piglet. There was no doubt that it belonged to the rebels. Izabella grimaced and shook her head. Jeanne's tone was dispassionate, but her eyes gleamed like rubies. \"I also found traces of a teleportation circle behind the meeting hall. It was the same as the ones we found in the other villages' churches, graveyards, and other large buildings. And just as before, it was impossible to trace back to its source. Those punks are a lotta things, but weak ain't one of 'em. They work quick and dirty, but that just ends up makin' it harder to track 'em. Shit's like tryin' to follow a hunting hound who dug up the whole damn neighborhood along the way.\" \"That's what they used to abscond with the villagers, no doubt.\" Jeanne gave Elisabeth's low murmur a nod. Izabella clenched her fists tight. \"Not again... They can't keep getting away with this barbarity. Their desire for revenge is one thing, but these acts are beyond forgiveness.\" \"That goes without saying, my lady. Thing is, though, they don't give a rat's ass if you forgive 'em or not. That's just how avengers roll.\" Elisabeth thought over one of the words Izabella just said. It was that again. All the other attack sites they'd gone to had had the exact same pattern of victims. The kidnappings were no doubt happening because the rebels needed \"mothers\" for their demon grandchildren. Jeanne was right. Death would be far preferable to the fate that awaited the taken. To hammer that point home, the rebels had begun leaving the burst corpses of such victims in various towns and villages, almost like a warning. Committing sporadic acts of slaughter and plunder and leaving provocative displays in their wake... This is no normal war. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes as she thought. Jeanne, guessing at what was going through her mind, replied. \"That's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat they're doing isn't warfare. And it's different from the underlings' indiscriminate destruction as well.\" \"In short, this is all one grand act of revenge\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnothing more, nothing less? Is that what you're saying?\" Jeanne gave Elisabeth's question a nod. Elisabeth turned to Izabella, wanting to hear her take on the matter. When she did, though, she realized something. At some point, Izabella had begun looking at Vlad. The man in question was standing in front of the crushed familiar with a thin smirk on his face. The viewpoint he had to offer on \"evil\" was valuable to them, so he was being allowed to travel alongside them, but by all rights he was a criminal who was supposed to be locked up. That made him suspicious even under the best circumstances, and what he was doing now certainly wasn't helping his case. Izabella squinted at him, trying to figure out what he was after. Noticing her apprehension, Vlad spread his arms wide. \"Ah, was I being too quiet? I suppose if all I do is attract suspicion, that makes me rather useless indeed. I'm not a jester sent to liven up the proceedings, after all. I suppose it's high time I did my job and elucidated the situation a little.\" Then his expression did a complete one-eighty and became as serious as could be. There were some truths that could only be gleaned by the truly evil. Vlad began giving his explanation. \"These massacres were no act of war. They were a revenge drama, a performance designed to stir up a fell wind. A publicity stunt, if you will. The main act is sure to follow soon.\" \"A...fell wind? A publicity stunt? What in the world are you going on about?\" Vlad's words were as cryptic as they were irreverent. Izabella's distrust grew deeper yet. However, Elisabeth understood what he was getting at. Vlad went on without offering Izabella any clarification. \"'A calamity cometh. A calamity cometh. To all the people of the land.' That is what our mixed-race friends are trying to convey, and therein lies their plan. After all, total war is a fool's errand.\" An image from the past flashed through Elisabeth's mind. Dark figures blotting out the sky like clouds. Massive flocks, all taking off from the forest around the World Tree at once. Birds crying out. Eagles crying out. Crows crying out. Then a familiar blowing the bugle. \"I'll take this world, I'll make it my own, and I'll kill every last fool who walks upon it. And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether I do anything; it won't affect our ultimate fate. Salvation isn't coming, ladies and gentlemen. Not for you, not for anyone. And certainly not for me. \"The sun has gone dark\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnow, let the killing commence. \"We, the mixed-race folk, hereby declare our rebellion against you.\" That was the declaration of war Lewis made. But even with a few of the demi-humans on his side, wiping out the three races was still a distant pipe dream. His side was far better prepared, but he was also facing down an overwhelming disparity in manpower and resources. That said, the same had been true of the Mad King. And in his case, even though it had taken a fair number of accidents and coincidences to get there, he had nonetheless obtained power sufficient to overthrow the entire world. Depending on the Fremd Torturchen's strength, it might well be possible to overturn the world's power structure. However, maintaining power and stability for any length of time was another matter altogether. Trying to lump the three races together and rule over them as a single unit was just asking for disaster. Lewis and his people knew that. Yet even so, they were trying to become proper shepherds. After rooting out everyone responsible for the Mixed-Race Massacre, their goal was to rule over the world to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. In other words, their dream was the realization of a perfect, idealized utopia. Short of a literal miracle, such an absurd future will never come to pass. Alternatively, they could merely obtain so much power that people would have no choice but to obey them unconditionally. That would require an immense deterrent, exactly like the kind the Saint had sought out. Namely, God and Diablo. And if that's the case, then it's all too clear what this \"fell wind\" of theirs shall be. Before she could finish her thought, though, Elisabeth found herself interrupted. The sound of a bell clanging rang out. It was a signal from their lookout stationed by the teleportation circle just outside the village. Someone was coming. \"Messenger! Messenger!\" Before anyone could jump to conclusions, a deep voice cut through the air. It was the lookout, stating the nature of their new visitor. It was just a messenger from the Capital, nothing more. Once the soldiers realized that there wasn't an emergency, they visibly relaxed. However, Elisabeth took off at a dash. Izabella, Jeanne, and even Vlad, for some reason, raced along after her. The four of them whizzed past scorched buildings as they raced down the road. Elisabeth was filled with an ominous premonition. Right now, the three races are constantly exchanging communications. Consequently, operating the communication devices was taking all the personnel the Capital had. They certainly didn't have the manpower to spare by sending valuable civil officials off to minor villages with no strategic value. Something major must have happened to warrant taking such measures. And even if not, no good can come of anyone arriving under such circumstances, regardless of their allegiance! Eventually, Elisabeth and the others arrived at the humble fence that surrounded the village. Dirt flew up by Elisabeth's feet as she skidded to a halt. Before her sat a teleportation circle enclosed in a cylindrical wall of light. A moment later, that wall cracked and shattered, descending to the ground in a rain of glowing droplets. Standing atop the circle was a man clad in a silken robe\u00e2\u20ac\u201da man Elisabeth recognized. He was normally stationed in the tomb that served as the temporary royal castle, and his job was to keep an eye out for if the rebels tried to make contact. As Elisabeth took that fact in, the man strode forward. His stride was sure, but his face was flushed and damp with sweat. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he spoke. \"I come bearing news! The rebel forces have added more to their proclamation!\" \"Now, eh? I'd have thought it would come a good deal sooner\u00e2\u20ac\u201deither that or not until after they'd made a big show of flattening another two or three villages! To think that they'd go for it right in the middle like this... Well, I do love me a good surprise. Go on then\u00e2\u20ac\u201dgive us the rest!\" Vlad clapped his hands together. However, his cheery response was an odd one. Even though he was on provisional release, he was still technically a prisoner, and he certainly didn't have the authority to be giving orders. However, he had given them so brazenly that the official was at something of a loss. He darted his gaze to and fro, not sure what to do. Eventually, Izabella freed him from his plight by gesturing for him to go on. The official straightened his posture, then bowed. \"Thank you, ma'am. Then by your leave.\" \"Go on.\" \"The addendum goes as such. 'You people lived lives of arrogant bliss, never once sparing a thought for the destitute and the needy. Your deeds were as haughty as they were heinous. As such, the lot falls on us to lop off your sinful heads. It falls on us to spill rivers of your blood, stack mountains of your corpses, and reduce you all to ash. For us, our victory lies in slaying as many of you as we can until the day of our ultimate defeat. However, if it's clemency you would ask of us...'\" Suddenly, the flowing narration came to an abrupt halt. The official began coughing. It would seem that the smoky air was starting to get to him. Vlad slumped his shoulders in contemptuous exasperation, an act that earned him a sharp glare from Izabella. Seeing that, Jeanne just barely managed to stop herself from shrugging as well. She quickly righted her drooping posture. As all of that was going on, Elisabeth surreptitiously frowned. Something had caught her attention. It was the civil official. As he coughed, he was glancing in her direction, asking her with his gaze if it was really all right for him to read the rest aloud. Is the information dangerous to me in some way? But if so, why bother warning me? Wait... Suddenly, Elisabeth remembered something\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe knew him. That in and of itself was odd, given that she had little interest in any of the civil officials or their business, nor did she even know the man's name. However, there was a good reason she recognized him. It was from when they took her verbal testimony when compiling records on Kaito Sena. Out of all the people there, he was the only one who'd had the decency to so much as offer her a cup of honey tea. Afterward, he told her that his brother was one of the paladins who"}, {"text": "fought in Ragnarok. Then he went on. \"'The Mad King's the only reason any of us made it out of there,' my brother kept telling me. 'If it weren't for him, we would've all just died.' The way I see it, it's our job as survivors to pay our respects to the person the Mad King was fighting to save... Even if that person is the Torture Princess.\" That was undoubtably what was causing him to falter. He was afraid that giving his report would be doing wrong by her. Upon realizing that, Elisabeth returned the man's gaze with a sharp one of her own. \"Out with it already,\" she urged him. I've no need for compassion from a softhearted fool. And besides, the die's already been cast. His silence would do nothing to improve the situation. They could close their eyes and stuff their ears all they liked, but the tragedy would unfold all the same. Fleeing was no longer an option. Not for anyone. Certainly not for the Torture Princess. And as such, their only choice was to fight back. The civil official gulped at Elisabeth's stern glare. Then he spoke with renewed solemnity. \"Forgive me... Now, it continues with the rebels' demands. Shall I read them out?\" \"Aye, tell us what it is they want.\" This time, Elisabeth urged him on out loud. He nodded and steadied his breathing. Then he gave them the rest in one go. \"'If you would have us put a halt to your judgment, then we require compensation. A victim. A sacrifice. If you want us to spare you, then give us the Mad King and his bride in their crystal\u00e2\u20ac\u201das well as the Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu.'\" There was a perceptible shift in the air. Everyone present gasped in unison. Izabella squeezed her forehead. Jeanne shrugged. And Vlad let out a small chuckle. Elisabeth, however, was silent. Their demand fell within her expectations. It was hardly worth getting worked up about. Though, that said... ...she was also acutely aware of what would happen next. Soon, the masses would become her greatest foe. That was the true threat lurking within those words. 2 The Suffering Women The room was red. It was dyed all over with the color of fresh blood, and it was the kind of scene that burrowed into your eyeballs and chipped away at your brain. However, the room itself was constructed in a normal manner. Firewood was stacked beside its hearth, and it had a cupboard decorated with ornaments. A chessboard sat atop its plain, well-built desk. Of all the room's minor sundries, it was the only one that stood out. For one, it had far too many pieces. Given the size of the desk, it shouldn't have been possible for the hundreds and thousands of them to all fit, but fit they did. There was clearly something odd about the board's width. And for another, each and every one of the pieces was intricately crafted. The knights were armed with swords, the bishops held their staves high, and the king was adorned with a proper crown. However, the pawns were all empty-handed. That in and of itself was yet another of the board's oddities. After all, what could be stranger than unarmed soldiers? But that was just the thing. The pawns represented the greatest force on the board, but although they resembled soldiers at first glance, they were actually something else entirely. In truth, they were the powerless masses. The vast majority of them had no ability to fight in their own defense the way the knights could. Even if calamity were to befall them, most of them would have no choice but to wait for the end to come. Suddenly a sonorous sound echoed. The boy had picked up a pawn and tapped it against the board. When he did, the pawn swelled between his fingers, popping and rupturing and transforming into chunks of blood and viscera. Its remains stained a section of the board dark red. Kaito Sena then spoke, his youthful face somber and grim. \"Izabella and I had a conversation once. I told her that I couldn't save everyone.\" \"Was that the one you two had the night before Ragnarok, when you came to the Capital to pick me up?\" \"Yeah, that's the one. That was the first time I learned that the mixed-race folk were being massacred.\" Kaito narrowed his eyes. Pureblood humans made up over 80 percent of the Capital's population, but that hadn't stopped the tragedy from occurring there. Up in the poverty-stricken north, where mixed-race people were more plentiful and therefore more visible, it went without saying how grim things had gotten. Especially once you considered how many of the attacks had gone unreported, the incident was bad enough to leave an ugly stain on the annals of history. That much had been apparent even as it was happening. Kaito's expression clouded as he went on. \"This is what Izabella was worried about.\" \"What is?\" \"'Even if we overcome this challenge, the world is too steeped in malice,' she told me. 'With all the animosity and fear the people will bear, I have no faith we'll be able to keep on living like normal.' Well, bad news...\" Hina nodded sadly from the seat across from his. \"It would appear that her fears were realized, weren't they?\" The army facing off against Kaito was splayed out before her. However, she wasn't the one he was playing against. In fact, they weren't even playing chess. The scene laid out on the board was no game. It was a microcosm of the world. Either that or perhaps a grim parody made to look like one. Kaito picked up another piece. Yet again, it swelled up and burst. However, none of that was his doing. The pawns had been bursting all on their own for a while now, and each time they did, the enemy's ranks swelled by the same number. The new pieces looked like hideous babies, wet with blood and amniotic fluid. Demon grandchildren. They dwelled in the wombs of captured pieces\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhuman beings\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand were born by devouring their mothers from the inside out. Kaito spoke as he watched the detestable process repeat itself again and again. \"You and me, we're not gods. And for that matter, even God is just a naturally occurring phenomenon around these parts. Nobody has the power to save everyone. And that means...anyone who wants to save as many people as possible needs to know when and where to cut their losses.\" His voice was tinged with anguish. Such was the unpleasant choice the powerful sometimes found themselves faced with. Their forces were meager, and the territory to cover was vast. In other words, they could only station their soldiers in a finite number of places. Because of that, the rebels' raids had forced the three races to make a decision while they searched for the enemy stronghold. On Vlad's suggestion, they'd identified the areas where the rebels were likely to strike, ranked them in order of strategic importance... ...and abandoned everything below a certain threshold. The places they deemed unworthy of defending were left with little more than warnings and occasional patrols, and it was exactly such places where the mixed-race forces carried out their slaughter. Coldhearted as the three races' decision had been, though, it had proved fruitful. Ever since the loss of the first and second imperial beastfolk princesses and the saint representative, they'd avoided suffering any more notable deaths. \"Of course you did,\" Vlad had quipped. \"How could you get laid low by underhanded tricks when you have the help of the most underhanded man around?\" However, the greatest outcome was, as always, the greatest good for the greatest number. True dominion of the board lay with those powerless pawns. In a sense, the masses were like a single sprawling ruler. The things they thought and said had profound effects on the rest of the board. For how could they not? \"Revenge is impatient. Corpses speak louder than words. Fear warbles. And a fell wind blows. Now, then...\" As he wove his abstract statement, Kaito carefully picked up another piece. It was a piece modeled in the shape of a slender woman\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe sinner, lording over the battlefield with long sword in hand. As always, it had been placed in front of the other pieces, protecting the powerless by squaring off against the grotesque enemy army. Yet despite that, there wasn't the slightest hint of fear on her face. She was unflinching, valiant, and beautiful. It was the saddest thing imaginable. Kaito narrowed his gaze. \"...What's your play, Elisabeth?\" The piece clicked against the board as he placed it back down. Then he snapped his fingers, and the chessboard vanished without a trace. All that remained in that red, crimson, scarlet room was silence. A loud clap echoed through the timeworn hall, casually shattering the still silence. It was followed by the sound of Vlad's overly theatrical voice. \"Now, then! Some silly little questions to sort through what we know!\" The plaster wall he was standing before was adorned with etchings of ivy and grapevines. However, the fine furniture the room should have housed was nowhere to be seen, and the windows were all shuttered up. The manor itself was lavish, but it was all too evident how long it had been abandoned for. The air inside hung gloomy and stale. Empty as his stage was, though, Vlad's voice rang as sonorously as ever. \"How much do the masses truly know about the particulars of the reconstruction? On the night they survived the end of days, did the foolish sheep dream of the unvarnished truth? There can be but one answer!\" His heels clicked as he strode forward. Suddenly, though, he wheeled around with an elegant spin. With his right palm laid atop his chest, Vlad extended his left hand before himself, chewing the scenery for all it was worth. \"Nay. Nothing changed. The sheep remained as ignorant as ever, for they had nobody to hand them the fruit from the tree of knowledge. Now, of course, there were a great many things that did come to light in the end of days' wake.\" He paused for a beat, as though to gauge his audience's reaction. Ignoring Vlad would only make him all the more annoying, Elisabeth knew. Dealing with him required a certain degree of forbearance. As such, she decided to play along. She gave him a nod as she leaned against the wall. While she did, she quietly went over her own memories of that time. The three races forming their joint army. Their valiant battle against the higher entities at the World's End. The noble sacrifice of the mage who called himself the Mad King. Those were the kinds of glorious tales that had been recounted to the masses by none other than the human king himself. However, much of the information on Ragnarok had nobody to tell it but the mage merchants who took part in the battle themselves. All things considered, it was a fine trick. Many parts of the story were moving, well worthy of being passed down and told for millennia. Meanwhile, the less savory information could be quietly hushed up and forgotten. After all, the existence of Jeanne de Rais, a second Torture Princess, and the fact that Vlad Le Fanu and the Kaiser aided in the three races' struggle were but the tip of the iceberg. The Grave Keeper's true role, where the First Demon had lain, the Saint's malice, the details on how alien and cruel the God pillar was\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat information was as dangerous as a poisoned blade or a sulfurous flame. If any of that had become widely known, it would have dealt a crushing blow to humanity's recovery. At best, it would have led to civil unrest and mass suicides, and at worst, it might have even sparked a war. To"}, {"text": "prevent that, those who knew the truth decided to extract the palatable bits alone in order to dress them up and present them to the world. \"As naked men and women hide their unmentionables and mask their faces with makeup. As flowers are pruned, with their rotted stems coldly discarded. Such is the nature of our dilapidated legend.\" What had been left at the end was a tale of love and miracles. Vlad's voice flowed through Elisabeth's ears so eloquently it made her skin crawl. However, she was only half paying attention to him. The rest of her focus was commanded by a quote she'd just remembered, one she'd heard in a dream within a fictitious castle of sand. It had been spoken by someone who was Vlad yet wasn't him at all. \"In a sense, we stand at a legend's end. The space beyond the fairy tale.\" At present, those words were quite literally true. In order to varnish over the truth, Ragnarok had been glorified in poems, songs, plays, paintings, epics, and novels, and thanks to endorsements from the government and the Church, the people had amused themselves with such art all throughout the reconstruction efforts. To them, the entire story was already nothing more than a fairy tale. Alas, one can hardly blame them. From the people's perspective, the underlings had shown up to attack and devour them out of the blue. As they prayed to the newly manifested God pillar, Diablo had subjected them to calamities untold. And then, without warning, the nightmare had ended just like that. They were told that a grand battle had taken place behind the scenes, sure, but just hearing about it couldn't possibly have made it seem real. To them, the things that had transpired out of their sight were no different from legends and fairy tales. As far as many are concerned, the Mad King may well have never truly existed. Long ago, an ordinary woman had been made into the Saint, a being of unsullied beauty and boundless mercy. And someday, an ordinary boy would be made into the Hero, a wise and powerful being who knew no pain. With each telling, the sheep would embellish the tale a little further. They wouldn't mean any harm by it\u00e2\u20ac\u201dafter all, they were dealing with a figure from legend. Why not make him out to be as legendary as could be? They knew nothing. Not a single, solitary thing. He was no hero. No fairy-tale protagonist. No one to be revered. He was just a man. Just a boy. And yet in spite of that, Kaito... ...would remain at the World's End forevermore. Vlad continued on, his voice as pompous as ever. \"As such, the masses have no idea the true danger behind the rebels' demand. In fact, it'd be a problem if they did, no?\" Hearing him brought Elisabeth back to the here and now. She shook her head. Seemingly unconcerned with his listener's reaction, Vlad continued his enthused monologue. \"And besides, the Mad King is but a hero from a legend. Even if they learned the truth, the blood and tears they themselves shed would still feel far more vivid, to say nothing of their fear of the pain yet to come. Compared to their own well-being, his well-being would be an afterthought of an afterthought. And what's more, revenge is impatient. Corpses speak louder than words, fear warbles, and a fell wind blows. To wit...\" \"...Disquieting rumors will begin circulating among the people.\" Vlad gave Elisabeth's reply a nod. By carrying out the massacres in the way they had, the rebels had set the stage. Then, before sending their demand to the Capital, they'd also prepared a number of familiars and communication devices with the same message and sent them to broadcast it through the air. All across the land, birds were crying out, eagles were crying out, and crows were crying out. \"If it's clemency you would ask of us...\" And that had gotten the people talking. \"Did you hear about those villages that got burned down?\" \"Did you see those corpses with their bellies torn open?\" \"Did you hear that message that was coming from the sky?\" \"The attacks are indiscriminate, and they're still happening.\" \"But it's not like we can turn to the king for help.\" And if that's the case... If that's the case... \"Precisely, my precious. It won't be long at all before the people start demanding you be handed over! I warned you, did I not? That those massacres weren't an act of war but a publicity stunt designed to stir up a fell wind\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat is to say, those disquieting rumors. And oh, how their audience responded. Why, they'll turn out in droves! And you know what that means, I take it.\" \"It means that.\" Elisabeth let out a sigh. Vlad, seemingly satisfied, concluded his speech with a graceful bow. Electing not to offer him any further response, Elisabeth glanced at the others. Over by the window, Izabella was squeezing her forehead with her beautiful heterochromatic eyes closed. The whole situation was giving her a headache. An unusual blue ring gleamed on her middle finger. Beside her, Jeanne was raising and lowering her hands. She clearly wanted to offer Izabella some words of encouragement, but she was anguishing over what exactly to say. Although her intentions were serious, her hand motions made it look like she was performing some sort of pagan ritual. Although the two of them were both worrying in silence, the room was noisy all the same. That was thanks to the mob outside, audible even through the closed window. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth! Cruel, hideous Elisabeth! \"'Tis a chant I've not heard for some time... Why, the nostalgia is getting me all misty-eyed.\" Elisabeth thought back to the scene they'd seen outside. People dressed all in black were marching down the main street. They had looked almost like a funeral procession, which had been accentuated by the fact that they were carrying a set of three coffins. Each one had been stuffed full of flower petals as vivid and crimson as if they'd been packed with human viscera. It was clear they were meant to symbolize the three people the rebels had demanded. The mob's footsteps were heavy, and the constant fear they lived in was visibly weighing on them. Even now, they were still continuing their hoarse, joyless chant. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth! Cruel, hideous Elisabeth! It was like they were reciting a fearful, hate-filled curse. Either that or perhaps a nursery rhyme. \"Well, at least they're being reasonable enough not to wave axes and torches around,\" Vlad remarked. \"But still, this is just the Capital we're talking about. The poverty-stricken north is another beast altogether. After all, there are plenty of people up there who are no strangers to carrying pitchforks.\" He wrapped his point up with a pleased-sounding murmur. \"Who knows just how bad things will get from here?\" Elisabeth took a moment to listen to the tumult, basking in the familiar cries of hatred. A little while later, she shook her head and gave Vlad his orders in a sharp tone. \"...Vlad.\" \"Yes?\" \"Change it back.\" Vlad responded with an elegant bow, as though to say, Your wish is my command. With a snap of his fingers, azure flower petals and thick darkness swirled through the room like a whirlwind. Then everything in view began to crumble. The room they were in was changing from the ruin into somewhere else entirely. Scaly cracks spread across the plaster walls as the ceiling splintered into cubes and the windows broke into bricks. And not only was the room fragmenting, it was being peeled away like wallpaper. Its chunks fluttered through the air one after another. As they did, they too gradually transformed into azure flower petals. The polished floorboards disappeared as well, slowly but surely overwritten with a seamless swath of living wood. As the dimly glowing azure fragments drifted through the air like dead butterflies, they collectively burst into flame. Then the flame vanished, leaving not even ash in its wake. At the end of it all, they were in a completely different room than the one they'd been in before. It was strangely smooth and composed entirely of white wood. The floor and ceiling weren't parallel but gently sloping, and the walls were curved as well. There were no seams anywhere. It didn't look man-made, and in fact, it wasn't. The entire room had been set up in the hollow of a massive tree. And in all the three races' territories, there was only one tree large enough in which to pull off such a feat. In short, Elisabeth and Vlad were in the home of the Three Kings of the Forest, one of the sacred places in the beastfolk lands. The World Tree. Neither Izabella nor Jeanne was present. The two of them had been stripped away at the same time as the old ruin had been. Just like the contents of the previous room, the two of them weren't actually present in the World Tree. Elisabeth gave the transformed room another glance over. \"One does wonder, by the way, why you felt it necessary to project an image of that ruin in the Capital across this entire room as you spoke. Are you truly that fond of idly squandering your mana?\" \"Ha-ha! Come now, precious daughter of mine\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat's the harm? Why, at the moment, our entire world sits atop a farcical stage! And what better way to celebrate that fact than with theatrics? We're here\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmight as well make the most of it.\" Vlad laughed as innocently as a child. Elisabeth gave him a disdainful sigh. The peeled-away scenery\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe abandoned room with blocked-off windows\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas the image that Izabella's magic ring was \"perceiving.\" By projecting that image, Vlad had made it appear as though their room in the World Tree had transformed into the one in the Capital. However, doing so had been a meaningless act bereft of any real purpose. Vlad had merely done it to amuse himself. Izabella and Jeanne, on the other hand, were stationed in the ruin for real. They needed to be able to deal with things if the mob got out of hand. However, diplomacy hardly fell in Vlad or the Torture Princess's wheelhouse, so they decided to relocate to the World Tree. At present, they were standing by and waiting to serve as Maclaeus Filliana's guards once he got out of the three-race meeting that was currently going on. They also had another important reason for being there, but they hadn't been informed of any progress on that particular front. Unable to rein in his boredom, Vlad had transformed their room and launched into a monologue under the pretense of sorting through the information they had at their disposal. As an aside, he was the one who'd adorned Izabella with her ring, and Jeanne had made a big fuss about refusing to let him put it on her ring finger when he did so. Elisabeth let out a third sigh. Everywhere she turned, she was surrounded by people with petty agendas. What a pain. \"Jeanne's bellyaching was annoying, granted, but I supposed it didn't grate on ears nearly as badly as the march at the Capital did. To them, Kaito Sena is a hero, a character from a fairy tale, so they've been reluctant to lambaste him quite the way they do me. No matter, though. They can chant my name till their tongues grow numb, for all I care. At the end of the day, though, I doubt it shall stop them from trying to offer all three of us up.\" Elisabeth shook her head from side to side. There was nothing to be done about it. Ever since the end of days, the suicide rate had doubled. People were killing themselves from being overwhelmed with despair, and the atmosphere of fear and sorrow was"}, {"text": "still just as pronounced as it had been back then. After the demons and the end of days, it was only natural that some people would seek refuge in death rather than endure a third such calamity. Elisabeth nodded deeply. The mob was making an understandable decision. An understandable, irredeemable, and utterly asinine decision. \"Dullards, the lot of them. They think they can outmaneuver their foes without even understanding the basic situation they're in? Simply relinquishing something when told to hand it over is naught but folly and intellectual sloth. They can flee punishment for their crimes, aye, but all they will find is another brand of pain waiting just around the corner.\" \"Oh, I agree wholeheartedly, my precious. Hope is a thing more brittle than glass. You only ever give it to people so you can crush it later\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand oh, how sublime it is to watch that light fade from their eyes.\" Vlad smiled sweetly. Not only was his remark in poor taste, but it also applied to the wrong side of their particular conflict. Elisabeth decided to start ignoring him again, and as she did, she realized something. ...Hope, eh? 'Tis much the same arrangement as the Mixed-Race Massacre. How ironic. During the end of days, the devout killed those of mixed race in hopes that it would lead to their salvation, and now the stupid sheep were trying to offer up yet another sacrifice. It was an act with no creed behind it, no devotion. It was just an intense, desperate scream\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI don't want to die. I don't want to die So you should die instead You should die in my place Someone other than me should die. It was all so irrational it defied belief. However, fear of death was a powerful enough motivator to render morality impotent. Who could cast judgment on a man who pushed another off a raft to save himself? With the avengers preceding over the trial, however, there could only ever be one verdict. \"Why's it wrong to do unto others as I had done unto me?\" \"...What a pain they all are. And how utterly vexing.\" Sighing yet again, Elisabeth leaned forward from the wall. Her black hair fluttered around her as she strode forward and made for the room's sole door. Vlad called out from behind her. \"Oh my, you're leaving? When you haven't even been called for yet?\" \"Ha, 'tis odd in and of itself it would take them so long. 'Twould be faster if I simply went there myself, no?\" \"True enough. I can't say I don't have concerns about your ability to resolve things peacefully, mind you... Come now, my precious. Firing off stakes without so much as turning around? Why, if it wasn't me you were dealing with, you might well have killed someone there.\" A stake had appeared out of nowhere and come hurtling toward him, but Vlad snatched it out of the air with ease. He squeezed his slender fingers together. Cracks ran across the length of the hard stake, and it soon shattered and dissolved into crimson flower petals. Vlad grabbed one of them out of the air and raised it to his lips. Even without stopping or turning around, Elisabeth could tell full well what had happened. Still facing forward, she gave him a light wave. \"Worry not\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI launched that with every intention of it being lethal. Go on and let it run you through for all I care.\" \"Goodness gracious. Your brutality is beautiful enough to be worthy of admiration, but you really ought to tone down the rudeness. It makes me want to have words with your parents, but I suppose now that would just entail talking to myself... Oh, come now!\" \"Louisette.\" Elisabeth whirled back as though performing a pirouette. She then lashed out, launching a blade at him as though drawing a sword from its scabbard at point-blank range. Vlad blocked it with his palm, but even so, it gouged deep into his flesh and cast a magnificent spray of blood through the air. The Torture Princess had nearly cleaved his hand in two. Elisabeth gave Vlad a steely, crimson glare. \"You're no father of mine. Hold your tongue unless you wish to see it sewn to your jawbone.\" The message was clear\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat would be his last warning. Vlad shrugged, rivulets of blood gushing from his hand as he casually plucked the blade out. His arm sagged lifelessly to his side. A few drops of blood had landed on his cheek, and he licked them off with great fervor. For some reason, his newly reddened lips were curled into a smile. However, it was different from his usual sinister smirk. It was the sort of expression a parent wore when admiring their child. Elisabeth scoffed, then set off once more. She strode quickly toward the door and reached for the handle. Behind her, Vlad spoke through a mouthful of blood. \"Ta-ta. Oh, and do give my best to the Suffering Woman.\" Elisabeth opened the door, then headed into the hallway alone and slammed it shut behind her. She was off to see a proud, solitary woman who bore a heavy burden. Normally, the Suffering Woman was a term that referred to the Saint. However, the Saint wasn't in the World Tree at the moment. In fact, her current whereabouts were a mystery. After her chance encounter with the Mad King, she had gone missing. The current Church and reconstruction sect alike had devoted no small amount of effort toward trying to find her but had come up empty-handed time and again. As long as she wanted nothing to do with the world, finding her would be impossible. She may have long since lost the boundless fonts of mana that were God and Diablo, but that didn't change the fact that her magical prowess was as yet unequaled. As far as the world was concerned, though, her decision was a rather fortunate one. After all, there were no shortage of things she knew that could easily set off society's current powder keg. With the exception of the Church, most powerful mages shared the sentiment. She should go live somewhere else, and someday, she should die there. Just so long as it isn't here. As such, the \"Suffering Woman\" Vlad had referred to wasn't the Saint. But if she wasn't the Saint then who was she? Elisabeth headed deeper and deeper into the World Tree's interior. The farther down she went, the fewer people she passed by. Eventually, she made her way to the very bottom of a spiral-shaped stairwell and made her way to the left. She was told that the path before her had once been blocked by tough roots, but at the moment, it was wide open. A pair of guards, one human and one beastfolk, were standing watch by the entrance. Ever since the demi-humans' betrayal, they'd been excluded from such roles. Both guards were clearly exhausted, and Elisabeth's arrival caused them to become visibly alarmed. The eagle-headed soldier nervously spoke up. \"Forgive me, Madam Elisabeth, but I don't believe we've called for you yet. Even as captain of our late Lady Valisisa Ula Forstlast's Peace Brigade, I'm afraid I cannot let you through.\" \"'Tis taking too long, and I've grown weary of waiting. Stand down.\" \"...I understand how you feel. However, there's a danger this could give rise to a serious interracial issue, so I must ask that you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Oh, enough with the blathering. As I'm sure you're aware, we've long since passed that point.\" Elisabeth looked to the side, focusing her bloodred eyes on the beastfolk man. He gulped. Even with his tail curled up into a ball, though, he was clearly about to continue making his diligent plea. Elisabeth chose to beat him to the punch. \"I shan't kill her.\" She knew, as did they, that her word would be sufficient for now. The time to carefully consider what to do with the prisoner they were guarding had long since passed them by. Now it was time to let the Torture Princess do her work. The two soldiers looked at each other, then silently stood aside. \"Much obliged.\" With that, Elisabeth took off down the straight path. The entire corridor was made of unseasoned wood so white it threatened to throw her sense of time out of whack. Eventually, at its end, a boy wearing a scarlet outfit came into view. It was La Christoph's attendant. With his master now dead, he was serving in a similar function to the one he had before. Elisabeth stopped in front of him. He looked up at her, then abruptly spoke. \"You...remind me of him.\" \"Hmm? What's this now? Who is it I remind you of?\" Elisabeth frowned at the sudden assertion. Those in the boy's role normally placed great value on silence, so she hadn't expected him to speak up like that. He continued on in a faltering murmur. \"You remind me of the Mad King... So tense and so sad. My master... La Christoph was the same way. People who bear such burdens seem so sad, each and every one of them.\" After hoarsely inflecting the end of his statement, the boy went quiet again. Elisabeth wasn't sure how to respond. There were any number of truths she could offer him, but each one seemed a mistake to voice aloud. In the end, she decided to act as if she hadn't heard anything. As for the boy, it would seem that his comment had been nothing more than a slip of the tongue, likely from the shock of having lost his master. He stepped to the side without waiting for the Torture Princess's response. When he did, the door carved with the Three Kings of the Forest's coat of arms came into view. Elisabeth pressed her finger against its engraved surface. When she pushed, the door readily swung open. Just like the corridor, the room within was completely white. A heavy silence rose up to greet her. The Mad King's window had long since vanished, and the only furniture within was a modest bed. It was like a hospital or perhaps a prison. Atop the bed's clean sheets sat a thin woman. She must have been able to hear the door opening, but she sat motionlessly, her gaze fixed on the wall. She was staring at a single point, as if there was genuinely something there. Elisabeth spoke. \"Now, I hear you've been adamant in your refusal to be questioned. I must ask, are you feeling all right?\" Even she was surprised at how gentle her own voice came out. And the woman must have known that her question was free of sarcasm. However, that wasn't to say she didn't take it as a death sentence. She slowly turned around. Golden light burned in her reptilian eyes. \"I have been much better, but I have also been much worse, Torture Princess.\" \"Well, that's good to hear, Suffering Woman.\" Aguina Elephabred's wife? Thus began a meeting between two women both of whom bore terrible burdens and each of whom was held dear by an enemy of the world. 3 Those Who Loved The room was red. It was dyed all over with the color of fresh blood, and it was the kind of room that burrowed its way into your eyeballs and chipped away at your brain. A chessboard sat atop its plain desk. Of its pieces, several were wriggling and squirming in a most peculiar way. Not only was the horrible process of death and birth from before continuing to take place, several groups of pawns were also beginning to march. In the remote corners of the board, some of them were even rioting. However, there were also two pieces holding the board in check. Each belonged to a different side, and the two were standing face-to-face. Both were women. One's head was human; the other had the head of a lizard. Kaito"}, {"text": "and Hina watched the two pieces intently. However, neither of the women moved. They merely began having a conversation. However, the pieces' voices weren't audible from down on the board. And Kaito and Hina both knew that. The pieces appeared close to them, but they were actually farther away than the World's End. Trying to hear them was a fool's errand. Yet even so, Kaito and Hina continued straining their ears. The two of them were silent. And the room was silent as well. Totally utterly silent. \"You say that I'm suffering, but...the term suits you better than it does me, don't you think?\" Aguina's wife's voice was gentle. Elisabeth narrowed her gaze. It was difficult to tell a demi-human's age at a glance, but even so, the woman was clearly no spring chicken. Each and every one of her vermilion scales gleamed in the light, but several of them had grown much harder than they normally should have. It resembled the change that the Sand Queen's corpse had undergone. That was proof that her blood was exceptionally pure, even among the highest-grade pureblood demi-humans. After committing his betrayal, Aguina had left her completely in the dark. But despite her lack of involvement, she still refused to be questioned. However, forcing her to testify wasn't exactly an option. The thing was, her pedigree and status were even higher than her husband's. In short, she was a blue blood the likes of which were rare even for demi-human nobility. Despite the woman's position, though, Elisabeth made no efforts this time to hold her sarcasm in check. \"Nay, I relinquish it to you without reservations. Your husband betrayed the beastfolk and humans and sided with the mixed-race people. Now he is an enemy of the world. All for the sake of a reckless, ill-conceived gamble. His obsession with blood purity blinded him to the idiocy of his own plan.\" \"Insolent words coming from a lowly human like yourself.\" The lizard-headed woman's voice was gentle and calm. So much so, in fact, it took a moment for Elisabeth to register what she'd said. Such was the depth of the soft dignity her words exuded. Aguina's wife then continued, never once losing the characteristic elegance of one who stood above others. \"For surely you're aware, Torture Princess\u00e2\u20ac\u201dweapon of the Church, pitiful sinner, and consort of the Mad King that you are.\" \"...Hmm? I've some objections I'd like to voice. But go on.\" \"How humanity is a group of exclusionary elitists unable to see just how deeply human-centric their worldviews are. And what's more, you're as numerous as rats. In time, you will eradicate the other races, whether they took part in the rebellion or not. Knowing that, he chose to save the hostages. To prioritize blood purity so that our race might be saved. For a human, of all people, to deride that decision as 'idiocy' is an act worthy of contempt.\" The demi-human woman smiled. Her tone was as warm as a hand gently stroking one's head and as biting as a knife to the gut. She narrowed her golden eyes and spoke with her head held high. \"That's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI take great pride in what my husband did.\" And with that description of her husband, the enemy of the world, she brought her speech to a close. That was all she had to say. That and nothing more. She turned away from Elisabeth once more. Elisabeth shook her head, her expression quietly changing. Suddenly, the Torture Princess spoke. \"See, I can scarce think of anything further beneath my interest.\" *** Elisabeth was well aware how careless her statement was. It was the height of impropriety. Aguina's wife turned back toward her. When she did, Elisabeth reached out, grabbing the woman by her scaly throat before she had so much as a chance to scream. It was only a light pressure. She didn't squeeze down. Instead, though, she deployed a wave of flower petals in a circle around them. Aguina's wife's eyes went wide. The demi-humans were no experts in magic, but even she knew. She knew that the Torture Princess was a sinner clad in flower petals, a wielder of blood and chains. To her, severing an artery or lopping off a head would be child's play. Still pressing on the demi-human woman's vitals, Elisabeth nodded. \"Your fear and concern are valid. The end of days and the rebellion both had their roots in human religious fanaticism. But your people were just as exclusionary toward those of mixed race. You refused to shelter them. Everyone believed that justice lay solely on their side, and the mess we're now in is the result of that.\" \"You\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Standing by and watching is a sin in and of itself. However, I shall admit that mankind is entirely unworthy of trust.\" \"Oh, then we are in agreement there. So why not\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"But that, too, is of little import.\" Elisabeth smiled amiably, and for the first time, Aguina's wife's expression froze. It was hard to say if her intuition was sharp or dull, but in either case, she'd finally realized something. She had realized just how utterly furious the Torture Princess was. Her expression still as mild as could be, Elisabeth spoke with firm conviction. \"I take great pride in what Kaito Sena did.\" Aguina's wife gave her a confused look. His was a name that was completely unrelated to what they were talking about. To Elisabeth, however, nothing could possibly have been more important. After all, the basis for her sense of justice had long since transcended such pedestrian concepts as morality and logic. \"I mean, has it ever even crossed your mind?\" \"Has...what?\" \"Who was it that fought for this world? Who was it that rescued all the stupid sheep? Who was it that sacrificed himself to make all that possible? Was it your husband? No. Of course not. You and all the others...you're full of it, you know that?\" Elisabeth's rage caused her fingertips to tremble ever so slightly. However, she didn't squeeze down with the hand itself. Taking great care not to wound Aguina's wife, the Torture Princess went on. \"You, your husband, your people's obsession with blood purity, the mixed-race people's lament, the three races' various designs...to me, such things are worth less than nothing. I have but one intention\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto save this world, and as many of the mindless fools who live in it as possible, by whatever methods I can muster.\" \"...That's a very contradictory ideology, is it not?\" \"Oh, it is\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmake no mistake. But you see, there was once a person who saw the world's hideous face and accepted it for what it was. And so I must do the same\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor I take great pride in that fool, and I love him from the bottom of my heart.\" The words cascaded from her mouth, one after another. Elisabeth cocked her head to the side. Hmm? She pondered for a moment, ruminating on what she had just said. And in the end, she arrived at a quiet realization. It was true. It was as one would their confidante, or their brother, or their savior. As one would a kind, incorrigible fool\u00e2\u20ac\u201d As one would any whom they ought to love\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"I, Elisabeth Le Fanu, love Kaito Sena.\" In that moment, a warm tear slid down Elisabeth's cheek. However, she ignored it. For such a thing was completely and utterly unbefitting the Torture Princess. \"Now, speak.\" Elisabeth gave her order as though nothing had happened. The noblewoman looked at her with her golden eyes. Of all the demi-humans who'd remained, she was the sole one who'd persisted in refusing to testify. The Torture Princess spoke dispassionately as she faced her. \"Wife of Aguina Elephabred. If your love compels you to remain silent, then so be it. For the sake of my love, I shall flay the truth out of you.\" \"...You would threaten me, knowing who I am?\" \"Aye, 'twould be inexcusable, torturing a pureblood demi-human noble from a distinguished family. But do you really think your status will save you? Knowing who I am? Shouldering such sins is precisely the role the Torture Princess plays.\" As promised, she wasn't going to kill her. But that didn't mean she wasn't going to break her. A malevolent smile spread across the Torture Princess's lips. As the crimson petals whirled around the two women, Elisabeth presented Aguina with the sole means of escape. \"But if you've anything you wish to tell me before that, then by all means, be my guest.\" \"Such insolence.\" A hard, flat sound rang out. Aguina's wife had swatted Elisabeth's hand aside. When she did, the petals sliced shallow cuts into her fingers, but the Torture Princess intentionally yielded to her weak resistance. She dismissed the remainder of the petals, then withdrew her hand from the noblewoman's scaly throat and silently stood by. After steadying her breathing, Aguina's wife did an impressive job swallowing her fear. \"There is one thing I would like to tell you.\" \"You have my attention.\" \"I am fully confident that a single broken pinkie would be enough to get me to talk.\" \"I'm...not sure why you sound so proud of that.\" Elisabeth squinted at the woman. Half the things she said seemed to be practically begging for pithy rebuttals. For some reason, though, Aguina's wife was the one who sighed. She then straightened her posture, elegantly pressing her fingertips together to stop the bleeding. Now facing the Torture Princess head-on, the demi-human noblewoman spoke. \"Elisabeth Le Fanu... You claimed to be one who knows love, did you not?\" Elisabeth tilted her head, not sure what to make of the question. In an instant, the golden eyes of the wife and mother standing before her took on a newly serious glint. She faced the Torture Princess, brazen and bold. \"Those who boast of knowing love cannot well make light of the love of others. Such is the oath I demand of you. I am well aware that my husband's crimes are beyond pardon. But when you find my son and his wife, I ask that you vow not to forsake them.\" \"You... Rather than submitting to torture, you would choose to negotiate? What\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis this your pride as a pureblood speaking?\" \"No, my love as a mother. I cannot...will not allow harm to come to them.\" The woman murmured, \"Surely you understand.\" Elisabeth gave the matter some consideration. It was no small demand. In fact, depending on how things were unfolding in the pureblood settlement, protecting the woman's family might well prove impossible. Aguina's wife went on. \"The whereabouts of the pureblood settlement in the Dragons' Graveyard\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe one found by the rebels, where my firstborn and his wife live\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwere hidden even from me. And the merchants the rebels used to track it down, as well as their supply routes, have doubtless been wiped out. Their lives and records lost to the rebels... As such, finding the settlement amid the vast desert will be challenging at best, to say nothing of the short time frame you're working under. And given how difficult it would be to hold the settlement otherwise, I think it's safe to assume that you'll find large numbers of mixed-race people lying there in wait. Well? Wouldn't you agree?\" \"...Aye, true enough. 'Tis imperative we get eyes on it posthaste. Still, though... Here I had thought you a dullard, but you're a sharp one indeed. Why, I would hardly take you for a noble at all.\" \"You know, my husband said that was what made him fall for me. Speaking of which, he told me something when he left for the palace. Not the location but something akin to it.\" Aguina's wife calmly looked up at Elisabeth. Her gaze was downright enticing. Her insinuation was clear, and her hook was cast. She laid her palm atop her chest. \"What will it be, Elisabeth Le Fanu? Will you accept my offer, or will you torture me until"}, {"text": "my blood and secrets run freely from my mouth?\" Her voice was calm and dignified, and it rang thick with determination. Even now, she was still searching for a respectable option. Either way, her path would be a thorny one, but she had steeled her resolve and, if need be, was prepared to commit a betrayal of her own. Elisabeth gave a brief nod. Even as the Torture Princess, she knew. When one option carried the danger of sparking interracial tensions, the other was obviously sounder. \"I cannot offer you any firm promises, as protection is hardly my forte. But if our assumption does end up holding true...then I shall devote whatever resources I can to ensuring their survival. Will that do?\" \"That is acceptable. Given my current position, negotiating better terms than that is beyond me. But know this\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou shall hear this information from my lips but once. For your sake, I hope you can glean meaning from it.\" The pride possessed by pureblood demi-humans was difficult to overstate. In one sense, it was insipid, and in another, regal. Steadfastly maintaining her dignity to the bitter end, Aguina's wife spoke. \"The way things are going, war may be inevitable. I have no intention of letting the calamity affect you or our people, but if you feel that you're in danger, gather the rest of the purest bloods and turn to the Sand Queen. She will lead you to us and our son.' That is the totality of what my husband told me.\" \"'Turn to the Sand Queen'... Meaning her corpse?\" \"Such irreverence. In our land, you would be executed for a comment like that.\" Elisabeth ignored Aguina's wife's admonishment. The Torture Princess frowned. Aguina may have been obsessed with blood purity, but he was also a pragmatist through and through. Whatever he was getting at, it must have been something that would actually work. Are the settlement's coordinates recorded on the Sand Queen's corpse somehow? No...just telling the purebloods where it is would be insufficient, given that they'd still need to cross the desert afterward. Some sort of teleportation mechanism installed in the corpse, then? Nothing happened when we blew it up, though... As Elisabeth sank into thought, she looked up. Aguina's wife was staring at her, almost as though trying to figure her out. Their negotiations were complete. Elisabeth gave her a wave to set her mind at ease. \"...That concludes my boorish task, so I shall be out of your hair now. Forgive the intrusion, wife of Aguina.\" \"Satisbarina.\" \"Hmm?\" Elisabeth cocked her head. From her human perspective, the word sounded almost like a tongue twister. Aguina's wife laid her wounded fingers atop her mouth and let out a sigh. \"I see you're a little slow. It's my name\u00e2\u20ac\u201dSatisbarina Elephabred. I am not 'Suffering Woman,' nor am I 'wife of Aguina.' We have made an oath, you and I, and as such, I expect you to remember that.\" \"Ah, I see... Then, Satisbarina, I have something I would tell you in turn.\" \"By all means, speak your piece.\" Satisbarina gracefully offered Elisabeth the floor. Elisabeth crossed her arms. She hadn't minded most of the accusations Satisbarina leveled her way, but there was one thing she couldn't let stand uncorrected. \"'Tis as you said\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI am the Torture Princess, a weapon of the Church, and a sinner. But I've no need of your pity, and moreover, I am no consort of the Mad King's. He is a married man and a devoted one at that.\" \"Oh, goodness me, I had no idea. My deepest apologies; I see I've touched on a painful subject.\" Satisbarina covered her mouth, not sure what to say. However, there was nothing that needed saying. Elisabeth got the sense that a new misunderstanding had taken the old one's place, but she turned around after deciding to leave things at that. A thought crossed her mind. 'Tis but a tale from long, long ago. Once upon a time, there was a boy who was brutally killed by another and a monster who brutally killed others. Or perhaps there was a child who was abandoned by his parents and a sinner who was abandoned by the world. By now, there was nobody left who knew how they had spent their days. But the sinner was fine with that. The two of them used to be together. That was enough for her. \"Fare thee well, Satisbarina Elephabred.\" \"And likewise to you, Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu.\" Thus spoke the Suffering Women those who loved the enemies of the world as though vowing never to meet in that room again. And with that, they parted, much in the manner that friends did. Elisabeth exited the room, passing by the gatekeeper boy as she left. He silently stepped back and resumed his post. As he did, Elisabeth strode down the white corridor. With each wordless step she took, her thoughts turned and turned. ...After La Christoph's death, I sent a familiar to the demi-human palace and discovered that the rebel troops had thinned out. I retook the area Alice and Lewis vanished from, but...most of the rebels were gone, and they took the demi-humans and demon grandchildren with them. Satisbarina's assessment of the situation had been on the mark. They still hadn't found the rebels' stronghold, but even though there was no guarantee that the pureblood settlement was where they were holed up, the sheer lengths to which it had been concealed brought that to the forefront of Elisabeth's mind. She needed to reexamine the Sand Queen. Right when she reached that conclusion, though, her train of thought was interrupted. \"Madam Elisabeeeeeeth!\" \"Ah! Y-you surprised me... Lute, is that you? For a moment, I half thought you the Butcher, back from the dead. So what is it? For you to come all this way down... Did something happen?\" Elisabeth blinked repeatedly as she stared at the wolf-headed beastman who had just rushed up before her. It was Lute, vice-captain of the Peace Brigade and Elisabeth's direct subordinate. His tongue was longer than a human's, and it hung from his mouth as he panted to catch his breath. All his coppery fur was standing on end, his tail was puffed up and sticking straight out, and to top it all off, his ears were twitching up a storm. It was all too plain to see that something was up. Had there been another attack? Had the masses gotten even more out of control? Both perhaps? Elisabeth narrowed her eyes as she considered the possibilities. However, she could tell that none of them were it. Lute was shaking his head indecisively, his gaze wandering and his nose twitching. Then finally, he raised his voice. \"Ah, to hell with it! I'm the first member of the Peace Brigade, and moreover, a sworn friend of Sir Kaito Sena's! For the greater good or not, I cannot sit by silently and watch this happen!\" \"Kaito Sena? What, did something happen to Kaito?\" If so, that was a whole different story altogether, and his alarm was well warranted. Elisabeth took a step forward as she spoke. For some reason, seeing his captain's reaction seemed to help cool Lute's head. He straightened his posture and gave his report. \"In the tripartite conference I was just attending as a guard, the discussion turned to the crowds protesting across the land. Things have settled down in the Capital, but the people in outlying areas are rioting. Casualties are already starting to occur, and there's concern that the rebels will use it as an opportunity to attack. And so the conference reached a decision.\" Lute took a deep breath. Before he could finish, though, Elisabeth sensed what he was about to say. She hoped against hope that her prediction was off the mark, but his next words served to squash that possibility. \"Handing the vessel of God and Diablo over to the rebels is off the table. Instead...\" Before the masses had a chance to become completely uncontrollable they would destroy the crystal, with Sir Kaito Sena in it. \"I see. A prudent measure.\" Elisabeth delivered her succinct response in the quietest of murmurs. Her tepid reaction almost earned her a dismayed howl from Lute. You're okay with this?! he seemed to be on the verge of shouting. But he took a single look at her face, and that was enough to drive him silent. Elisabeth had no idea what her own expression looked like, and in truth, she didn't much care. She just slowly closed her eyes. For Elisabeth Le Fanu knew. It was as one would their confidante, or their brother, or their savior. As one would a kind, incorrigible fool\u00e2\u20ac\u201d As one would any whom they ought to love\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Elisabeth Le Fanu loved Kaito Sena. And so if the world was going to betray him\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dthen she had no choice but to betray the world. 4 Atop a Farcical Stage The room was red. It was dyed all over with the color of fresh blood. As always, a chessboard sat atop its plain desk. Things had been bad to begin with, but now the pieces were truly scattered all over the place. The lines of marchers and throngs of rioters had only grown, and it was clear at a glance that the game had been thrown into disarray. Most noticeable of all, though, was the fact that the person sitting in front of the board was gone. In his place, there was but a single cold cup of tea. There was a figure in one of the other seats, though. Not a human, mind you. No, it was Hina, the Mad King's eternal lover and beloved automaton bride. For some reason, she was looking down. She bit her lip, a curtain of her silver hair hanging down around her face. Her petite fists were clenched tight atop the hem of her maid uniform's skirt, and her emerald-green jewel eyes were like veritable oceans of sorrow. Let us briefly entertain a hypothetical. If, at that moment, the Torture Princess had been there with her she would have spoken to her in the gentlest of voices. Come now\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthere's no need to be so sad, she'd have said. Then she would have stroked her head. A smile suits you far better, does it not? But hypotheticals are inherently meaningless creations. And without meaning, a creation is good for nothing. Hina's dearest lady wasn't there. That was the truth, and that was all there was to it. She was all alone. And off in the distance she could hear a girl singing. Apparently, the protests in the Capital came to a surprisingly peaceful conclusion. To borrow Jeanne's explanation, \"Hags don't fuck around!\" In a sense, it was utterly incredible how she had managed to convey no information whatsoever. Afterward, Izabella filled in the blanks. \"When the people were marching, an old woman went and stood in their way, you see. Then she faced the people demanding the Torture Princess be turned over and called them 'FOOOOOLS!' at the top of her lungs.\" Then, without so much as faltering, she addressed the crowd. She said that if they wanted to keep going, they'd have to kill her first. As she put it, \"If y'all aren't willing to cut down a single old bat like me, then how great can your cause really be?\" It was a dangerous, stupid thing to do. But it worked. The old woman was dead serious, and in contrast, the throng was utterly exhausted. The march ground to a halt. Eventually, a priest popular among the masses came out and was able to peacefully defuse the situation. Hearing that last bit came as a surprise to Elisabeth. Not long ago, such a thing would have been unthinkable, but it would appear that after the deaths of Godd Deos and La Christoph, the Church was slowly becoming more proactive. It was a welcome change, as any organization that sat"}, {"text": "silently and watched events unfold from on high was all too liable to grow twisted and rotten. Thanks to their efforts, the situation had been resolved without incident. However, one mystery yet remained. \"The thing is, neither Jeanne nor I had any idea who the old woman actually was,\" Izabella had concluded her report. However, Elisabeth had a hunch. Long, long ago, the Capital was on the verge of being engulfed by a horrible mass of flesh. Before dealing with the mass, she and Kaito had gone around dispatching underlings. And in the course of doing so, they saved an old woman. Afterward, the woman got down on her knees and thanked them over and over again. And right before the Torture Princess's execution, she had grabbed at the spectators' sleeves and desperately begged them not to execute her rescuer. Even so, Elisabeth never imagined that she would show up again and with such vigor. What in the heavens compels her so? ...Nay, 'tis simple. The woman was simply full of regret. Regret at not having been able to save the person who saved her. When Elisabeth laid out her theory, Izabella smiled and nodded. \"Then this, too, is the fruit of your labors.\" Elisabeth elected to withhold her modesty and simply agree. Blood drenched as their world was, it still had budding seeds of hope\u00e2\u20ac\u201dseeds that the Torture Princess and her dim-witted servant had strewn behind them as they went. But in spite of that, the Torture Princess was going to betray everything. In order to save the person who saved her. \"Well, it's not like I didn't see this coming!\" Of late, Vlad's incessant cheer had become even more pronounced. It was unclear when it had started or what had brought it on, but once again, he was merry as could be. He went on in a lilting tone. \"After all, our original plan was to smash the Diablo pillar, and you at its core along with it, before it could collapse of its own accord! Of course, that plan got shelved when a certain fool decided to shoulder God and Diablo himself, but that in itself was an aberration. As such, returning to the whole smashing plan seems an entirely natural course of events. I have to say, though, what an ungrateful lot they are!\" That was simply the way the world worked. After all, creation was but an unwanted child born from a single woman's despair. \"And as such, there's little point expecting anything from it! Wouldn't you agree, my precious?\" Vlad thrust his index finger straight at Elisabeth and held the pose. He was clearly waiting for some sort of response. Again. It would seem that his love for friendly banter with his beloved daughter had not waned. Elisabeth begrudgingly posed a question to him. \"Vlad, why is it you're so needlessly chipper? ...And why did you come along, for that matter?\" \"What a silly question, my darling. Why, I'm just trying to help my beloved dau\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Oh dear, I felt that one.\" A needle buried itself in Vlad's left eye with a squik. It was one of Elisabeth's Silk Pins. Vlad plucked the blinding weapon out. Just as Elisabeth expected, there wasn't so much as a scratch left on his eye afterward. In a way, it was impressive how his entire being managed to be so completely and thoroughly farcical. Elisabeth shrugged, then turned to face forward once more. A magnificent snowscape lay spread out before her. They were in a place with no day or night, a pure place crafted from snow and water, wind and mana. Above them, a rainbow sheen hung in the milky white sky. In truth, though, it was no sky at all. It was just a hollow space with no sun, no moon, and no stars. The ground was piled high with delicate little snowflakes, like tiny ice sculptures that been dumped out across the ground at random. ...The World's End. That was how the Saint had designated it. Elisabeth strode forward through the beautiful, empty, unchanging landscape. Behind her, Vlad followed along. He claimed that his aim was to help his beloved daughter, but there was no way of telling how true that was. Trying to understand what made He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind tick was no easy feat. And to obfuscate matters further, Vlad was wearing a most enigmatic smile. His buffoonish diction remains much the same as always, but that expression of his seems...different somehow. Elisabeth shook her head. That might be true, but so what? Now was no time to be getting caught up in his nonsensical pace. She needed to hurry. After hearing the news from Lute, Elisabeth refrained from immediately acting so as to at least carry out the bare minimum of her duties. Instead, she headed back to her room and waited for Izabella. Izabella gave her report, and Elisabeth conveyed Satisbarina's information to her in turn. Then, once the tripartite conference was over and Maclaeus gave her the order to stand by for the time being...she slipped out of the World Tree. In all likelihood, the decision to destroy the crystal was made midway through the conference. Yet the order I was given was to stand by for a time. In short, that time is precisely when they aim to mobilize the paladins. If I don't make haste... Elisabeth had but one objective\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto take the crystal with Kaito and Hina sleeping inside and hide it somewhere safe. She already had a spot in mind, so the one issue was how she was going to get the crystal there in a way that couldn't be tracked. After considering a number of different methods, she eventually just shook her head. \"Eh, I'm sure it'll work out. I am a genius, after all...and more to the point, I haven't the time to spend racking my brain.\" Elisabeth's voice trailed off into a hoarse murmur, and as it did, Vlad let out a cry of wonderment. \"Oh-ho, now this is a nostalgic sight! Magnificent as always, I see.\" Everything else paled in comparison to the oddity of the sight before them. It was physical proof of the miracle they had borne witness to. And it was the image that marked the end of their dilapidated fairy tale. Resting before them were two toppled-over pillars of ivy. They were like corpses of giants, each lying atop the other and propping it up. A cave sat at their center, like a profane little shrine, and the ivy's surface was still dotted with azure and crimson roses. Because of that, petals of both hues fluttered through the air without end. All in all, it made for a magnificent, florid sight, like something out of a pagan festival. And at the very center of it all, deep within the cave, sat a crystal. A man and woman were sleeping inside it. Their expressions were tranquil, and because of how transparent the crystal was, they looked almost close enough to touch from the outside. In truth, though, they were farther than the World's End, like unreachable flowers frozen in ice. And in front of Kaito Sena and Hina's unwaking forms\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"...I see. I'd not have thought you'd go to such lengths. 'Twould seem the Craven King has become quite the force to be reckoned with.\" \u00e2\u20ac\u201dstood a young man clad in fine furs. A sizable group of paladins stood at the ready behind him. Jeanne and Izabella accompanied him, too, as did a number of saints. His hands were clasped together sadly. It was Maclaeus Filliana. As the human king stood before the crystal of sacrifice at the World's End he slowly raised his head. \"So you anticipated my actions, then... Or, no, you intentionally let the information slip to Lute, didn't you?\" \"It's sad, Elisabeth. Every person in this world owes their life to the Mad King.\" Maclaeus answered Elisabeth's question by talking about something entirely unrelated, which she took as an affirmation. She narrowed her eyes threateningly. However, Maclaeus didn't falter. \"Sir Kaito Sena was a much better king than I am. In fact, you could even call him a messiah. And yet nobody cares in the slightest for his well-being. It's a sad state of affairs, and honestly, quite shameful. However...\" The greatest outcome was, as always, the greatest good for the greatest number. True dominion of the board lay with those powerless pawns. In a sense, the masses were like a single sprawling ruler. The things they thought and said had profound effects on the rest of the board. For how could they not? \"Peace needs to be... I need to maintain peace, so this is the only choice I have.\" \"Hmm. 'Choice,' eh?\" Lute was a sworn friend of Kaito Sena's and the person who regretted Ragnarok's outcome the most. With him stationed in the tripartite conference, 'twas but a matter of time before the information made its way to me. 'Tis a simple enough trap, but... No... Something was off\u00e2\u20ac\u201dElisabeth could feel it. But then\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Clang. A hard noise rang out, as though to cut off her train of thought. Two women stood before Maclaeus. To his left, silver. To his right, gold. Like a silver rapier and a golden flower. Both were breathtakingly beautiful, and both were well acquainted with the landscape of the World's End. And there was something else they had in common, too, Elisabeth knew\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey were both terrifying to have as enemies. \"Izabella and Jeanne... I never imagined I would end up fighting you two lovebirds.\" \"Nor did I. It's regrettable that things have come to this,\" responded Izabella. \"Is it? I myself think it's quite wonderful. Somehow or other, the lady and I have never had a proper battle. This might not be half-bad. Also, we ain't lovebirds! And not for lack of tryin', but that shit's easier said than done!\" Jeanne ended her comment on an expressionless lament. As always, she knew where her priorities lay. Now that she had Izabella and Jeanne's reactions to go off, Elisabeth thought back over the situation. Ah, aye. Sure enough... She wordlessly cast her crimson gaze toward Maclaeus. However, he too said nothing. The paladins and saints lined up behind him were silent as well. One of the saints, a young girl with both legs bound, returned Elisabeth's gaze with a cold glare. Next, Elisabeth turned around. Unsurprisingly, Vlad was smiling. This time, though, it was back to his normal condescending smirk. Now Elisabeth could tell exactly what was going on. However, she nodded nonetheless. \"Very well\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthen battle it shall be.\" Her tone was that of a child who had just been invited to play. She tapped her toes on the ground twice, and the snow crystals falling around her cracked and shattered. Their fragments glinted radiantly as they floated through the air. The Torture Princess, surrounded by their light, extended her fair arm straight out. A long sword's handle fell into her upturned palm. Elisabeth grabbed her blade. Jeanne raised her hand, the very image of an orchestral conductor. Izabella dropped to all fours like a feral animal. The paladins gulped. The saints offered no reaction. And the king closed his eyes. Elisabeth twirled her sword, its blade carving through the air as it turned. She held it at the ready. That moment, everyone present saw the same vision. It was as though rich music had just filled the air\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal.\" \"Waltz.\" \u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor it was clear to all that a ball had just begun. A ball replete with the sound of blades lightly clashing. Azure and crimson petals danced in unison. Crystalline snowflakes glinted in the light. And beneath the milky-white sky, they were joined by a series of sharp silver flashes. Izabella wielded her arms as weapons, each one like a metal whip, their strikes arcing through the air like a blow from a scythe. Many of her fingers had been replaced with"}, {"text": "mechanical substitutes, and any one of her attacks would be sufficient to rend flesh and crush organs. Yet not only did Elisabeth evade her deadly strikes, she did it with footwork reminiscent of a dancer's. Then she leaped backward with feline agility, landing on her feet with a light tap. Her black hair hung in the air. Before she had a chance to blink, Izabella closed the gap and bore down on her. Normally, no human could have possibly moved that fast. However, Elisabeth just snapped her fingers without so much as pausing. \"Recreation of the Plain of Skewers: Impaled Victim.\" An ugly noise rang out as the earth split open and stakes exploded up from the ground. Izabella reacted immediately, twisting her body at a sharp angle as far as it would go to avoid the stakes. \"Flexible\" didn't even begin to describe it\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif anything, she looked like a puppet being pulled about by strings. And what's more, she even evaded the stakes coming at her from her blind spots. Even so, it would appear that she was still the one in charge of regulating and maintaining her core strength. As Elisabeth watched the unified decision-making in action, she gave an admiring nod. Ah...'tis well and truly a waltz for two. The women of gold and silver were dancing as a pair. All of a sudden, Izabella grabbed a stake as it sprouted up beside her, wrenched it from the ground like an animal gnawing off a hunk of meat, and hurled it at Elisabeth. It shot through the air with the speed of a cannonball. Elisabeth brandished her sword. Then the world stood still. Or at least, that was how it looked to the paladins. As the stake approached her head-on, the Torture Princess cut it down. While the thunderous noise of her slash rang out, a great rush of crimson flower petals flew through the air like a chorus of cheering voices. And for a moment, neither side moved. Elisabeth and Izabella faced each other, neither saying a word. The silence was almost deafening. The air was fraught with tension. And as before, the saints didn't move. Nor did Vlad. Nobody wanted to break the unnatural stillness. Two pairs of eyes, one crimson and the other a mismatched blue and purple, stared into each other. Both women smiled ever so faintly. Then they dashed forward in unison. Elisabeth held her long sword aloft. Izabella reached out with her armored arms. The two clanged into each other. Both sides mercilessly pressed forward, each refusing to give so much as an inch. All the while, the gears in Izabella's face continued turning, their constant ticking and tocking a complete tonal mismatch with the rest of the scene. The woman of black and the woman of silver drew together, their lips so close they were practically kissing. Then Izabella let out a whisper that was barely more than a sigh. \"I take it you've noticed, Elisabeth?\" \"Of course. Izabella Vicker...you're holding back.\" Sparks flew. And as they did, the two parted. Silver and black hair became intertwined, got entangled, then came free. It made for such a bewitchingly beautiful sight one almost forgot they were watching a battle. The two women twirled round each other thrice, then came back together. Sword and palm met, as hands would of partners reuniting in a ballroom dance. Elisabeth and Izabella shared another surreptitious exchange. \"Good, then we're on the same page. King Maclaeus knows as well. Destroying the crystal with God and Diablo inside would eliminate a great weakness of ours, but it would also remove the sole thing keeping the rebels from going completely on the warpath. We would ensure our safety for a time, but it would eventually lead to our ruin. As such\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dour best option is to steal the crystal and hide it beyond the masses' reach. 'Tis quite the crafty plan, to say nothing of the fact that it forces sin upon my shoulders without so much as my consent.\" \"Yes, that's the problem. I know it's a lot to ask of you, but would you be willing to bear that burden?\" \"'Tis a good plan. I've no objections. I am the Torture Princess, after all. A woman steeped in sin. Crown me with thorns and cast stones at me all you please.\" Elisabeth's voice was quiet but dignified all the same. Izabella gave her a small nod. All the while, their blades kept screeching against each other. Elisabeth jumped back, casting a shower of sparks in her wake. She took another look around. The paladins couldn't intervene for fear of exacerbating the situation, and moreover, they had been swallowed up by the atmosphere of the scene. However, Vlad was staying just as motionless as the saints. And this was why. In a sense, their current situation was taking place atop the farcical stage as well. All the people gathered there were but witnesses to the charade, and in all likelihood, many of them had no idea about the Torture Princess's arrangement with the king. And that was for the best. The fewer people who knew, the less likely the truth would be to get out. That was probably also why he hadn't told Elisabeth about it beforehand. Deciding to have her pull it off with no advance warning had been a risky gambit, but he had threaded the needle excellently. Plus, there was something else the Torture Princess knew. This choice of his...'Tis not only I who bear a heavy burden but Maclaeus as well. There were many who had their eyes on the throne, and given how weary and angry the people were, there was a fair chance the mob would hang the king for his failure. Elisabeth shot Maclaeus a questioning gaze. Are you really fine with this? However, he offered her no answer. And that in itself was answer enough. There was no need for him to say it aloud. \"...Good heavens. I commend him on his growth, but perhaps he's matured too much for his own good.\" Elisabeth's voice was a low murmur. Maclaeus looked up to Kaito Sena, and he deeply regretted having forced everything onto him. Now, though, the king who once fled on his own had braced himself for the weight of responsibility. Elisabeth thought back on what La Christoph's disciple had said. \"People who bear such burdens seem so sad, each and every one of them.\" However, her ruminations were cut short. Taking advantage of her lapse in concentration, Izabella drew a concealed knife and threw it at her. The Torture Princess tilted her neck, but her decision to evade using the smallest motion necessary ended up being a poor one. A thin red line appeared across her fair throat. And a moment later fresh blood splattered across the frozen ground. Red, crimson, scarlet. Soiling the pristine earth. Without even sparing a glance toward the blood, Elisabeth snapped her fingers. There was no time to neatly heal the wound. Instead, she chose to roughly stitch it closed with string, an act that bore a striking resemblance to torture. More knives followed the first, but this time, Elisabeth sliced them away. Upon catching one knife on the tip of her sword, she spun her body in a half-turn. The knife, newly propelled, shot back toward its original thrower. Right before it landed, though, Izabella leaned forward and bit down. A horrible ringing noise reverberated through the air. The blade glinted as it sat pinned between her teeth. The paladins let out cries of shock and amazement. And thus did the extravagant dance continue. Meanwhile, the blood that fell from Elisabeth's throat began moving. Its crimson trail slithered across the ground like a snake, carving through the ice and forming a precise pattern. Finally, crimson met crimson. The snake had swallowed its own tail, and the trail's start and end were linked. A complete teleportation circle now sat on the ground with Kaito and Hina's crystal at its center. The blood began glowing. Feigning surprise, Izabella stopped in her tracks. And Elisabeth, presented with a flagrant opening, took it. She fired off a roundhouse kick. \"Gah!\" The kick landed squarely in Izabella's gut. After going still for a moment, she went hurtling out of the teleportation circle's radius, bouncing off the ground several times and crushing piled-up snowflakes beneath her with each step. Eventually, she rolled to an unseemly stop. With an injury like that, not even a seasoned veteran would guess that she'd taken the fall on purpose. Jeanne bit her lip. In all likelihood, she objected to the decision. However, Izabella's had been a necessary sacrifice. The more pain that was suffered, the better it would sell the lie. That went for Izabella, Elisabeth...everyone. And so without pausing to reflect, the Torture Princess raised her voice, loud and brazen. \"You're finished!\" \"My liege, get back! It's dangerous!\" Just as she expected, the paladins quickly moved to get the king outside the circle. They readied their shields and drew their swords, but they knew full well how powerful the Torture Princess was. They made no moves other than to protect the king. It was a prudent decision. Elisabeth nodded. All the audience members had left the stage. Now it was time for the ball's curtain to fall. The Torture Princess gave an elegant bow, and her black hair fluttered as she raised her head back up. Maclaeus was standing silently behind the paladins' guard. The Torture Princess mouthed a silent whisper. \"Farewell, Maclaeus, O tragic king of man, O wise fool who admired the Mad King.\" \"Good-bye, Elisabeth Le Fanu. May you find yourself in good health until the day they string us both up.\" The two of them locked eyes for a moment, knowing it might well be their final parting. Then they quietly averted their gazes. A wall of crimson rose up between them. Light from the teleportation circle danced through the air, and the petals began hardening. The cylindrical pillar was complete. And in that moment \"Ah!\" the moment before the crimson blocked out everything they sensed a wave of malice so hideous it was almost palpable. \"Daughter of mine!\" Vlad let out a rare scream. The pillar cracked. There was a hole right in the middle of its wall. And through it... ...a massive amount of blood could be seen gushing from Elisabeth's shoulder. \"Wha\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" That was enough to strike even the Torture Princess speechless. Not only had the attack pierced through her teleportation circle, but it still had strength after breaching the wall. That was a feat no ordinary attack could boast. To say it was unexpected would be an understatement. However, Elisabeth choked down her alarm and focused her attention on her shoulder. Upon seeing what was squirming atop it, she finally realized what had happened. It was a divine beast in the form of an albino rat snake. Its long body was faintly luminescent, and its scales rippled and flowed. If you wanted something to bite holes in dark magic, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better option. \"Bah, how annoying!\" Fully removing its fangs would take time. Instead, Elisabeth chose to prioritize mending the teleportation circle while still keeping its destination masked. If the unthinkable happened and she got caught, it wouldn't just put her in jeopardy but Maclaeus as well. Between the pain and the blood loss, her body temperature began rapidly dropping. However, she chose to ignore that fact. Pain was but something to be swallowed down. That was what Kaito Sena had done. Seeing her lack of resistance, the snake began slithering around and trying to gnaw through her shoulder. Elisabeth scoffed. I can reattach it later or else find a replacement. In fact, you'd be doing me a favor\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwith the arm loose, I can crush it and you in one fell swoop. But right when the Torture Princess made her decision... \"...Hmm?\" ...a splat sounded out... ...and the"}, {"text": "snake's belly went limp. Golden light poured from its body in place of blood. Elisabeth furrowed her brow, then looked over in the direction of the most likely culprit. However, Vlad wasn't the one she had to thank. He hadn't so much as moved from his spot. He had merely thrust out his arm, as though calling something. There was a rare serious look in his crimson eyes, and he was staring at the empty sky. It was a peculiar gesture, but it seemed to have done the trick. Upon further inspection, the snake had been pierced through by a beast's fangs. A displeased voice rumbled up, as though coming from the bowels of the earth. \"After all this time, this is what you call me for? I am not a snare for snake hunting, and you would do well not to treat me as one.\" The voice belonged to a black dog the size of a small cow. Each of his eyes burned bright with hellfire. After pinning the divine beast's tail in place with his forepaws, he ripped through its torso with his jaw, swallowing it down without allowing it so much as death throes. Divine beast or not, the gap between its power and his was unimaginably vast. Elisabeth pressed down on her shoulder as she called out his name. \"...It's been some time. It wouldn't have killed you to show up a tad sooner, though, Kaiser.\" \"Ha, it seems you don't know your place. Would you like me to pick up where the snake left off?\" The Kaiser, supreme hound and strongest of the fourteen demons, snorted derisively. His existence was the primary reason Vlad hadn't been executed. After the end of days, the Kaiser declared that he had grown bored of humans and disappeared. It was a completely demonic yet utterly un-demonic act of capriciousness. However, the fact remained that Vlad was the one who'd inherited his contract from the Mad King. And executing the Kaiser's contractor was easier said than done. If they tried to behead him or trigger his self-destruct device, there was a fair danger that the executioner would find themselves on the business end of a black dog's fangs. Of course, in his case, even if Vlad were about to be executed...would he show up? One wonders...'Twould depend...on his mood...no...doubt... Ah, this is bad. I feel faint... Elisabeth took another look at her wound. Crimson streams were pouring out from between the fingers she was using to press down on it. Dark magic matched up poorly against divine beasts. She was losing too much blood. Elisabeth leaned back against the shattering teleportation circle's wall, then slid down until she was seated atop the icy ground. She took a moment to think back on what she'd just seen, blurry as her vision had been. \"That...was...\" The young saint girl's eyes had been burning with a brutal, intense hatred. 5 The Beastfolk's Decision The red room was deathly quiet. The chessboard was a mess, and the pieces were in utter disarray. Plus, there weren't even any players. All that remained by the desk was a cold cup of tea. At the moment, that place, that place where nobody ought to be\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad a visitor. A woman had appeared\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201din that room, farther than the World's End. To. Fro. Chitter. Chatter. There was a voice. It wasn't clear if it was a dream or reality, but there was definitely someone singing. It was a young girl, her voice loud and full of pride. She called out, her tone that of a person dashing through a field with deranged abandon and laughing their head off. \"Come now,\" she was saying, \"let's be good girls and sing a song.\" \"Holy, Holy, Holy! \"Lord God Almighty, thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. \"Amen. \"Hallelujah.\" The last line was the Grave Keeper's final statement. It was odd. Why did people say hallelujah and wish blessings on one another? Why did they sing songs so rife with contradictions? Why did they give such perverse orders? How could they do all that yet remain utterly blind to their own sins? Until the day of your death, try to do some good at least. And if you cannot do good, then die. However, the very premise was flawed. What was \"good\"? What did the world that turned ever so properly deem good? At this point, is anything truly \"good\"? \"...eth...sa...beth... Lady...Elisa... Lady Elisabeth!\" \"...Hmm? What's going on there? You're making a racket.\" Upon hearing someone call for her, Elisabeth suddenly came to. When she did, she discovered a pair of emerald eyes wet with grief blinking right beside her. They weren't human eyes; they were actual jewels. It made for a beautiful sight and one that stirred up a wave of nostalgia in Elisabeth. When she saw them, she finally understood her situation, which came as a great relief. It was a delightful silver-haired maid peering straight at her. \"Oh, Hina, it's you. In that case, all is forgiven.\" Elisabeth let out a small breath, then shook her head. Pain's aftertaste still lingered in her body, and she felt as though she'd just had the most horrible nightmare. However, she was unsure how much of it had been a dream and how much had actually been real. Wanting to know where she was, she glanced around. Upon doing so, though, a deep furrow made its way across her brow. \"...Wait, where are we?\" The room was red. It was dyed all over with the color of fresh blood, and it was the kind of room that burrowed its way into your eyeballs and chipped away at your brain. A chessboard sat atop the plain desk at its center. Elisabeth stood and walked over to it. Upon peering down at it, she couldn't help but scrunch up her face. The pieces' arrangement was a mess, and even at a glance, it was obvious that the game was in a state of abject chaos. And to top things off, there weren't even any players. All that remained by the desk was a cold cup of tea. The oddest thing, though, was there were two pieces submerged in that cup. Elisabeth plucked them out. A red droplet dripped down her wrist. That was not tea in the cups. It was blood, and it dripped off the sword-brandishing boy piece and halberd-wielding maid piece as they rose. As she looked at the strange designs, Elisabeth finally realized something. \"Wait... Hina? Hina?!\" Hina was Kaito Sena's eternal lover and beloved automaton bride. She was also the Torture Princess's maid\u00e2\u20ac\u201da kind woman and one whom she held great affection toward. However, she was also someone who had no right to be there. After all, she and Kaito Sena were locked in a deep slumber within a crystal. Elisabeth whirled back around as though she'd been struck. She stared intently at the maid standing there. Hina gave a pained smile. However, she then abruptly looked down and bit her lip as her silver hair draped in front of her face. She gripped the hem of her maid uniform's skirt. Elisabeth hurriedly rushed over to her. She had a million questions\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhere they were, for example, and why Hina was there\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut she immediately discarded them all. Hina was mourning right before her eyes. That was the only thing that mattered. Elisabeth stroked her cheek, then stroked her head through her soft maid cap. \"Come now\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthere's no need to be so sad. A smile suits you far better, does it not?\" Hina's eyes went wide. She said nothing, and tears began streaming down her cheeks in large drops. Seeing that sent Elisabeth into a tizzy. \"What's going on? What's wrong? Is it something I did?\" All of a sudden, though, Hina grabbed her hand. Elisabeth's eyes went wide. Hina desperately squeezed her hand, tears still pouring down her face. Then, for some reason, she began talking just about as fast as her mouth would let her. \"There are a lot of sad things happening to you right now, Lady Elisabeth. Sad things, and painful things, and difficult things, and horrible things, and unforgivable things... And I'm certain there will only be more of them from here on out! But please, Lady Elisabeth, you must believe. And no matter what happens, you mustn't forget.\" Hina raised her downturned face with great vigor. Her tears gleamed like tiny stars as they scattered through the air. Elisabeth had no time to so much as get in a question edgewise. As though pressed for time, Hina continued her fervent plea. \"We... That is, Master Kaito and I, we love you so much! So please, you must protect this world of yours. Please...if you remember nothing else, remember that.\" \"How could I possibly forget?\" Elisabeth's statement rang with a certain coldness. Hina gasped. However, Elisabeth quickly gave her a smile. The Torture Princess then returned her grasp, clasping Hina's hand in both of hers. Elisabeth gently stroked the back of Hina's hand. The Torture Princess made her calm proclamation. \"I love you, too, Hina. I could never forget that...not even if I wished to. Nor shall I. Never, ever, ever.\" Thus did Elisabeth make her promise, her tone reminiscent of a child's. Hina blinked. At long last, a smile spread across her face, like a beautiful flower opening its petals. However, her expression quickly darkened again. With her face scrunched up like she was going to resume crying, she untangled her hand from Elisabeth's. Her fingers' faint warmth grew distant. Puzzled, Elisabeth finally asked a question. \"...Hina, what's the matter?\" \"It's time for us to go our separate ways, Lady Elisabeth. Someday, I'm sure...we'll... No...no, perhaps not. Please, though...please do take care of yourself.\" Little by little, Hina's voice grew fainter, and her face etched with its childlike sorrow grew more and more distant. Eventually, her familiar visage disappeared from view entirely. Elisabeth reached out, but those slender fingers of hers were nowhere to be found. \"Wait,\" Elisabeth tried to beg her. \"Don't go.\" But her voice wouldn't come out. Everything was growing hazy. For a moment, she thought she saw a shadowy figure. However, that too soon fluttered away into the darkness. It was unclear how much was dream and how much was reality but either way, everything came crumbling down. Elisabeth called out desperately to the figure she hoped beyond hope was real. \"Don't go, Hina! Don't go!\" \"......eth...sa...th......beth...Elisabeth!\" \"Hina!\" Elisabeth sat up with a start. Her head smacked into someone, hard. \"Hey, ow!\" they yelped. She tilted her head to the side. Hmm? She heard an oddly familiar voice as well as an oddly unbefitting quote coming from it. Right in front of her, the usual suspect was rubbing his jaw. \"Goodness, these surprise attacks are starting to get to me. That was a sincere cry I let out there.\" \"Calling that 'sincere' is about the scariest lie I can imagine.\" Hearing that man say \"ow\" like that was unsettling in the extreme. What if that wasn't a lie, though? Elisabeth's face paled a little. Perhaps she was overreacting, but the prospect was scary enough to warrant it. Vlad shrugged discontentedly at his beloved daughter's words. \"You know, I'll remind you that you're the one who head-butted my jaw. Well, no matter, I suppose. The long rebellious phase marches on, and it's up to my paternal love to be equal to it. You were tossing in your sleep\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis something wrong?\" It was unclear if Vlad's allusion to his \"paternal love\" came from a place of sincerity or mockery, but either way, Elisabeth decided to refrain from attacking him over it. She pressed down on her forehead. She had just been having a dream; she was sure of it. A lonely, nostalgic nightmare. And yet she couldn't remember so much as a single detail about it. \"...No, 'tis nothing. I think.\" \"Are you sure? But Elisabeth, you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Heh. You"}, {"text": "kept not waking up, so I tried calling you by your name for a change. Ah, the memories it brings back. Back to the matter at hand, though, you say nothing's wrong, but...\" Vlad curled his lips. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif he had something he wanted to say, she'd just as soon he said it. All of a sudden, something fell from the corner of her eye. The Torture Princess quickly wiped it away with her finger to try and pretend it hadn't happened. However, Vlad wasn't about to let it slide so easily. \"...it looks to me like you're crying.\" \"...I'm sure I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about.\" Elisabeth's reply was cold and blunt. The thing that had fallen was something most unbefitting the Torture Princess. In fact, it was utterly unacceptable. But if it had, indeed, fallen... ...then it must have fallen on behalf of someone from her dream. Someone inside a crystal, who could no longer cry themselves. \"So this is... Ah.\" Elisabeth took another look around. The place they were in was most peculiar indeed. For one, everything she could see was hard. That was due to the boulders piled up all around them. Kaito and Hina's crystal was narrowly wedged in between them, and the two of them were sleeping peacefully in the darkness of the boulders' shadows. However, there were also a series of sunbeams streaming down on them from overhead. By following the golden rays with her gaze, she could make out the heavens far, far above. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the sky above was clear and sunny. Its deep blue contrasted against the two mountain ranges that towered high up into it. Their peaks were misshapen, evidence of the magical explosion they'd been subjected to. The boulders piled around them were the remnants of those shattered peaks, but before the explosion, the area had been home to some humble abodes and horribly mangled corpses. The alchemists who lived there had willingly sacrificed themselves to give birth to the golden Torture Princess, and now they were all buried beneath the boulders. The area had been destroyed, just as they intended. In short, Elisabeth and Vlad were at the alchemists' hidden village. The birthplace of Jeanne de Rais. \"So we reached the destination safely, then... I visited this place but once, after hearing of it from Jeanne and coming in hopes of learning something from the magical traces here. And what's more, that was over two years ago. Impressive, I should think, that I made it here successfully under such conditions. I really am a genius... Wait, what of my wound?\" Elisabeth turned her gaze over to her shoulder. When she did, she found herself struck speechless. There was a bandage wrapped around it. Whoever tied it had evidently tried to do so carefully, but their results were clumsy at best. Elisabeth lifted the bandage to check on the wound. It was healing quite nicely, and the flesh had successfully knit itself back together. However, she clearly didn't have Vlad to thank\u00e2\u20ac\u201dpointless acts like \"wrapping it in a bandage, just in case\" weren't exactly his style. But then...who? Elisabeth fumbled through her vague memories. Indistinct flashes of the final bits rose to the forefront of her mind. A sad face disappearing. A familiar figure vanishing. Reaching out and being unable to find their slender fingers. Trying to beg them not to go but being unable to speak. Everything growing hazy. And then, for a moment, feeling like she saw a shadowy figure. However, that too fluttered away into the darkness. \"A shadowy figure...fluttering? A figure...in tattered rags, perhaps?\" It was unclear how much was dream and how much was reality but either way, everything came crumbling down. \"No, it can't be.\" There was only one person she could think of who fit that description. But Elisabeth shook her head. He was dead. He had cast himself into the abyss, sacrificing himself to fulfill the role allotted to him by his mother. Never again would he return. Suddenly, a deep voice rumbled out. It belonged to a black dog, and it rang with a deep, intense boredom. \"So what do you intend to do, foolish child?\" \"About what, Kaiser? What is it you're asking me?\" Elisabeth responded to the vague query as befitted such a question, and the supreme hound slammed his tail against the ground in irritation. As cracks splintered across the boulders near the impact site, he roughly gestured its supple black mass toward the crystal. \"It should go without saying that I'm asking what you plan to do with that. Such an ugly ruckus, this business about handing it over and smashing it and so forth. As always, humans are utterly incapable of making sound decisions.\" Normally, the human condition lay beyond demonic understanding. However, that particular beast had come to know hatred, and as such probably had a better handle on the rebels' motivations than most. However, he wasn't finished. \"And that goes for you, too. Mankind's shallow deeds are misguided and fraught with error, each and every one of them. All this nonsense comes far too late. \"Eventually, the end of days would surely come once more. \"Geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, fu-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh.\" When he laughed, his voice sounded almost human. Their imminent crisis was only the tip of the iceberg. A true, final end was coming. It was an ominous, despair-inducing prediction and to it, Elisabeth gave a resigned nod. Now then, it's time for a story. A tale of reality told as would be a fairy tale. A tale of God and Diablo. Such was the manner in which Vlad eloquently began his speech. \"Three years ago, the world very nearly met a tragic end.\" However, that seemingly immutable fate was altered by a single individual. After burdening himself with God and Diablo, the boy fell into a deep slumber at the World's End. Thanks to his deeds, the people of the world managed to avoid the apocalypse. The greatest good for the greatest number was, surely, the greatest outcome. One could say they all lived happily ever after. But whenever someone's story ends, there are some things that yet remain. With its lease on life renewed, the world continued on. But the bells would eventually toll on a new curtain's rise. \"...For that is the way bells and curtains are. And oh, how they toll! God and Diablo\u00e2\u20ac\u201dentities with the power to destroy and rebuild worlds\u00e2\u20ac\u201dexist. And now, all three races are now fully aware of their existence!\" Now everyone knew that there was a way to destroy the world. The true menace, the true threat, was the survivors' changed perceptions. After all, the true value of information lay in its ability to set people's minds in motion. And now that everyone knew that the world was something that can be ended, the end of days was no longer a pipe dream or a legend. It was oh-so-very real. \"'The end of days cometh, and destroying the world is an attainable feat.' With that fact proven, people will undoubtedly come out of the woodwork to try it for themselves. And in a sense, they won't even be doing it maliciously. For you see...\" \"'What kind of villain sees a chance to turn the world on its head and doesn't take it,' was it?\" Elisabeth took over for the closing remarks, and Vlad nodded in agreement. She was self-aware enough to realize what was going on. The mob's decision had been mistaken, but the Torture Princess's response had amounted to little more than grandstanding. On a long enough timeline, temporarily hiding Kaito Sena in an attempt to keep God and Diablo safe or destroying the vessel to return them to the ether would both end the same way. At the moment, the strongest thing mankind could summon was the Kaiser, apex of the fourteen demons. But now that it had been conclusively proved that the reconstruction happened, it was only a matter of time before more and more people began trying to summon God and Diablo. Having a clear goal allowed mankind to reach it in far fewer years than would otherwise be required. Astronomic as the odds were, having God and Diablo under control like this was still far better than having someone else summon them and return the world to nothingness. One way or the other, though, ruin would eventually come. No matter what option they chose. After all, this world was but an unwanted child born from a single woman's despair. As such, it was in its nature to eventually end. Every option led down the same road\u00e2\u20ac\u201dall they were doing was delaying the inevitable. And so to save this world in the truest sense of the word... ...would require freeing it from the God and Diablo system altogether. The Kaiser, an entity above all that, scoffed at the folly of man. \"Your human perspectives are too puny to grasp it all, I imagine. But from my vantage on high, it's plain to see that even with the end of days averted, it will eventually come to pass all the same. Two points in time, all but overlapping... And in that sense, my previous unworthy master, Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain, is the greatest dunce of you all. And yet... \"...I find it hard to imagine him being that blind.\" The final words escaped the Kaiser's mouth as little more than a murmur. His tone betrayed a surprising amount of confidence in Kaito Sena. Vlad's unpleasant smile widened. He opened his mouth, ostensibly to poke fun at the Kaiser. Wanting to avoid having a fight break out, Elisabeth made to stop him. At the last moment, though, she found something more pressing to comment on. \"Now, would you be so kind as to tell me why you followed us here...Lute?\" \"My deepest apologies. The thing is, I was actually at the World's End back then as well.\" A timid voice she was well familiar with rose up in reply, and a copper-furred wolfman made his way out from behind the crystal. Neither Vlad nor the Kaiser offered any reaction. Apparently, Elisabeth was the only one who hadn't noticed him. She clicked her tongue, annoyed at her own oversight. Perhaps she really was going soft. Upon hearing that, Lute's tail curled into a ball. He clearly thought it had been directed at him. However, Elisabeth waved her hand to dispel the misconception, and Lute's flattened tail and ears returned to their usual state. Still nervously cowering a little, he went on. \"I must say, that battle was a thing of beauty. But right as I was watching in secret, utterly transfixed, the saint fired off her unauthorized attack, and things immediately got chaotic. She must have been concerned for Madam Izabella's safety, I imagine. Anyhow, I took advantage of the confusion to slip into the teleportation circle. As for why...\" \"How you got here is beside the point\u00e2\u20ac\u201dso long as you've no intention of turning on me, that is. This reason of yours is what concerns me\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"And you want to know what he plans on doing now, I imagine.\" A response came, but the voice it belonged to wasn't Lute's. Lute bowed low and took a step backward. A panther-headed beastman strode forth to take his place. His night-hued frame was adorned with a cloak of white wolf fur and a military uniform of the finest make. His fur was short, his figure was lean, and he carried himself with majesty and grace. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes. Even she knew who he was. He was nowhere near as renowned as the first imperial princess, Valisisa Ula Forstlast the Dynast, or the second imperial princess, Vyade Ula Forstlast the Wise Wolf, but he too had been named as a member of the imperial family by the Three Kings of the Forest. As far as age was concerned, he was Valisisa's junior"}, {"text": "and Vyade's senior. \"First prince Vyadryavka Ula Forstlast.\" Elisabeth spoke the man's name. He nodded, then gave his cloak a flourish. It flared out behind him, and the ornamental peafowl feathers on his shoulders fluttered along with it. Then, as Elisabeth looked at him in puzzlement, he made his move. Without a shred of hesitation, the first imperial beastfolk prince knelt before the Torture Princess. Then, still on one knee, he gave Elisabeth a deep bow. She regarded him with suspicion. \"What's this now?\" \"It's quite simple, Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu. I kneel before you with a humble request. We can no longer place our trust in the humans. But you are a different matter, and my people have a score that still needs settling.\" \"And what score is that?\" \"Our emotions run deep, and our honor runs deeper. My sisters were murdered, and we will not take that lying down. So as such...\" One of Vyadryavka's fists was pressed against the ground, and he clenched it tight. Elisabeth thought back. Some of the demi-humans had betrayed humanity and sided with those of mixed race. In contrast, the beastfolk had maintained the status quo. However, it was clear to demi-humans and beastfolk alike that the humans could no longer be trusted. So what were the beastfolk to do? The answer was right before her. \"...we intend to receive the betrayer of humanity as an honored guest.\" The first imperial beastfolk prince made his declaration. His aim was as Vyade's had been when she extended her invitation to Kaito all those years ago: to pick up a blade the humans cast aside in order to do battle with it. 6 The Final Intermission The room was as red as always the chess pieces atop the board were in utter disarray and there was a woman crying into her tea. She was a young woman with lustrous silver hair, and her tears fell without end, their artificial fluids rolling down her pale cheeks one after another. She was an automaton, so the tears were fake. But her sorrow was as real as could be. She let out a quiet murmur, her thoughts still with the one who had just left. \"Lady Elisabeth...\" There was no answer. The Torture Princess had been stroking her head and saying kind things to her mere moments ago, but now she was gone. That was the bitter truth. Hina looked up at the red ceiling and bawled like a baby. \"Hey, Hina. I'm home.\" Suddenly, another voice echoed through the room. That in and of itself was odd. After all, the room was completely sequestered from the outside world. It had no windows. It had no doors. It was distant from everything. Nobody could leave it. And nobody could come in. It was almost like a graveyard. Or perhaps a prison. And in that place, that place where nobody ought to be \"Welcome back, Master Kaito.\" Hina dried her tears and greeted her beloved husband as though it were the most natural thing in the world. \"Welcome back, Captain Elisabeth!\" \"Welcome back, Madam Elisabeth!\" The chorus of voices all blended together. Standing before Elisabeth were her Peace Brigade subordinates, all lined up in a row. Elisabeth was so surprised she froze up. At the moment, she was at Vyadryavka's primary residence. She had come there after accepting his invitation, but upon her arrival, she found herself greeted by a number of people she knew. Whatever she'd been expecting, that certainly hadn't been it. Just like Vyade's manor, the building was crafted from stone, and its walls and ceilings were decorated with all manner of live ivy, flowers, and embroidered tapestries. Each member of the imperial family had a unique insignia that reflected their personality, and Vyadryavka's was an elaborate design that incorporated grapes, two panthers, and three species of ivy. In short, the halls were finely adorned, a fact well accentuated by the slanted rays of golden light streaming in from outside. And amid all that decor, there was a full lineup of familiar rugged faces. To put it mildly, Elisabeth had no idea what to make of it. She leaned over to Lute, beside her, and quietly asked him to fill her in. \"Wait... After the tragedy with Vyade Ula Forstlast, her Peace Brigade was reassigned to the World Tree to protect visiting dignitaries...was it not?\" \"Well, whenever I mention you to them, they always talk about how much they miss you...\" \"This was your doing, then?\" \"As you can see, I brought them all here to Lord Vyadryavka Ula Forstlast's manor.\" \"All of them?! This is absurd! Think of all the trouble this must be causing!\" Her voice still quiet, Elisabeth fired off a sharp rebuke. She may have been the Torture Princess, but she was also their captain, and it was her job to speak up when her subordinates were out of line. However, the culprits in question were collectively all smiles and grins. Given how calm they all seemed, she could only surmise that they'd obtained the necessary permissions to come. In fact, their whole ambience was so terrifyingly welcoming that even the Torture Princess was powerless before its might. Elisabeth spoke in a strained tone. \"...Er, erm...I'm back?\" \"Welcome home, Captain! Excellent work out there!\" Her men spoke in unison, their heels all perfectly lined up. Elisabeth tilted her head, just as flummoxed as before. It hardly seemed like an appropriate response. Not only was she currently on the run from the humans, but this wasn't even her castle. Welcoming her home hardly made any sense whatsoever. Beside her, though, Vlad puffed up his chest with satisfaction. \"Ah, what a delightful reception. I'm back, too.\" \"I'm sorry, but I don't think anyone was talking to you.\" This time, the reply came from just one of her subordinates, a dog-headed beastman who was quite proud of his short black-and-white-spotted fur. Although he had panicked during the raid on the second imperial princess's residence, he was generally hailed for his composed temperament, and his attitude toward Vlad was as cold as ice. Vlad replied with a malevolent grin. \"Heh-heh-heh. You have nerve, I'll give you that.\" However, the brewing tension was nipped in the bud by Elisabeth's subordinates lugging over a heavy package. The package in question was a basket woven from vegetable fiber, and its interior was loaded with thick cloth. Elisabeth tilted her head to the side yet again. Lute's ears perked up. \"Oh, would you rather start with a bath, then?\" \"Lute...I want you to take a moment and think about what you just said. A single moment, if you would. Just one.\" That was enough to give even Elisabeth pause. Why in the world would she want to take a bath? Sure, Vyadryavka wasn't there at the moment. He had sought out Elisabeth after hearing Lute's report and advice, but according to him, he had put off a prior arrangement to do so. It must have been rather important, as he left immediately after inviting her. His fur was practically standing on end... What could it be? Because of that, Elisabeth was hardly in any sort of mood for relaxation. However, Lute seemed earnestly surprised by her response. The Peace Brigade's members were many things, but blessed with social awareness was not one of them. Upon seeing her reaction, a sheep-headed subordinate of hers raised his hand and spoke, his voice brimming with confidence. \"Ah, right you are! Forgive us for being so insensitive, Captain. We all know how much you love to eat, so we should have known that you'd want to have dinner first!\" \"Once things settle down, remind me to dock your pay for disrespecting a superior.\" Elisabeth's tone made it clear she was being quite serious. The sheepman leaped back with shock. \"No!\" Elisabeth shook her head in exasperation. Is there anyone around here with a lick of common sense? Then she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. She turned, only to have her eyes go wide when she was greeted by yet another familiar face. It was a goat-headed beastwoman with intelligent eyes. She was a healer who worked at the World Tree as well as Lute's beloved wife. \"Why, Ain, it's you. I hadn't imagined even you would be here.\" \"Lute told me about what happened and about the injury you suffered. I finished my work quickly today so I could come. Now, let's see what we're dealing with. Come, come\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbe quick about it.\" \"Wait, stop, there's no need to\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Someone help me!\" Ain was a preeminent healer, but her methods were forceful to say the least. Elisabeth's men knew just how terrifying she could be...and they also knew better than to get in her way. Tragically, that meant there was nobody to stop Ain from capturing Elisabeth. She unraveled Elisabeth's bandage without letting her get so much as a word in edgewise, exposing her smooth shoulder. Ain narrowed her eyes as she looked the wound over. Then, clearly satisfied, she let Elisabeth go. The moment Elisabeth got free, she leaped backward with a feline hiss. Ain gave her a composed nod. \"It's not bad. Despite how ugly the wound is, it's healing surprisingly well. By tomorrow, there won't be so much as a scar. One thing I can't abide, though, is how dreadfully that bandage was wound. That said, it's about what I would expect from a skilled mage overly used to relying on their magic. Did you bind it yourself?\" \"Nay, not I! Although... A skilled mage, you say...?\" Elisabeth trailed off as she sank into thought. That cloth from before fluttered through her mind and then faded back into the darkness. She wasn't certain if he had been able to use magic, but she still couldn't think of anyone else who might fit. Sensing that Elisabeth was preoccupied, Ain turned to go. She certainly wasn't boorish enough to meddle in other people's business. Suddenly, though, she turned back and spoke in a sharp tone. \"The bath I've prepared for you is highly medicinal. I expect you to take it.\" \"...Yes, Doctor.\" Elisabeth raised her hands in defeat. And with that, her men carried off the basket, wagging their tails as they went. Regular bathing wasn't really a part of the beastfolk custom. However, what they lacked in quantity they made up in quality, and noble beastfolk would generally use large, public baths filled with flowers and fragrant herbs. The room Elisabeth now found herself soaking in was no exception. Red flower petals were even strewn glamorously across the water's surface. It was a wholly unnecessary flourish and one she suspected had been added for her benefit. After her bath, a lady-in-waiting led Elisabeth to her room. The beastfolk held nature in high regard, as evidenced by the vegetation adorning the guest room's stone walls. After they first learned to use fire, their early attempts at constructing buildings suitable for their climate led them to develop a technique where they combined stone with various other materials. The room Elisabeth occupied was simply another one of the fruits of that technique. Everything about it, from its sunlight-accommodating windows and hay-stuffed mattress to the carpets on its floor, were the exact same as they'd been in Vyade's guest room. Elisabeth let out a small sigh. She was feeling a most uncharacteristic emotion. However, her time working for Vyade had by no means been short. Not even she could escape nostalgia's pangs. ...But now she is dead. The Wise Wolf was gone. And even Elisabeth could tell how much their master's death was affecting her men. They were putting on brave faces, but it was taking all they had to do so. Valisisa Ula Forstlast had also been slain, but her subordinates were taking her death a little differently. After all, the Dynast's men were a group of battle-hardened soldiers, and they were no strangers to loss. For them, not being able to"}, {"text": "settle the score with her killer was eating away at them day after day. Elisabeth had been hearing about their frustration for some time. 'Twould seem Vyadryavka is keeping in close contact with their commanding officers. Earlier, Elisabeth had spotted one of them in the hallway. He'd had a dangerous look in his eyes, and his hand had been resting on his sword's handle. Even outside of battle, Valisisa's men were making no efforts to hide the fury bubbling up inside them. Embers of conflict were smoldering even there. Elisabeth shook her head. She sat down on the bed and flopped backward without so much as turning around. Then she took a look at the bandage she was carrying. She had tried analyzing it on the off chance she'd find something, but it really was just an ordinary piece of cloth. In fact, there weren't even residual traces of mana on it. In terms of identifying its owner, it was utterly useless to her, and yet something about it felt inexplicably familiar. She could have sworn she'd never seen it before, but it felt nostalgic to her all the same. She squeezed the cloth strip tight, as though she were squeezing a hand. \"...If you let your guard down in a situation like this, you might well end up dead, you know. What is it that commands your attention so, O daughter of mine?\" \"Well, I was just musing on how wretched a man would have to be to barge in on a woman he ostensibly calls his daughter. What the hell are you doing in here?!\" As Elisabeth shouted, she magically hardened her pillow and hurled it at Vlad for his troubles. He took a step back and raised his hands in a show of surrender. \"Worry not\u00e2\u20ac\u201deven compared to my old friend the Grand King, your build is too modest by half. There's no need for that particular type of concern, I'm merely being considerate of my daughter's\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Okay, well, see now, that one would have actually killed me! Ha-ha!\" With a laugh, Vlad sidestepped the guillotine rushing down on him from overhead. However, that left him unable to react to the elliptical hole that opened under his feet, and he disappeared into it so quickly it was like he'd never been there at all. That was thanks to the torture device Elisabeth had used to create a space under the floor. Death Row Cell had no windows. It had no doors. 'Tis perfect for giving him time to reflect on his actions. She shrugged, then sat back down on the bed. Right when she was about to get comfortable, though, Vlad's voice echoed up from within his confinement. \"Hey, daughter of mine, would you be so kind as to let me out? The floor's a little too hard to get any decent sleep in here.\" \"The fact that you immediately tried lying down and sleeping is impressive, in its own way. I think you're fine just where you are.\" \"Ah, how the rebellious phase drags on... I will say this, though.\" Vlad paused for a few seconds. With his echoey words gone, only silence remained. When he spoke again, his voice was far more earnest than she'd expected. \"When I said you could die if you let your guard down, I was being serious. I really am worried about you.\" There was nothing quite so ominous as a jester removing his makeup. Elisabeth let out a small exhale. She offered no reply to Vlad's message of concern. Instead, she merely closed off the hole. If Vlad got bored, he could always just break the spell to escape. She never intended the cell to actually hold him. Elisabeth then spread her arms wide and flopped backward for the second time. For some reason, she was dead tired. She slowly closed her eyes and gave herself over to the drowsiness. All of a sudden, though, her eyes snapped back open. At the same time, a knock echoed out from the door. Elisabeth succinctly gave them permission to come in. \"Enter.\" \"Pardon me, Madam Elisabeth.\" Lute did as instructed, then saluted as he gave his message. \"Lord Vyadryavka Ula Forstlast has returned.\" \"I must say, I was shocked when Ain told me she was pregnant.\" As the two of them headed to see Vyadryavka, Lute suddenly broached the subject. He'd clearly been wanting to talk about it for some time. Now joined by the sound of his voice, their footsteps echoed through the wide hallway. \"It's taken a long time, but we've finally been granted the greatest blessing a person can receive. I can hardly even begin to describe how happy I am. But at the same time...I feel like I just don't know anymore.\" Lute murmured quickly, practically speaking to himself. He probably wasn't looking for any sort of response yet, so Elisabeth continued listening to him in silence. Instead, she glanced around the hallway. The sun had already set, and their surroundings were dim. Desert lilies bloomed a brilliant white against the still darkness. A gift from the demi-humans, no doubt. As the two of them strode on, the flowers receded behind them. Now there was nothing much to see at all, and Lute continued. \"If my son or daughter were taken hostage, would I truly be able to make the right decision? What would I be willing to sacrifice, and what would I cling tight to?\" \"...Hmm.\" \"Oh, what am I saying? That's no way for a vice-captain to talk! Ha-ha, don't mind me. I meant nothing by it.\" Lute laughed, but it came out raw and forced, and his tail was drooping. Elisabeth knew exactly what had given rise to his worries. She turned her thoughts to what Aguina Elephabred said to them back in the demi-human lands. \"Of course. No amount of grieving, boasting, laughing, or crying will change who I am or what I need to do. Why not be brazen about it, then? And also, Sir Lute, back to my original topic... \"My son and his family live in that settlement.\" He betrayed everything, became an enemy of the world. 'Tis only reasonable he be denounced and despised by all. And yet... He never betrayed his family, nor did he betray his race. Depending on how history played out, he might well be remembered as a hero. However, he could just as easily be remembered as a laughingstock of a fool, with people coming to mock even his grave. But either way, his wife would take pride in what he did. And even so, she sold him out to protect her son. Each and every person has different things they hold precious. Or as someone once put it, \"In their heart of hearts, everyone has just one thing that truly matters to them.\" No two scales ever tilted quite the same way. Upon remembering that fact, Elisabeth opened her mouth and spoke. \"Justice takes a different form for everyone. All you can do is follow a path that shan't leave you with regrets. If you become my enemy, I shall strike you down, and if I become yours, you shall strike me down in turn. That's all there is to it. But know that yours is a blade I trust.\" Lute stopped in his tracks and looked at her in shock. Beastfolk expressions were difficult to read, but in that moment, Elisabeth was keenly reminded how that barrier could be overcome with familiarity and experience. She continued conveying her sentiments to her subordinate. \"You're an honest man, and you were a good friend to Kaito Sena. You've earned that trust well.\" Elisabeth said the words as though she were stating the obvious. This time, it was Lute's turn to open his mouth. His jaw dropped as he stared at Elisabeth in surprise. A good few moments passed before he shook his head to compose himself. With a loud click, he snapped his heels together and bowed deep. \"I fear you think too much of me, but it is an honor nonetheless.\" \"Do I? I thought it a rather deserved assessment myself.\" \"...You know, Madam Elisabeth, you really are the best captain a man could ever ask for.\" \"Hmm? I don't see how you got that from anything I just said.\" Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. All she had done was give voice to her honest thoughts. Lute raised his head with a terribly serious look in his eyes. He started to say something but stopped and shook his head. \"No disrespect meant, but...,\" he prefaced his reply, \"...that's something you'll have to figure out for yourself someday, Madam Elisabeth.\" \"...You're a strict one, aren't you?\" As the response sprang naturally from her mouth, Elisabeth thought back. Long ago, in a rattling carriage, Hina had told her the exact same thing. \"That's something you'll have to figure out for yourself someday, Lady Elisabeth. It wouldn't mean anything if I just told you,\" she had said with a finger playfully raised in front of her lips. Elisabeth had never gotten a clear answer to Hina's question from that day, and the chance to check her guesses had now been lost to her. Elisabeth closed her eyes for a few short seconds, then resumed her stride. At some point, the golden sunbeams lighting the corridor had been overtaken and replaced by silver moonbeams whose hue so matched the hair of a person she held most dear. The two of them continued briskly down the corridor. Eventually, they could hear a voice off in the distance. Someone was angrily shouting. However, there was no sign that anyone had bumped into them, nor did it seem to be directed at the lady-in-waiting standing outside the entrance. In fact, it didn't seem to be directed at anyone else at all. Those were the shouts of a man possessed. Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. Something was clearly up. Soon, the foyer came into view, and with it, the shouter pacing agitatedly around it. \"Again, again with this! It's okay, though, I still got a bite. I still got permission for my audience tomorrow. I'll do it...I'll do it, dammit! I'll get those three to take action! No matter what it takes, even if it costs me my life! No matter what it takes! I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dah, Madam Elisabeth.\" Suddenly, Vyadryavka whirled around. His white wolf cloak swayed as he gave her an almost intoxicated bow. He was riled up and dead tired, and his body smelled faintly of blood. Elisabeth furrowed her brow, wondering what the hell he had been up to. As far as she could tell, though, he wasn't wounded, nor did he appear to have anyone else's blood on him, either. It seemed unlikely he had just come from a fight. But what, then? \"Your wound is healed, I hope?\" he asked. \"...I do apologize, by the way, for inviting you and then taking off so suddenly.\" \"...Goodness, your voice is so hoarse I can barely understand you.\" \"Ah, that... Ha-ha, I may have overused my throat a bit, yes. No need to worry about me, though.\" That was the answer\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe bloody scent was coming from inside his mouth. He must really have run his throat ragged. Elisabeth replied with silence. Lute did the same. Talking to Vyadryavka now would accomplish little, as his heart was clearly elsewhere. After bowing once more, he began walking again. Several ladies-in-waiting hurriedly followed after him. As he scratched at his brow, he started muttering. \"That's right... It's unforgivable. Unforgivable. I will have my revenge. No matter what it takes. No matter what it takes. No matter what it takes.\" Elisabeth could see full well that the look in his eyes was the same as in Valisisa's soldiers'. Just like them, Vyadryavka was making no effort to hide the intense fury he felt toward his enemies. Once again, Elisabeth realized something. Ah. How right you are, Vlad. She really might end up dead if she"}, {"text": "let her guard down. Things had been peaceful that day, but even that calm was nothing more than a fleeting illusion. The tranquility was but an intermission in the farce. And before long, the show would begin again to cheers and thunderous applause. When that happened, those scant peaceful hours would vanish like they'd never been there. And what's more, she was sure that this would be the play's final intermission. 7 The Kings' Advent The room was as red as always and the pieces atop its chessboard were in utter disarray. However, things around the simple desk were quiet. At it, two people sat across from each other. Steam wafted up from their freshly brewed cups of tea, and there was a plate adorned with a small pile of cookies. Time passed peacefully there. They shared no conversation, although they did look up and nod from time to time to set the other's mind at ease. They both rested one hand by the chessboard, each squeezing the other's tight. However, that peaceful time of theirs soon came to an abrupt end. The intermission was over. Suddenly, the chessboard shook. It rattled ever louder, and its surface began rumbling. It was as though the earth itself was roaring. Kaito Sena leaned forward. From there, he could see the board's tumultuous change in its entirety. Something was appearing on it. Kaito's eyes went wide. Then, in a low voice, he spoke. \"...Here they come.\" \"My esteemed colleagues, I thank you all for coming here once again. Now, without further ado, let us be seated!\" A dignified voice rang out over the large round table. Yet again, they were gathered at the underground conference room beneath the World Tree. A few days had passed since Elisabeth accepted the first imperial prince's invitation. Sensing that the time was upon them, Vyadryavka Ula Forstlast had summoned the three races' representatives together. However, the dignitaries had problems in their own lands to worry about. The rebellion hadn't stopped, nor had the massacres. Cold looks lingered in their gazes at Vyadryavka having taken valuable time from them that could be spent dealing with their domestic emergencies. Despite the reception he was getting, though, the sharply dressed panther-headed beastman merely replied with a calm bow. Puzzled looks spread across the dignitaries' faces. The humans and demi-humans were one thing, but not even the lower-ranked members of the beastfolk imperial family understood what was going on. However, their expressions soon turned to ones of comprehension, each sporting a different shade of it but all possessing it just the same. \"It seems like something's changed.\" \"I wouldn't have expected this, not from someone who's neither the Dynast nor the Wise Wolf.\" \"Still, though, that confidence of his doesn't seem baseless.\" \"And confidence is often rooted in strength.\" \"From money, from armed might, from powerful backing.\" \"Or sometimes...\" \"Well, let's just hope it isn't madness or delusion.\" \"What is it he decided? What is it he obtained?\" In any case, I imagine that's what most of them are thinking. Elisabeth glanced around at the representatives and nodded. Everyone there was highly capable, and together, they formed the nucleus of society. They were not idiots. Unwittingly, she had come to much of the same conclusion that Kaito Sena once had. With a flourish, Vyadryavka raised his arm out to the side. A blue ring gleamed on his middle finger. \"Now, I know you're all busy people, which is why I should start with an apology. The reason I called you here today was to inform you of events that have already been set in motion.\" A wave of restlessness swept through the room. Some people even slammed the table and rose up from their chairs. They were hasty reactions, to be sure, but the situation had everyone on edge. At the moment, high spirits were a scarce commodity. One of Maclaeus's advisers leaned over and whispered something to the Royal Knight beside him. Suddenly, the young king took the initiative, rising to his feet to dissuade anyone from making any rash decisions. The room went silent. Perfectly composed, Maclaeus faced Vyadryavka and spoke. \"Would you mind elaborating? Given that you chose to call us here to make this announcement, I assume there was meaning in doing so. There would have had to have been. Do I presume rightly, Lord Vyadryavka Ula Forstlast?\" \"You do indeed, King Maclaeus Filliana. Now, allow me to say what needs to be said.\" The two nobles exchanged a glance from across the pure-white round table. Elisabeth frowned and thought back to the records she read after the end of days. That was the same table where Valisisa the Dynast and Kaito Sena the Mad King had played out their battle. Now Vyadryavka was imitating his older sister as he stood before it. In truth, nothing he was doing or saying was anything but base mimicry. There was a reason he had never made a name for himself while his sisters were still alive\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe knew full well just how stunted a vessel he was. And that was precisely why he knew that he needed to become larger than himself. The situation called for a dramatic change. And to make that happen, the first imperial prince would have to become capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with his sisters. He holds the Dynast and Wise Wolf in great esteem. And he held particular adoration for the first princess, as I recall... It was a silly little thing, but the first imperial prince's stance on the Dynast and the Wise Wolf was rooted in simple love. During her stay at his manor, Vyadryavka had told Elisabeth a story. \"When I was young, I asked Valisisa to teach me how to use a sword, and I got Vyade to patch me up afterward. I couldn't let my subordinates find out, you see. Because of an incident where a member of the imperial family murdered another and tried to pass it off as a tragic dueling accident, we were prohibited from so much as martial training. My sister railed against that restriction, though, saying that one dishonorable half-wit did not a people make as she knocked me off my feet over and over and over. 'You need to be stronger,' she would tell me. 'Weaklings are a disgrace to the imperial family...' And then Vyade would have to come comfort me, telling me that kindness was just as important as strength. Ah, how frustrating those days we shared were and what fun we had!\" ...'Tis nigh impossible to tell a man with such sparkling eyes not to base his decisions off something such as that. When you got right down to it, the mixed-race people started their rebellion for exactly the same reason. It was the simplest reason imaginable, but it was rooted in a heavy truth. \"Someone they wished was alive had been killed.\" That, as always, was what gave rise to the flag called revenge. Vyadryavka's white wolf fur cloak flapped showily behind him as he began his proclamation. \"Our lands are in chaos, to say nothing of our hearts. And waging a war of attrition is hardly an option, not when we have no idea how much stronger the Fremd Torturchen may yet grow and not when we have no idea what other weapons our foes may have in store. The rebels will bide their time, waiting for us to fall further into disarray, and when they come at us, they will come at us hard. The pressure is on us to act\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand to act now. Give me the map!\" When Vyadryavka barked out the order, Vlad gave a scornful laugh from Elisabeth's side. \"Well I see someone's being a bit of a taskmaster. Would it kill him to say 'please'?\" Despite his grumbling, though, he snapped his fingers all the same. Azure petals and black darkness swirled up before the round table, etching a large map in midair. There was a red mark on the vast desert that spanned much of its top half. Vyadryavka slammed his fist into the mark. \"We've identified their hiding spot! Right here!\" When his hand made contact, the map shattered. A shower of petals cascaded throughout the conference room. Amid the azure storm, a stir ran through the dignitaries. Elisabeth frowned. Vyadryavka's performance was flashy\u00e2\u20ac\u201dalmost excessively so. However, even though the people there had only seen it for a moment, that coordinate was now etched into their brains. Such was the power of Vlad's red mark. Before they had a chance to recover from the shock, the panther-headed beastman went on. \"We have visual confirmation on both Lewis and Alice, as well as a number of demon grandchildren. There can be no doubt that this is the mixed-race forces' main stronghold\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand that now is the time to strike!\" For a moment, the room was cloaked in absolute silence. Then it was as loud as if a bomb had gone off. It was a natural reaction. After all, unilaterally deciding to invade should have been completely off the table. There were people shouting at him for acting out of turn, people calmly trying to point out how dangerous it would be, people complaining that this wasn't the plan\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand they all blended together, echoing through the room like a buzzing swarm of insects. Everyone kept shouting and shouting, trying desperately to be heard in that bee's nest of a conference room. Elisabeth gazed at the chaos from the window. What Vyadryavka had done was inelegant, but that wasn't to say she opposed it. Endings always come swiftly, like meteors descending. That speed and fervor were necessary if they wanted to blow everything away. And they had to, for if they didn't, a calamity would come. A calamity would come. To all the people of the land. That was what they were up against. \"And for that sake, there is but one answer\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto take sword in hand, folly as it may be.\" During Vyadryavka's speech, Elisabeth and Vlad weren't actually present at the World Tree. Instead, they were on standby at the Sand Queen's temple over in the demi-human lands. The two of them gazed down at the proceedings through the window of what Vyadryavka's blue ring was perceiving. The reason they were there was to await the results of the second inspection. The first inspection\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe one on the Sand Queen's corpse\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad long been completed. There had always been a danger that they would run into the human army while conducting their investigation, but as yet, the temple was still quiet. In all likelihood, they had Maclaeus Filliana to thank for that. He must have kept the information he got from Izabella a secret. Viewed favorably, it was because he wanted to let Elisabeth handle it her way, regardless of whether or not she actually had the right to do so. However, he might just as easily have held back because he was concerned the information itself was a trap. After all, it was odd how Aguina's wife had been left behind. Her information was such that they had no choice but to look into it. But due to the fact that it was a potentially dangerous trap, the only one he could afford to have go was the Torture Princess. At the end of the day, though, Elisabeth didn't much care what the king's true motive had been. Either way, it didn't change what she had to do. As a result of her initial inspection, a new piece of information came to light. What she had found was an act of blasphemy and utter sacrilege. It was a teleportation circle, carved atop the Sand Queen's meaty tongue inside her sealed mouth. Normally, it wasn't possible to teleport out from the Sand Queen's burial chamber. However, that seal didn't extend to the inside of her mouth. Furthermore, it was a place nobody would ever look without knowing to do so ahead of time. After"}, {"text": "all, who would ever imagine a group containing several prominent demi-humans defiling the Sand Queen's mouth like that? That would be like the Grave Keeper abandoning her vows or the Butcher forgetting the Saint. And that was precisely why they picked it. That was what it meant to betray the world. However, one question yet remained. Even if Satisbarina went to the corpse, how would she know where to look? Their working theory was that Aguina's group had fed some of the other purebloods a piece of information that would draw their attention to the Sand Queen's mouth. That way, they wouldn't even realize it was connected to the betrayal, so they would have no reason to bring it up when they were being questioned. Plus, even if the information did leak, it would be meaningless on its own. 'Tis like a nasty bit of wordplay... And what's more, it's harder to decipher the closer one is to the demi-humans. From there, Elisabeth had analyzed the teleportation circle and identified its end point. However, she had refrained from activating it. Running mana through the circle would immediately alert their foes, and sending a familiar or communication device to the site would run a similar risk. Fortunately, though, Elisabeth had a trump card at her disposal that could make the impossible possible. The Kaiser, apex of the fourteen demons. If he went, there was little danger he'd be detected. The only problem was convincing him to go, but much to her surprise, he took on the task with surprisingly little resistance. As always, the Kaiser was a fickle beast. Perhaps he was merely tired of waiting on the sidelines. Thanks to him, they were able to scout the location. Sure enough, Alice and Lewis were at the pureblood settlement, and they were accompanied by a sizable group of those of mixed race. With that, their path was clear. All that remained were the fateful choices. Should they invade or not? And if so, then when? How should they coordinate the three races' forces? Should they send the demi-humans in at all? Who would act as commander? Vyadryavka's proclamation had been abrupt, to be sure, but that certainly wasn't to say his decision had been thoughtless. He was doing it to circumvent the array of interconnected problems bubbling just below the surface. A particular source of concern was the humans. The Torture Princess's flight had given rise to no shortage of scheming and plotting among their ranks, and the longer things drew out, the more people would start weighing their personal ambitions against the risks they carried. Once that happened, even the beastfolk would find themselves forced to start acting more cautiously. And Vyadryavka had another reason for acting the way he did, too. His other motive was related to Vyade's final curse. \"Valisisa Ula Forstlast was a precious treasure chosen by the Three Kings of the Forest, as was I. We were royalty, chosen by the Three Kings to serve as special pawns. We were this country's greatest treasures, as well as servants to its people. \"...For those who destroy such treasure, the only fitting punishment is death. \"For such an act is unforgivable. Till the end of days, you shall never be forgiven\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand thus, you shall perish here and now.\" Those were the Wise Wolf's dying words to Lewis and Alice. It was widely recognized that the Dynast and Wise Wolf were gifted, even for members of the imperial family. That was precisely whom those of mixed race had stolen from them. And to make matters worse, the demi-humans had shamelessly cast aside their age-old friendship to side with the rebels. From there, all that remained was a simple equation. There was no way for them to apologize. Not the slightest chance for atonement. Given those parameters, there was a pretty clear answer. You multiplied hate by resentment, then subtracted those pesky ethics. Then once they carried out their revenge on the second party, the story would come to an end. And if that becomes the common understanding of the beastfolk, as it once did for the mixed-race people... ...then even the unmoving would be driven to take action. On the other side of the window, the chaos was reaching its zenith. Even among the beastfolk, there was no shortage of people calling to proceed with caution. And they weren't even misguided in doing so. With so many uncertainties still at play, there was no one correct option. With the uproar showing no signs of dying down, Vlad gazed at the proceedings and whispered. \"Now then\u00e2\u20ac\u201dtime for the main actors to make their advent.\" \"Our victory is all but assured! Listen...and bear witness!\" The words had scarcely left Vyadryavka's mouth when an earsplitting roar rang out. However, the sound wave soon eclipsed the range of their perception. All they could sense of it were the terrible tremors running through the conference room. If anything, though, the fact that it was still quaking despite being silent save for the walls' creaking made it all the more terrifying. Fearing that it was an enemy raid, the knights and soldiers moved to protect their various charges. However, they soon realized that something was amiss. That noise had come from a beast. And what's more, the entire World Tree was shaking. Elisabeth's crimson eyes flashed as she murmured. \"I never thought I would live to see the day...\" \"It can't be... It can't! Is this really happening?\" Maclaeus, sharp as ever, let out a cry of abject shock. Due to his astonishment, though, his voice ended up betraying his youth. A moment later, several others who were a bit slower on the uptake gasped in disbelief. Everyone's gazes were fixed on the panther-headed prince. Vyadryavka nodded. This was what he had run his throat ragged for. This was what he had wrung his tear ducts dry for. This was what he had put his life on the line for. He spread his white wolf fur cloak wide. Then he made his announcement with the solemn dignity of a priest. \"Yesterday, at long last, we reached an understanding. The Three Kings of the Forest are going to war.\" Due to the murder of their finest royalty and their betrayal at the hands of their compatriots the demi-humans the Three Kings of the Forest\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbeings straight out of legend\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad been driven to action. 8 The Tragedy's Purpose \"Oh, I simply adore chess!\" A young girl in leather shoes swung her feet back and forth beneath her seat at the tea party. She laughed, innocent as could be. The red wall was to her back, and her seat was the one straight across from Kaito's\u00e2\u20ac\u201don the side of the enemy army. At present, she was fiddling with the chessboard, snatching pieces up and tossing them back down as suited her fancy. Then three crowned pieces appeared atop the board. They were much larger than the other pieces, and the girl regarded them with great interest. \"It's such an odd chess set, what with it having three kings and all! The thing is, see, I don't know the rules all that well. I just think the little pieces look cute. Did you know that Through the Looking-Glass is a story about chess? There's a Red Queen and a White Queen, you see, and the whole story is about their match!\" The girl threw out her chest with pride, her red eyes gleaming beneath the brim of her oversized hat. All of a sudden, though, her expression went blank and she spoke in an apathetic murmur. \"...Say, why is it you still think this world will amount to anything?\" \"Forget the pointless question\u00e2\u20ac\u201dare you sure you should even be here?\" Kaito rested his chin on his hand and answered her question with one of his own. He gazed at the girl with eyes just as emotionless as hers. She dumped a handful of sugar cubes into her cup and puffed up her lips in annoyance as she violently stirred. \"Pshaw, it's fine. I'm asleep right now! And you see, in my dream, I followed the scent of something familiar from another world. It was like I was chasing after the White Rabbit... I'm a very good girl, you know. You might not know it, but I can do just about anything! But the way you are now, not even I'm any sort of match for you.\" The white ribbons adorning the girl's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dAlice's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhat slumped down. Her emotions were as bombastic as they were varied. As the Mad King and Fremd Torturchen continued their Mad Tea Party, Alice spoke in the saddest of tones. \"Once I wake up, I'll forget that any of this happened. It's better for you that way, right? ...But see, that's how dreams really ought to be. You can't keep your memories from Wonderland once you go back. And Father said the same thing... 'Nightmares are best forgotten,' he told me. He said that he feels sorry for me because I always cry so horribly in my sleep.\" But what about this? With a small murmur, Alice tilted her cup over. Its red contents spilled out onto the board, and sugar cubes went tumbling and knocked pieces over. However, the maid didn't scold her for her rudeness. Hina merely stood silently by her husband's side. Eventually, Alice seemed satisfied. She gave a big nod. \"Well, I suppose either's fine! But since I'm here and all, I may as well wish for it to be a good one\u00e2\u20ac\u201doh, but the pieces have started moving, so I'm going to be woken up. That's quite a shame.\" Alice poked at the three massive pieces. Each crowned piece bore the form of an intersex beast. One was an ancient wolf, another was a white deer, and the final one was a colossal hawk. As they trampled over her army, Alice spoke in a quiet, singsong voice. \"Poor Kaito Sena. Poor Elisabeth. Poor, poor everyone. Someday, you're all going to break.\" Then a loud crash echoed. Her cup had fallen down. Alice was gone. All that remained was the crimson-soaked chessboard\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand the high-pitched echo of her laughter. The sound of flesh burning filled the air, punctuated by the snapping of bones. Somewhere, someone was being burned. And off in the distance, dragon bones were being crushed underfoot. The earth was searing hot, and the sky was choked with the black of smoke and ash. Great roars rocked the air. The Three Kings were laying out their decree: Burn the earth. Burn the trees. Burn every last blade of grass from the ground. Many of our foes will perish. For that is the price their betrayal commands. Another horrible tremor wracked the ground. Buildings as far as the eye could see shuddered and collapsed into splinters. For a brief moment, a monstrous silhouette appeared amid the burning buildings, and a mixed-race mage desperately firing off spells found himself snatched up by a colossal wolf paw. He screamed and begged for mercy but vanished into the beast's maw all the same. A horrible, graphic noise sounded out, and blood cascaded down like rain. With a thump, a single arm fell back to the ground. It felt like watching the world end. A man garbed in black, standing still in the middle of the chaos, let out a low murmur. \"'A calamity cometh. A calamity cometh. To all the people of the land. The coming messenger aims to blow the bugle of the end.' Although, looking at this, perhaps they already have.\" \"Still thy tongue, Vlad. And what are you standing out in the open so brazenly for? Get back here.\" Elisabeth wrenched Vlad back by his collar. Then she continued dragging him as she proceeded down the side alley. Vlad, in a surprising show of obedience, didn't put up a fight. The settlement made copious use of the surrounding dragon bones in its construction, and the upcoming street corner was fashioned out of one"}, {"text": "such skeleton. As she quietly slipped through its open rib cage, Elisabeth spoke. \"The front lines are no place for us. Our task lies in the shadows.\" Meanwhile, demon grandchildren with misshapen wings flew over the main drag. Weaving over the labyrinthine streets, they made for the Three Kings of the Forest like arrows. The air crackled with the sound of their bizarre laughter. However, one sweep of the Three Kings' tails was enough to crush them all like flies. They were outmatched, plain and simple. Elisabeth's thoughts turned as she watched their entrails soar through the air. The gulf in strength and size is simply too vast... Weapons designed to kill people are meaningless against the Three Kings. However, not even an army of summoned beasts would be equal to the task. There are scant few who could mount a resistance against a weapon capable of leveling a nation. The Three Kings of the Forest mowed down everything in their path as they made their advance. Behind them, the beastfolk and human soldiers trampled over the broken corpses of demi-humans, mixed-race people, and buildings. Their armor clanked, and their disorderly footsteps shook the ground as their chaotic advance continued. By and large, the invasion was a complete rout. Cries of successful conquest rose up from the various demon research facilities that had been set up in the underground shelters. Although there were still some areas left to subdue, it had all gone so anticlimactically it hardly even felt like a victory. The conference had taken place just a few short hours ago. Now the dragon bone settlement was a living hellscape. Once the Three Kings of the Forest got moving, the situation developed at a breakneck pace. It was like a boulder rolling down a hill. With no way to stop the Three Kings' march, the smaller beings had no choice but to fall in line so as not to be left behind. However, things ended up going surprisingly smoothly. Maclaeus was able to quickly identify the best course of action, and the paladins and Royal Knights both went along with it. They had already known that a battle with the mixed-race people was imminent, so for them, it was just a matter of assembling as much of their army as possible and using the castle's mages to teleport it so they could join up with the beastfolk. Meanwhile, the beastfolk's decision pulled double duty by forcibly removing the demi-human dignitaries from play. In short, the conference had also served as a trap. As for Vyadryavka, his forces were a hodgepodge consisting of the private armies of the late Dynast and other high-ranking members of the imperial family. The rest of the imperial family's soldiers were assigned to stand guard over the demi-human officials. Then Vyadryavka used the majority of the mage blood the beastfolk had painstakingly collected over generations to teleport both the army and the Three Kings of the Forest as close to the settlement as possible. It was a drastic move, but it got the job done. Once they got close, the mixed-race people sensed their presence, but by then, they had no time to flee. It was like trying to take cover from a tsunami or volcanic eruption with no advance warning. As it turned out, trying to escape a calamity was easier said than done. And that was truly the term that described what struck the pureblood settlement. The demi-human lands were home to golden sand, harsh winds, burning liquids, and myriad minerals mass-produced in the Dragons' Graveyard. Of the various graveyards, the pureblood settlement was located in the one with the least raw mineral ore and where the dragon bones were all largely in their original states. As a result, the bleached bone surrounding the settlement cloaked it in the constant reek of death. Despite that, though, the townscape itself was fairly posh. Its sandstone houses were decorated with jewel-and-metal charms, hand-sewn sunshades, and various succulents. There was also a temple deep within the settlement, albeit a fair shake smaller than the real one, and the path leading to it was dyed vermilion. They had done their best to leave the dragon bones as is and work around them, so the paths were intricate and winding, but all in all, the settlement was laid out in much the same way as the demi-human first sector. Due to the increased population from those of mixed race, it was almost like a small nation. Now, though, most of it had been obliterated. The Three Kings' march was destruction incarnate\u00e2\u20ac\u201da wave of pure, unbridled chaos. Everything they touched got demolished and consumed in their unforgiving wake. Against them, the very concept of order shattered and fell. Seeing them in action made Elisabeth keenly aware of why they had so obstinately refused to take the stage up until then. They were simply too powerful. 'Twould make a right mess of things, having power incarnate dictating national policy. That was probably why they had refrained from acting during the end of days, too. If they had made an appearance back then, it would have slowly but surely shifted the world's power balance toward the three of them. They were creatures of a bygone era, and they respected modern society too much to let that happen. That was why they only acted through the imperial family and stuck largely to their role as spectators. Even as more and more of the world's power balance shifted toward the humans, the Three Kings of the Forest had remained steadfast in their nonintervention. And if natural selection had slowly taken its course, they would probably have stayed that way. But then their beloved children were destroyed by an act that fell outside of that natural course. And what's more, a brother of the fallen shed tears and lifeblood to make a desperate plea to them. \"Please grant us your strength,\" he begged. \"Please, bless us with your compassion.\" So now they were making a once-in-a-lifetime march. The colossal hawk flapped its wings, shattering the bones that surrounded the settlement. The white deer hooves trampled houses and people alike. And the ancient wolf's fangs mowed down the survivors. Their foes tried to resist with all manner of weapons and magic, but the Three Kings' sheer power crushed them one and all. Many of the corpses they left in their wake were reduced to little more than piles of blood and viscera. For others, nothing remained but a single arm or leg. Several times now, Elisabeth had tried to look up at the Three Kings as they conducted their brutal savageries. Even so, she had yet to grasp their full forms. There were countless bits and fragments burned into her retinas\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsleek fur, majestic wings, an array of udders, limbs that stretched into the sky, and bestial eyes that looked like full moons\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut she couldn't reconcile them into cohesive wholes. Her brain simply refused to comprehend the Three Kings. All she could tell was that they were mighty, they were beautiful, and they were terrifying. They, too, were beings that superseded human comprehension. Their march, in comparison, almost called to mind a parade\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit was lavish and majestic and overwhelming. It was like something that would be thrown to celebrate a king's return. Everything about it was so ludicrously beyond the scope the smaller beings operated at. A dispassionate thought crossed Elisabeth's mind. This is no battle. The beastfolk were done grieving. This was their anger given form. Your deeds are as haughty as they are heinous, the Three Kings howled. As such, it falls on us to lop off your sinful heads. It falls on us to spill rivers of your blood, stack mountains of your corpses, and reduce you all to ash. Ironically, it was the same message as the mixed-race proclamation. For in the end, that was what revenge boiled down to. The rebel army had been well prepared to defend themselves, even against a fairly sizable force. However, they hadn't planned for the Three Kings' march. Not even the humans and beastfolk had. As such, the frontal assault served as a surprise attack as well, and the one-sided domination continued. As Elisabeth dashed deeper into the hellscape, her gaze lingered for a moment. She saw Lute standing between two leveled buildings. The copper-furred wolfman was barking orders at his subordinates to look for someone. Their eyes met. She nodded at him, leaving the rest in his hands. Amid the fire and ash and smoke, Lute straightened his back and gave her a deep bow. Elisabeth set off again. Most of the mixed-race people will die here and now. The traitorous demi-humans as well. That was why the Peace Brigade\u00e2\u20ac\u201dher subordinates\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwere in charge of a different mission than the rest of the army. Their task was to locate and protect Satisbarina's son, and they had official approval from the Three Kings of the Forest to do so. The Three Kings were kings before they were beasts, and they knew full well the ripple effect that breaking an oath with a prisoner of war could have on society. However, there was still no guarantee their mission would end in success. For one, the late Dynast Valisisa's private army was out for blood, and there was a genuine risk they would end up slaughtering the hostage residents along with their foes. Almost all the civilians killed by swords had been downed by their hands. Such was the depth of their rage and sorrow and such was the scale of their loss. And with how chaotic things were, there was no stopping them. Any attempt to control the soldiers scattered across the settlement would be an uphill battle at best. Off in the distance, young children could be heard screaming. As Elisabeth charged on, her expression unchanging, her thoughts turned once more. Did Satisbarina know this would happen? There was but one answer. She did. She might have seemed a dullard, but she was sharp as a knife, and it was difficult to imagine her harboring any naive illusions about how things would play out. She must have foreseen the tragedy that awaited, yet even so, she had taken the best option available to her and gambled everything on saving her son. For the sake of her love, she was willing to let everyone else die. And Elisabeth was the one who'd taken advantage of that fact. This particular hell had the two Suffering Women to thank for its creation. From beside Elisabeth, an easygoing voice cut through her reverie. \"You know, my precious, you get hung up over the oddest things. I can't imagine the screams rest easy in your ears, but it's a little late for that, no? If anything, you should consider them a badge of honor. Of all the tragedies you've caused as the Torture Princess, at least this one might pave the way for a brighter future.\" \"Silence, Vlad. I know not if you're trying to praise me or get a rise out of me, but in either case, I don't care for it one bit.\" \"Oh, I don't doubt it. And if I'm being quite honest, my aim lay with both in equal measure! Your reactions are so adorable; I really just can't get enough of them.\" Elisabeth gave Vlad's response a sharp click of the tongue. Oddly, Vlad replied with a smile. There was something really quite unsettling about it, but before Elisabeth had a chance to figure out what seemed so off, a scream cut through the air, and the wall to their left came crumbling down. Elisabeth raced on, dodging the rain of debris and kicking chunks of rubble aside. Suddenly, she noticed a dark figure the size of a calf running alongside her in the sandy cloud. There could be little doubt that he was enjoying the tragedy more than anyone else. The Kaiser spoke, laughing all the while in a voice that sounded almost human."}, {"text": "\"Ah, hell. Hell! Where everything burns and festers and crumbles and dies. Where are you off to in such a hurry amid all this death?\" \"I said it not moments ago\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwe have a task to fulfill in the shadows.\" \"My, how underhanded. What task is that?\" Elisabeth responded to the Kaiser by silently glaring forward. For she knew. There were two people, and two people alone, capable of turning the tables on this despair-inducing situation. The Fremd Torturchen Alice Carroll and Lewis. And hunting smaller beings like them was a job for rats. As such, Elisabeth voiced her and Vlad's mission aloud. \"'Tis simple\u00e2\u20ac\u201dkill Alice and Lewis.\" The two of them needed to be killed. That was the price of peace. To. Fro. Chitter. Chatter. There were voices. Throngs of people sobbing and screaming and trembling. Someone was loudly crying out with pride, \"Victory is ours!\" Someone else lamented their defeat, their tone that of a person dashing through a field with deranged abandon and laughing their head off. \"We're doomed; it's all over.\" And there, in that place that seemed halfway between a nightmare and reality, a young girl spoke. \"Come now, let's be good girls and sing a song. \"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall! Humpty Dumpty had a great fall! \"All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again.\" But what is it that truly can't be put together again? Right as the thought began tickling Elisabeth's brain, the girl stopped singing. She slowly spun to face her. The white, rabbit-ear-like ribbons attached to her oversized hat swayed from side to side. It was then that Elisabeth realized the girl was grinning and clutching the hem of her dress. She gave it a vigorous flourish. Desert lilies went fluttering up through the air. They were in the temple courtyard, and the girl had been picking flowers. That was what she'd been doing amid the destruction and the slaughter. Just like she had once before, Alice bent a knee. \"Welcome, Elisabeth. Welcome to Wonderland.\" With that, Alice gave her an elegant curtsy, and her white hair flopped adorably about. Although their surroundings had been reduced to a grim hellscape, the way Alice faced her was much the same as ever. Things were quiet in the temple, but red light lapped at the tops of courtyard walls. The settlement was burning, and every so often, sparks would come tumbling down. In time, the temple would go up in flames, too. Yet even so, Alice was waiting inside it without so much as trying to hide. Elisabeth nodded. She'd had a feeling this was how it would go. Fleeing and hiding weren't exactly Alice's style. Alice spread her arms wide as though gesturing at the conflagration outside. She began turning in circles. \"Say, Elisabeth. Did you do this?\" \"Aye, that I did. 'Twas I who laid the groundwork, and 'twas I who lit the fuse. What of it?\" \"Ah, I knew it! Oh, that's so sad. Poor, poor Elisabeth.\" Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. Surely it was the mixed-race people and demi-humans who deserved Alice's pity, not her. She certainly didn't feel poor. However, Alice just kept going, spinning all the while. \"Poor Elisabeth. Poor Kaito Sena. Poor, poor everyone. Someday, you're all going to break.\" What did Kaito Sena have to do with anything? Right as Elisabeth was about to voice that question, though, another voice cut in. \"Ah, Elisabeth Le Fanu... You're here already?\" Lewis strode out from inside the temple proper, calling out to her as one would a friend. Much to her surprise, he seemed completely composed. Most of his comrades had been consumed, and his experiments had gone up in flames. However, the light that burned in his one unmasked eye was as calm as ever. And as always, there was an indescribable sadness about him. Elisabeth raised an arm to gesture at the burning settlement. \"Behold the grim spectacle. Would you still call me weak? Would you accuse me of having had everything taken from me? And one other thing. Why do you yet speak to me with such confounding familiarity?\" \"Valid questions. Allow me to make one amendment, though. You are weak. But it's not a term meant for people like you. No...perhaps it never was.\" Lewis spoke quietly, as though talking mostly to himself. He gave his head a small shake. Elisabeth glared at him. For the first time, the faintest hint of dejection spread across Lewis's countenance. \"I and he\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe man who wanted a star\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwere too different. And you and I are different as well. But even so, I have to ask. Can't I persuade you to change your mind? To lend us your strength, mother the vessels of God and Diablo, and release Kaito Sena from his burden? Or if not that, would you at least join our side?\" \"Enough of your blathering. Frankly, I'm surprised...you seem to be taking this all in stride. But that point passed us by long ago.\" Elisabeth's reply came sharp. The time had come. The Three Kings' unprecedented march had laid waste to all the mixed-race forces' plans. At this point, not even swaying her mind would make a difference, not in the face of the all-consuming violence that was destroying everything in its wake. It was too late to wax poetic about ideals. All that was left was to cut the two of them down, and\u00e2\u20ac\u201d But then, suddenly, out of the blue... ...Elisabeth realized it. Something was off. His reaction, Alice's actions, everything. What if... What if none of this came as a surprise? There were countless tiny discrepancies she'd been filing away in her subconscious. It was like looking at a giant painting filled with little moth-eaten holes, and now bits of information were snapping into place one after another over the blank spaces. One by one, they twisted and turned and gradually came together. After all, it was odd how Aguina's wife had been left behind. And then there was the matter of Lewis's declaration of war. Even with a few of the demi-humans on his side, wiping out the three races was still a distant pipe dream. But depending on the Fremd Torturchen's strength, it might well be possible to overturn the world's power structure. Their dream was the realization of a perfect, idealized utopia. And to achieve that, there were certain prerequisites they had to fulfill. So what was it they needed? Then a different scene flashed through Elisabeth's head. The raided villages filled with poison and burned to the ground. That wasn't the kind of thing you did if your aim was a long, peaceful rule. Next, she overlaid that horrible image with one much like it. Jeanne's hometown. Countless people had died agonizing deaths in sacrifice to the Torture Princess. It was something that shouldn't have had anything to do with their current situation, but it filled a blank space all the same. However, it went without saying that pain was an indispensable component in dark magic, and that held just as true for the Fremd Torturchen. The completed painting melted, and something new rose up in its place. The mass of flesh born from its viscous sludge slowly but surely began assuming a human form. Was that hell truly of Satisbarina and Elisabeth's making? Wasn't it possible that that place filled with agonized screams was simply being used as a sacrifice? \"...No. You knew?! You knew this would happen?!\" Elisabeth shouted, her voice a fevered bellow. Behind her, the sound of flesh burning filled the air, punctuated by the snapping of bones. Somewhere, someone was being burned. And off in the distance, dragon bones were being crushed underfoot. The earth was searing hot, and the sky was choked with the black of smoke and ash. Great roars rocked the air. The Three Kings were laying out their decree. Burn the earth. Burn the trees. Burn every blade of grass from the ground. Many of our foes will perish. For that is the price their betrayal commands. And amid all the death and slaughter, amid all the horrific tragedy... ...Lewis just gave an ever-so-slight nod. 9 The Jester's Decision The room was red. Its walls, floor, and ceiling were all dyed with the color of fresh blood. It was the kind of room that burrowed its way into your eyeballs and chipped away at your mind. After all, staying calm and levelheaded when your entire field of view was filled with crimson was no easy task. But that was to be expected. The room was completely sequestered from the outside world. Nobody could leave it. And nobody could come in. It was almost like a graveyard. Or perhaps a prison. It was a place where nobody ought to be. That was why there was nobody there. It just...was. That was all. \"That should be self-evident. No matter how much our preparation exceeded the three races', the gulf in resources and manpower was simply too vast. Wiping them out was a distant pipe dream. The only way for us to overturn the world's power structure was with the Fremd Torturchen\u00e2\u20ac\u201dso as such, it was imperative that we fostered her growth. Surely you knew all that, Elisabeth Le Fanu?\" Lewis began his speech in a calm voice, one almost reminiscent of a teacher's. It was dim in the temple courtyard, but the flames visible over its wall were as ferocious as ever. A booming noise sounded out. The shelling must have started. As Elisabeth recalled, metalworking and the weaponization thereof was a particular strength of the demi-humans. However, even their cannons would be powerless against the Three Kings. They probably wouldn't so much as put a scratch in their sleek, hefty fur. The best they could even hope for was to slow them down. Despite that, the demi-humans continued their bombardment. All of them were desperately fighting for their lives. Yet the temple and the temple alone remained quiet. Lewis leisurely continued his dispassionate speech. \"We sought God and Diablo. But there were prerequisites we needed to meet before we could take the world, make it our own, and kill every last fool who lived in it. And to meet them, there was something else we needed to prepare.\" Pain and sacrifices were the water they needed to fill their limitless vessel. Lifting the hem of her skirt once more, Alice beamed. As she did, a trickle of crimson blood slid from the corner of her young lips. Now Elisabeth realized in full just how closely the events unfolding around them resembled the manner of Jeanne's creation and the method Kaito had used to amass his power. There were two things Lewis had once told her. \"By summoning from another world a soul that's accustomed to pain, placing it in an immortal body, making it form a contract with a demon, and giving it the heart of an individual who's ingested demon flesh and accumulated a massive amount of pain, it's possible to artificially create an entity capable of revolutionizing the world. \"...I summoned a pair of weaker demons into a man and a woman, then destroyed both their egos. They had two children. Then I bred the children together. By repeating that process, it was possible to create a pure, powerful demon. Eventually, I created a demon powerful enough to meet my needs.\" The ingested demon wasn't the only one; the demon for Alice's contract was likely produced in the same way. In all likelihood, it was nothing more than a mass of flesh and power, a caterpillar-like being with no reason or intellect, capable only of writhing, cackling, and suffering. Its strength no doubt paled in comparison to the Kaiser's, but if all you needed was an apparatus for turning the pain of yourself and others into power, then it did the trick just fine. And because Alice was from another world, there was no limit to the amount of mana she"}, {"text": "could possess. That method wouldn't be enough for her to surpass Kaito, but surpassing Elisabeth was another matter altogether. Now, thanks to a ritual they'd prepared in advance, all the pain being generated in the settlement was being offered up to Alice. \"...So that was why you left Satisbarina behind.\" If their location never got leaked, they could continue to demand God and Diablo while still going around and slaughtering villages to amass mana. And if the location did get leaked, they could sacrifice the settlement to collect all the pain they needed in one fell swoop. No matter how things played out, they would reach their goal one way or the other. It was simply a matter of when. \"You never cared if your location got leaked or not, nor did you care what became of the settlement. So...what about your demi-human allies, the ones who were trying to protect their blood purity? You were just tricking them?\" \"The demi-humans\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwell, it's not really my place to say. We demanded God and Diablo. However, we never held any great hopes for the world. It's true\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwe didn't care if the beastfolk's day of wrath came. The Three Kings' brutal rampage would do well to fill our vessel, and if it served to advance the Fremd Torturchen's growth, our comrades' lives and riches were a small price to pay. Just more dead killers for the pile. After all, it seemed only reasonable that the design of our revenge engulf its creators as well.\" Once Lewis got started, his words flowed like water. Elisabeth thought back to his earlier proclamation. \"If the end of days truly had been upon us, maybe it would have all been fine. All your atrocities could be forgiven, written off as isolated incidents of fear-induced derangement. But God and Diablo failed to bring down the hammer\u00e2\u20ac\u201dso I must do it in their stead. I'll take this world, I'll make it my own, and I'll kill every last fool who walks upon it. \"I don't need a reason. After all, justice died long ago. At this point, what use does anyone have for something so decent and proper?\" Lewis and his allies wanted to become \"proper shepherds,\" and their ultimate goal was the realization of a perfect, idealized utopia. But Lewis had never said a word about letting the world survive as is if it refused to accept his ideals. What if stability on par with what the current world enjoyed had never been part of his utopia's design in the first place? \"God and Diablo are powerful deterrents, but even if you couldn't get them, all you needed was strength enough to maintain your reign of terror anyhow. And as long as you could overturn the power structure, long-term stability was of secondary import... So what\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou had no qualms about never allowing peace to exist again? Does your hatred truly run that deep?\" \"It does. We are warped, Elisabeth Le Fanu\u00e2\u20ac\u201dresigned, angry, and broken. This was why I called you weak, you know, why I said you had had everything taken from you. You see, you were changed so completely it took you this long to even realize that about us. And yet because the person who changed you wished it, you'll never see him again. Poor Elisabeth.\" His tone was that of a teacher pitying their student. Elisabeth bit down on her lip. His statement was an affront of the highest order, yet so too was it an undeniable truth. Once, the Torture Princess had laughed as she basked in the anger and hatred of those around her. And not only that, she understood those emotions in their entirety. But a simple boy had irreparably changed her. Then he left. Smiling like a child. And the day of their reunion would never come. She was struck speechless. But only for a moment. \"They did it, Father! It's him! They found out where Kaito Sena is!\" \"...What?\" Alice shouted, her voice loud and clear. As she puffed out her chest, her white ribbons stood straight up. At that point, even Elisabeth couldn't help but let out a cry of disbelief. Only a tiny handful of people knew where Kaito Sena was. How could she have found him? And yet, it didn't look like she was lying. Alice's innocent thrill seemed genuine. Her glee made sense. If they could get their hands on Kaito Sena, then they wouldn't need to make so many sacrifices to the Fremd Torturchen, and they would be able to realize their perfect utopia all the more quickly. That was just how powerful a deterrent God and Diablo were. Alice leaped up with joy and continued on in a singsong voice. \"He's in the alchemists' hidden village, buried under the boulders! Rubens and Huey are on their way to secure him now! Hooray, they did it! They're the best! They're such good boys\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhy, I'll have to pat their heads and give them all sorts of praise!\" \"You wretch...\" Elisabeth let out a hoarse epithet. And at the same time, she dashed forward. Hesitation wasn't in the Torture Princess's nature. All it took was a single second for her to decide that killing them now was her best course of action. As she drew her long sword from a whirl of black and crimson, she elected to go for a thrust instead of a slash. Yet despite her sword's blistering speed, it was repelled by the curved back of a teaspoon. Sparks and azure petals went flying. However, having the sword land had never been Elisabeth's intent. At the same time she thrust it forward, she had also fired off a volley of stakes. But Alice caught them all in a cup. \"What?\" \"Dormouse's Tea Party.\" The stakes slammed loudly into the cup one after another, launching it up into the air. A moment later, though, the cup sucked them all in like it was eating them whole, and a colony of twinkling, twinkling little bats appeared in their place. Then the bats transformed into azure flower petals and faded away. But Elisabeth wasn't done yet. \"Gavel.\" *** A solemn, bell-like noise rang out. A mass of crimson flower petals scattered magnificently through the air. An enormous iron hammer swung down from empty space, the very air trembling as it fell. The attack was powerful enough to crush someone flat, even if they were clad in full armor. However, Alice didn't so much as flinch. Her white hair bobbed as she did a little spin. \"Flamingo Croquet!\" Then a strange bird appeared in her arms. Its body was round and pink, and both its legs and neck were long and slender. Then, of all things, she swung it by its supple neck and batted the hammer back, simultaneously using its belly to block the needles Elisabeth had stealthily launched at her. The bird let out a shrill, confounded cry when they hit. Then it and the needles burst into azure and crimson flower petals respectively. The two hues exploded outward and scattered about the area. Alice playfully closed one eye. Elisabeth clicked her tongue. It was painfully clear how explosively the Fremd Torturchen's powers were growing. \"Oh, Elisabeth, that just won't do. And you know that, don't you? See, I'm pretty strong. If you play with me like this, you're not going to make it in time. But if you try leaving now, well...\" Alice chuckled. It was a mean little bait, but Elisabeth knew full well how accurate it was. Alice and Lewis were no fools. Her explaining the situation to Elisabeth meant that even if she left now, she'd probably be too late. And even if she could make it in time, she would need to kill Alice and Lewis first. But doing so, especially quickly, was going to be far easier said than done. Elisabeth was still shaken, and meanwhile, Alice was having a blast. The Torture Princess and Fremd Torturchen stared daggers at each other. Then, out of the blue Elisabeth felt someone grab her by the belt around her throat\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \"And up you go.\" \"Hmm\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhmm?\" Then, just like that, they hurled her with ease. Right into a freshly drawn azure teleportation circle. \"Goodness me... You really are going soft, my dear. I told you once before, didn't I?\" A carefree voice echoed through the courtyard. Elisabeth blinked. More than once. Vlad was standing on the other side of the azure, and by all accounts, it would seem that he was the one who'd said, \"And up you go,\" and tossed her into the circle. Elisabeth panicked. She didn't understand what was going on. First things first, she needed to collect herself. She shook her head back and forth. Vlad shrugged and continued in an exasperated tone. \"Seeing someone beautiful succumb to sentimentality is like gazing at a work of art. And if they were a cruel woman, then all the more so. But as you are now, my precious, you're hideous. Back when you were filled with grim resolve, you were far lovelier, far greater, far more radiant, and far more beautiful.\" Just like before, his voice was tinged with sadness. Elisabeth stood, determined to find out what was going on. As she did, the teleportation circle started turning, and azure flower petals danced up into the air and began to block off her vision. Right when she was making to leave it, though, Elisabeth realized something. The circle's destination was Jeanne de Rais's hidden village. As the azure moved to obscure him, Vlad flipped something her way. \"But you know what? I'll allow it. At this point, what choice do I have?\" Elisabeth caught it with one hand. She stared at him, trying to glean his intentions. However, Vlad just shrugged. And the expression on his face was different from his usual condescending smirk. It felt almost forlorn, that smile of his. Like the kind of face one would wear when watching their child. Surrounded by azure, Elisabeth raised her voice. \"What are you playing at, Vlad?!\" \"Hmm... Answering in a way that would satisfy you would take more time than we have. So instead, I leave you with this\u00e2\u20ac\u201da quote that, as your favorite villainous ally, I'd always hoped to have a chance to say.\" His voice sounded detached, yet even so, he then began to brood. Through thick and thin, his love of theatrics never faltered. The azure's dance then started to blot him out completely, rendering everything beyond it unseeable and inaudible. But right before it could, he finally delivered his quote. And oh, how grand his tone was. \"Go on ahead. I got this.\" 10 The Fathers' Battle Inside the red room, there was... Well, that doesn't matter. More importantly... ...let's take a look through the window. \"Vlad Le Fanu... You\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Be quiet. I'm taking a moment to bask in the afterglow.\" Lewis's voice had a rare hint of loathing to it. However, Vlad cut him off. Explosions echoed off in the distance. A hard hoof had come down, trampling the piled-up cannonballs before they could even be loaded. But Vlad paid that no heed. He stood amid the din and the clamor, closing his eyes in rapt ecstasy. Lewis gave him a puzzled look. \"The...afterglow?\" \"Of having parted with my dearest daughter and of having had my quote land rather well, yes. Surely you understand.\" Actually, nobody ever understood what Vlad was on about. Realizing how fruitless trying to converse would be, Lewis went silent. Several nonsensical seconds passed them by. Then, after supping his fill, Vlad opened his eyes, and in the same motion, spread his arms out wide and did a pointless little spin to milk the moment for all it was worth. When he spoke, his voice was full and resonant. \"All right, that's about enough of that! Sorry about the wait. Now then, let's talk about possibilities!\" \"...Possibilities? Possibilities of what? As far as I can tell, you and I have"}, {"text": "nothing to talk about.\" \"Oh, but we do! So, so many things! And if you're dissatisfied, why, we can even talk about loathing. For no matter what we say, all this is but a tale played out atop a farcical stage. It's as the Kaiser said; eventually, everything will be lost. And that's a problem well worth worrying over...but right now, I actually have a different question I'd like to ask you.\" All of a sudden, Vlad steered the conversation in a whole new direction. It was impossible to tell if he even wanted Lewis to follow along or not. He snapped his heels together with great irreverence, then abruptly thrust one finger straight forward. And with the greatest of ease, he laid the man's secret bare. \"You don't have a heart, do you?\" Lewis went pale. For the first time, he seemed visibly shaken. Vlad spun his finger as though gouging an open wound. \"That thing beating in your chest is no true organ. Am I wrong?\" \"No true organ? ...Father?\" Alice tilted her head and looked up at Lewis with concern. Vlad's malicious smile remained steadfast on his face. Lewis squeezed his chest as though trying to hide it from Vlad's eyes, and Vlad went on with great amusement. \"'Summoning from another world a soul that's accustomed to pain, placing it in an immortal body, making it form a contract with a demon, and giving it the heart of an individual who's ingested demon flesh and accumulated a massive amount of pain.' A wonderful idea and a perfect method to create someone capable of revolutionizing the world. But it does raise an interesting question, doesn't it\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhose heart did you use?\" Vlad had a point. After all, you couldn't use just any old heart for something like that. Even just gathering the pain required a resolve of steel, and the whole process would be enough to kill most people. And what's more, the person also needed to be an exceptionally skilled mage. For example, one powerful enough to summon someone from another world. \"Of course, your otherworldly summons were anything but precise. No, you just gambled on the possibility of dredging up a soul that resembled yours, and this here is the fruit of your reliance on fortune! In any case, though, what you offered your new princess was your very own heart. All you have in that chest of yours now is a magically cultivated replacement, no? But it won't last long. And yet here you are, spinning tall tales about becoming a 'proper shepherd.'\" \"...I was wondering what you were getting at, but that was no lie. Even after I'm gone, Alice and my comrades will still\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Oh please, it's a lie of the highest order! Come now, be honest. There's no need for you to try to keep up appearances with me.\" Lewis was clearly flustered, and Vlad's malicious smile grew broader. It was an expression well worthy of the man who stood at the side of the fourteen demons' apex. He often came across as flippant, but he was still the man who had roused the fourteen demons and led them on their crusade. Exposing people's secret selves and hidden desires was his specialty. Vlad went on in a lilting tone. \"...About this idealized utopia of yours. I see it a little differently than my dear daughter does. I mean, you talk a good game about proper shepherds, but is that really what you aim to become?\" \"...Father, what is the man talking about?\" Alice was perplexed. However, Lewis offered her no answer. For once, he was the one whose composure was broken. Vlad's words were cutting him deeper than any knife could. With each verbal stab, he gouged deeper into Lewis's wound. \"Once you sober up from your stupor of blood and pretext, all that awaits you are your own broken souls. Such is the nature of your act. But if you abandon even your lofty ideals, then...then it would reduce it to being nothing more than common slaughter. And if that happened, you wouldn't just be letting down your allies\u00e2\u20ac\u201dno, you'd even be letting down your fallen brethren.\" If Elisabeth had been there, she would have no doubt agreed with him. Lewis's actions were all far too wasteful. Even when his goal was just to make a friend, his process had still involved leaving a trail of corpses in his wake. It was true: When an avenger played the role of judge, their verdict would always be the same. Yet not even that was enough to account for the callous way Lewis racked up his body count. It was almost like he was seeking revenge for revenge's sake. \"That was why you needed a friend, wasn't it? You know, I had my eye on him, too. But for all his power and fortitude and tenacity, he was simply too righteous. It's rare, finding a person who believes in God so completely and yet doesn't blame him for a thing. He's different from you, that's for sure. Too different. Honestly, what did you even think you had in common? Did you seriously delude yourself into thinking that you and he were the same? That you and that saint were\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Shut up, Vlad Le Fanu!\" \"You wanted someone righteous by your side, didn't you? Someone to make sure you didn't stray too far down an errant path. A linchpin, as it were. But then he ended up dying. Ha-ha.\" Vlad shrugged as he tossed in a quick laugh at the saint's death. Lewis offered him no reply. As Vlad faced him, his smile grew broader still, and he whispered in the most enticing of tones. \"Admit it. All you want is a weapon capable of killing as many as possible.\" \"Would you mind not saying any more? I have no interest in listening to any more of your drivel.\" Lewis tried to be evasive, knowing full well how dangerous it was to give even a scrap of information to that man. However, the look in Alice's innocent eyes was the only answer Vlad needed. He let out a chuckle. \"Ah, forgive me. I suppose I was being a bad influence. Goodness, how fraught fatherhood is. You always have to be thinking about the future, always have to be feigning concern. I can sympathize, you know, being a father myself and all.\" Vlad's expression of sympathy was utterly shameless, but surprisingly, he held true to his word and went silent. Then, after falling back a few steps, he laid out his terms. \"If you don't want to hear any more of what I have to say, then tell the girl to stand down. In turn, I won't use the Kaiser.\" Lewis raised an eyebrow, not sure what Vlad was getting at. Vlad shrugged, disappointed at how slow Lewis was on the uptake. Then he extended his right arm as though inviting him to dance. \"You can fight, too, can't you?\" And with that, Vlad's proposal was made. He turned around once more and took one step, then another. After the second, he whirled back around and spread his arms wide. Then, with the red glow at the wall's top to his back, he spoke with brazen dignity. \"Come now\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlet's see whose paternal love is stronger!\" No words of consent rose up to meet him. Instead, their battle began in silence. First off, Lewis gave Alice's shoulder a soft, wordless push to gently signal her to fall back. Vlad nodded in satisfaction. Splendid. Then, the next moment, Lewis vanished. With his arms still spread wide, Vlad cocked his head in confusion. An ax came barreling straight down at his cervical vertebrae. Without turning around, Vlad reached out and blocked the massive blade with his palm. It cleaved through his flesh, but halfway in, the ax came to an abrupt stop, as though it had been caught between someone's teeth. Lewis spoke, his voice far deeper than it had been up until then. \"What trickery is this?\" \"Hmm? I just reinforced my bones with magic, that's all. The flesh I left as is, though. I wanted to see how your attack would feel. And power aside, that was quite interesting! I never would have expected it to come in such a form!\" Lewis went silent again and forcibly wrenched his ax free. It left a deep horizontal wound on Vlad's hand. Blood violently gushed forth, staining the courtyard flowers a grisly red. A single pinkie toppled comically to the ground. Vlad took a lick of his own blood. His lips curled into a beguiling grin. \"You carry yourself like a scholar, but I can see you're not afraid to get rough when it's your turn to fight! Of course, it's not so easy labeling one or the other as your 'true nature.' Dark magic can easily be influenced by how aggressive its wielder is, after all. A side effect, perhaps, of how instinctively it's learned.\" \"When I joined the rebel organization, the first things I picked up were assassination techniques. Fitting work for a petty grunt, no?\" \"Ah, I see. Given how unhesitatingly you aimed for my vitals, I should have guessed you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Whoa there!\" This time, Vlad fell back a step. At some point, Lewis had closed in on him. Three crescent-shaped knives peeked out from within Lewis's black outfit, each one a different length. Lewis threw them in circles one after another. Vlad dodged two of them, then shattered the third with his finger. Darkness and azure petals scattered through the air. Left empty-handed, Lewis let out a displeased murmur. \"So what, you took the first blow on purpose?\" \"I said as much, didn't I? Still, what a letdown. I mean, I never thought you'd be on the level I was in my prime, but I also didn't think you'd be this bor\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Your head.\" A low murmur slipped from Lewis's lips. For a second, Vlad looked confused. Soon, though, a look of pure joy spread across his entire face. The one eye Lewis had visible beneath his mask practically dripped with loathing. Still as impassive as ever, he slowly raised a hand to point at Vlad's head. His voice was dry and hoarse. \"You probably don't even realize it, but you're protecting your head. And the rate at which mana flows through you is unusual, too. That body of yours isn't human\u00e2\u20ac\u201dso I take it that whatever houses your soul is stored in your head?\" \"Bravo! Bravissimo, using that keen eye of yours to make up for your lack of strength. How right you are! ...Wait, I probably shouldn't have told you that, hmm. Bad habit of mine.\" \"Ah, I see now. You're an idiot.\" Vlad gave Lewis's biting remark a nonchalant shrug. As he did, a massive pair of blades made for the nape of his neck. The strange weapon had extended from Lewis's long sleeve as though in place of his arm. It was like a pair of garden shears, and Vlad's head was the unwanted plant they were trying to prune. However, Vlad dropped his torso forward as spontaneously as if he'd tripped. The two blades snapped together, just barely missing the top of his head. Vlad then swung his long leg up and leveled a kick at Lewis's jaw. Lewis tilted his body to avoid the blow, then suddenly twisted to the side and hurled his shears at seemingly nothing. Sure enough, though, Vlad appeared at their destination not a moment after they left Lewis's hand. The shears pierced Vlad clean through. However, his figure merely crumbled away. A torrent of azure petals and black darkness luxuriously exploded in all directions. When the air cleared, Vlad was standing there as though nothing had happened. And almost as an afterthought, his severed pinkie was back in its original spot as well. It had been like watching a magic trick. Lewis clicked his tongue in unreserved annoyance. \"...Well, that's irritating. It's like your"}, {"text": "very existence is all one big joke.\" \"You know, my dear daughter tells me the same thing all the time! For how long her rebellious phase has lasted, you'd think she'd at least have mellowed out a bit by now, no?\" \"My Alice would never say something like that. Have you considered that she might just not like you?\" A cheer of encouragement rose up from behind Lewis. \"That's right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI'm Father's good little girl! Go, Father! You can do it!\" The mood about them was disconcertingly relaxed. However, Vlad didn't seem to mind. \"Well that can't be it,\" he muttered in genuine displeasure. Meanwhile, Lewis slid a new blade out of his sleeve. This time, it was his turn to mutter. \"I know why you picked this fight with me.\" \"Oh-ho, what's this? Not to steal your thunder or anything, but I was just hoping to amuse myself.\" \"...I can tell that's no lie. But it isn't the whole truth, is it? Holding Alice in check and going up against me alone allowed Elisabeth to escape...but I don't understand why. Why would you go to such lengths?\" As he posed the question, Lewis leveled a series of rapid thrusts at Vlad. Dodging them all would have been nigh impossible. However, the majority of the blows were mere feints. Vlad could see that plain as day, so he snapped his fingers as he danced his way around the important ones. One blow came at a sharp diagonal straight for his head, and that was the sole strike Vlad took the effort to actively repel. When he did, though, other blades found their marks and ran his arm and shoulder through. Despite all the blood gushing forth, though, Vlad was still able to put some distance between himself and Lewis. His body was in a grim state, but he let out a composed laugh all the same. Lewis continued his line of questioning, as though the previous exchange of blows hadn't even happened. \"You're the Kaiser's old contractor, so the Torture Princess had every reason to hate you. She probably holds you in great contempt. So then, why? Do you even know? My wanting a friend was one thing, but this makes even less sense. What exactly is Elisabeth Le Fanu to you?\" Lewis was clearly puzzled. Vlad stopped moving, and his glib expression vanished. Then, serious as could be, he gave his answer as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. He was like a man boasting of his greatest treasure. \"My dear daughter is simply that. She's my daughter, and she's dear to me.\" For a few seconds, Lewis stood motionless. It was unusual, seeing him so utterly at a loss for words. He shook his head in exasperation and disbelief. At that point, he was forgetting to even attack. \"That can't be... You seriously only think of her as a beloved child?\" \"Of...course? If not for that, I don't know how you think I could forgive being burned alive.\" Vlad placed his hand atop his chest and spoke with great aplomb. Lewis found himself struck speechless for the third time. However, the claim had a certain logic to it. Based on what had been listed in the records, Elisabeth had been the one to sentence Vlad Le Fanu to death by burning. Not even a crumb of ash had remained of him. Yet Vlad's replica didn't seem to resent her for that. In fact, he was even working alongside her. Nobody who thought like a normal person would ever be able to do that. \"Now then, while you're reeling in shock, I hope you don't mind if I wax eloquent for a moment. You see, I thought of Kaito Sena as an outstanding son as well. He was also my lord, but even so\u00e2\u20ac\u201d At first, I was just amusing myself by seeing how far I could make him sink, but not even I could have imagined how clear his twisted mind would remain, right till the bitter end! Thanks to him, I enjoyed every one of my days.\" Suddenly, Vlad's voice became rich with emotion, catching Lewis completely off guard. Vlad's expression was that of a man reminiscing on events that had taken place a century\u00e2\u20ac\u201dperhaps even a millennium\u00e2\u20ac\u201dprior, and he continued in a forlorn tone. \"But then he went and sealed himself in that crystal. It was sad, of course, but still it was a decision my dear son made of his own volition. A symbol of his growth from an unfledged vessel to a full, twisted man. And I have every intention of respecting his choice. But even so, what kind of a parent wouldn't grieve over something like that?\" Vlad shook his head as the emotions ran through him all over again. Lewis went pale. For Vlad Le Fanu of all people to say something like that was shameless beyond belief. Given all the lives he'd personally extinguished, it was an act that almost bordered on blasphemy. And yet Vlad went on, utterly carefree. \"But ever since this whole mess began, a whole new worry began plaguing me. And the bad feeling in my gut only grew stronger when your rebel army started butchering those villages. At that rate, I feared, I was going to lose my precious daughter as well. Such was the gravity of the dangerous change Kaito Sena's death sparked in her. I lamented that change at first, but now I forgive her. For everything. There was a time when I would have welcomed her death, but that changed when I lost my son. Now, I just don't want her to die.\" \"...What.\" \"I said, I don't want her to die.\" It took Lewis a moment to parse what he'd just heard. Once he did, though, it wasn't shock that crossed his face. It was rage. He drew yet another blade, a shark-toothed sword designed to cause massive blood loss, and swung it with feral speed. Vlad dodged it several times, occasionally parrying it as it spun. As their duel to the death grew ever fiercer, Lewis shouted. \"Enough of your bullshit, Vlad Le Fanu! You've killed thousands\u00e2\u20ac\u201dtens of thousands! And plenty of my people number among your victims' ranks! You slaughter people randomly and impartially, and you take joy in the act! And yet you, you say that you don't want someone to die?! I might not be in any position to talk, but you have to be kidding me!\" \"Oh, I assure you I'm not, but you're right on all the other fronts! Sure, I killed tens of thousands! But what's wrong with that? The vast majority of people, be they humans or beastfolk or demi-humans or mixed race, aren't worth the air they breathe! They're garbage, one and all! And that's precisely why I hold such affection for my children and none others. What is it you find so contradictory about that?\" Vlad finished on a proud, brazen note. Lewis could tell that there was nothing to be gained from talking to him. Vlad lived by a value system that was his and his alone. The scales he measured the world by were simply calibrated differently from all the others. In all likelihood, nobody would ever truly understand him. Not even his beloved son and daughter. However, Vlad himself didn't mind that fact in the least. And that was all there was to it. \"Love is nothing more than an illusion, and it certainly isn't something worth risking your life for. Or at least, that's what I thought. But as it turns out, making the ultimate sacrifice for paternal love's sake isn't half-bad! I guess you learn something new every day!\" Vlad enjoyed a moment of personal delight. In fact, he got so immersed in his own monologue that Lewis's sword strikes began landing true and gouging deep cuts in his body. But even with his skin and flesh shorn away and his blood pouring out from all over, Vlad's smile remained unbroken, and his stance remained the same as before. Lewis wasn't about to let that opening slip him by. He snapped his fingers, and a hefty handle plopped down into his pale palms. It belonged to a massive executioner's ax. Lewis then struck with it so quickly and brutally it would have been challenging even to block. And that was when it happened. Lewis's neck split open. \"Ah... Gack...\" Unable to even scream, Lewis let out an agonized gasp. It took everything he had just to stay upright. Vlad looked down at him with an icy glare. He dismissed the steel wire he was holding and shook his head. \"You talked a good game about being a practiced assassin, but at the end of the day, you're nothing but a rank amateur. All it takes to down a man is a tiny cut to a single artery, so what do you need a weapon that large for? Come now, don't get caught dancing to my tune over some dramatic flair and a little monologue or two.\" \"Father!\" \"Stay back, Alice!\" Alice cried out and made to rush over, but Lewis quickly stopped her. He staggered back a bit and summoned a swarm of azure petals and black miasma to converge on his wound. Realizing how difficult it would be to efficiently heal it, he elected instead just to cauterize it. After forcibly stopping the bleeding, he spoke. \"I'm...fine. There's no need for you...to be concerned. The blow was...a far cry...from fatal.\" \"Well, that's certainly true enough. It was never meant to kill you, after all. My son and my daughter both had rebellious streaks, and they never listened to what I had to say. Why deprive myself of the perfect audience?\" \"And one...other thing...\" \"Oh?\" Vlad obediently cupped his ear, and Lewis raised his head. His mask and skin were both stained with his blood, and the visible half of his face was violently grimacing. Now his eye burned with clear, unbridled malice. Vlad observed the change with great pleasure. Lewis let out a triumphant laugh in reply. \"It's over.\" \"What is?\" And with that, the right half of Vlad's grinning face vanished into nothing. What had just happened? Vlad blinked his one remaining eye in puzzlement. The next moment, though, his body crumpled to the ground, toppling unceremoniously forward like a marionette with its strings cut. Alice looked down at his unseemly state. When she spoke, her voice was cold. \"I didn't move, you know. Just like Father told me.\" Sure enough, she was telling the truth. She had her hands clasped behind her back like a good little girl. No, the change had taken place in the courtyard itself. An attack whose pitch lay beyond audible perception had burned the temple half to the ground. Its courtyard, a precious patch of green amid the vast arid desert, was gone. Searing temperatures had burned away the ground and transfigured it into some sort of smooth material. Vlad scrunched his face up a little. Not even he grasped the reason behind the change. Seriously, what had just happened? Alice, who had seen the whole thing, glared at him. Her white rabbit ribbons bobbed from side to side, yet it was the Red Queen she resembled most as she gazed down at the broken man. Taking mercy on him, she deigned to answer his unspoken question. \"But despair did.\" Her voice rang with ridicule as though mocking him for expecting anything more of the world. Off in the distance, a new roar rose up. Countless voices screamed, yet they were all one and the same. Die. Die. Die. The time has come. I have found you with my eyes. The heavens and earth shall be moved, and thou shalt come to judge the world by fire. This day, day of wrath calamity and misery day of great and exceeding bitterness. This day our master is resurrected. \"...The Sand Queen.\" Vlad didn't look at the figure"}, {"text": "shifting in the flames, but he reached his conclusion all the same. The one being who could stand on equal footing with the Three Kings was on the move. To be more precise, she hadn't actually been resurrected. Her corpse was simply moving. However, there was no shortage of legends about the Sand Queen going to battle, and now even her skin had become crystallized. No blade or magic could pierce it. Lifeless as she was, she posed just as much of a threat as she had when she was alive. As he listened to the excited hubbub coming from outside, Vlad let out a low laugh. \"Heh... I see... So you weren't tricking the demi-humans after all.\" \"That's right. They, too, had a victory they sought. With the help of our magical resources and expertise, the demi-humans came to a realization\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat there was a massive store of mana preserved within the Sand Queen's body. From there, all they had to do was apply the same method to it one did when animating a stone golem. They awakened the reactor and turned her perfectly preserved corpse into a weapon.\" Lewis gave his answer matter-of-factly. To the demi-humans, the Sand Queen was no doubt their final trump card, one they had wanted to avoid playing unless absolutely necessary. In all likelihood, having the teleportation circle on her tongue analyzed was probably the trigger that activated her. Then, once the demi-humans learned of the Three Kings' march, they must have sent her to the settlement in much the same way the beastfolk sent the Three Kings. From the sound of it, her appearance had caught the Three Kings off guard, and they had suffered injuries. That fact was evidenced by the sounds of beastfolk shrieking and screaming. However, before their wails had a chance to turn to angry shouts, the grief-stricken voices went silent one after another. They must have been burned away or perhaps simply crushed. Vlad glanced around, his eyeball practically hanging out of its socket. The world was burning red and crimson and scarlet. Everything was dying. It was ironic really. Out of rage, the beastfolk had spurred the Three Kings of the Forest into action, and to oppose them, the demi-humans had summoned the Sand Queen. One act of revenge was being piled atop another. Everyone was screaming that their enemies were the sinful ones. Vlad let out a small chuckle. All anyone wanted was a reason to seek revenge. They needed to scream from the rooftops that justice was on their side. Because if they didn't, all that would await them would be their own broken souls. All this, everything that was happening, was simply a means to that end. \"See, this is why I can't stand ordinary people. They're such headaches.\" As the words dribbled from Vlad's mouth, he shut his one remaining eyelid, as though unable to bear the weight of his exhaustion. An executioner's sword fell out of the air into Lewis's hand. Much like Elisabeth's, it was a weapon designed for beheadings. One final act of compassion. With the merciful blade in hand, Lewis approached his fool of an opponent. \"It's over, Vlad Le Fanu. You were a wicked man, vulgar through and through. But I do respect that love of yours, egotistical as it was... You were right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's a father's duty to protect his children.\" \"So...it is... But, you know...you're the last...person...I want telling...me that...\" Vlad curled his nearly shredded lips into a smile. He opened his eye once more, casting a gaze Lewis's way that seemed to be laying some secret of his bare. Lewis offered him silence in return. He raised the executioner's sword aloft. This would mark the farce's end. Vlad vomited an ugly mess of blood, flesh, and teeth. As an organ-laden mass fell out the side of his throat, he let out a faint murmur. \"Ah...it's over... It's over...isn't it?\" \"It is. It's over. Now, go to your rest.\" \"It is, O He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind. And be thankful for that. I was just getting bored of watching the performance. \"Geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, fu-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh.\" The laugh that boomed out sounded almost human. Lewis, caught off guard, stared in blank shock. For there was something he had never realized. There wasn't a person alive who truly understood Vlad Le Fanu. Few and far between were the people who would even think of sympathizing with a villain such as he. And there was no way that a man like that would ever see his promise through to the end. Then, with an absurd spurting noise a certain chest clad in a black, doctorly outfit got torn apart like tissue paper. \"See, this is why I called you an amateur. What possessed you to think I would keep my word?\" It defied explanation, but Vlad's voice rang with a brazen pride. As the words left his mouth, Alice let out a stupefied cry. \"...Huh? Hmm? What?! ...F-Father? Father... Father, Father!\" She screamed and ran over to Lewis. Utterly indifferent to the state her foe was in, she reached out her young arms as far as they would go. Thanks to her efforts, she was able to catch Lewis's body right before it toppled over. She propped him up, trying desperately to keep his guts from spilling out. \"Oh, thank goodness\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI made it in time. Please, Father, you have to pull yourself...together...\" Suddenly, something toppled to the ground between them. It was small. Something she'd never seen before. It was a small lump of flesh that resembled a small ashen sack\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand it was in the exact same shape as a heart. \"...F-Father? No... No, no, this can't be happening. This isn't happening, is it?\" The words spilled from Alice's mouth as a shocked whisper. Lewis tried to answer her, but all he got for his trouble was a mouthful of blood. He was still alive, but his wounds were far too serious to be healed. He didn't have much time. Vlad gazed over at them and let out a cruel laugh. Beside him, the supreme hound slapped the ground with his tail. \"Now then, O contractor of mine, what to do? I could seize the opportunity to flee with you in my mouth, but not only would your brains fall out, your self-destruct device is going to go off. I feel we're out of options. I imagine you'd taste vile, but nonetheless, how would you feel about me eating you?\" \"No, better not. Didn't you get tired of eating human flesh? And besides, I have a favor to ask of you.\" Vlad's voice rang with an unusual degree of sincerity. The Kaiser turned his snout up with unconcealed disgust. Hellfire burned in the black dog's eyes as he let out a low groan. \"Your tone sickens me, O He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind. Yet at the same time, I'm curious as to what sort of legacy you aim to leave. Speak your piece.\" \"I need you to give my dear daughter a message\u00e2\u20ac\u201d'I really did love you from the bottom of my heart.'\" \"Is that truly the sort of thing a villain ought to be saying?\" The Kaiser sounded utterly exasperated. Meanwhile, Alice sat as motionless as if her soul had left her body. The man and the dog, on the other hand, were sharing a conversation like they didn't have a care in the world. Vlad spat out a chunk of his tongue, then explained himself with great amusement. \"Oh, but that'th prethithely why... Hmm, my words aren't coming out quite right. I said, that's precisely why! This way, I can leave her with a wound that'll never heal. And the best part is it's completely true! Because at the end of the day, isn't wanting to be remembered the most human desire there is?\" \"Oh, please. Don't go talking yourself up now. Besides, I'm sure she is already well aware.\" The Kaiser snorted. Vlad gave his one remaining hand a little wave to no one in particular, and the blue ring on his middle finger gleamed. The black dog shook his tail from side to side as though to mock Vlad's foolishness. However, he then cocked his head. \"Wait a minute. You're my contractor. If you die, won't I vanish with you?\" \"Ha-ha... I guess that is a problem... Hey now, don't go biting me!\" \"How dare you. HOW DARE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!\" Suddenly, a scream split the air. Still holding Lewis, Alice was looking Vlad's way. The rage and bloodlust burning in her eyes were so intense they seemed liable to spill out from within. They almost resembled the supreme hound's hellfire. Vlad replied by flashing a smile. Alice raised her arm aloft. This time, the farce was truly, truly over. And oh, what a long, flippant, cruel, delightfully bothersome performance it had been. Then Vlad's eye shifted...and he let out a peaceful murmur. \"Oh... It's you.\" A single, incomprehensible tear fell. Then a cloud of azure petals and black darkness swallowed even that up as Vlad Le Fanu made his final exit from the world. 11 The Saint's Grief The room was red. Now the people were back at its plain, well-built desk. The man and the woman gazed down at the chessboard. What had once been a battlefield could no longer reasonably be described by that term. Now it was just chaos. Countless pieces lay broken, and even the board itself had been shattered. Kaito Sena picked up one of the pieces. It was shaped like a king, yet strangely, it had no crown. For a moment, Kaito Sena just gazed at the piece with its cruelly broken face. He started to say something. In the end, though, he elected just to shake his head without saying a word. Still silent, he snapped his fingers. The piece dissolved into azure flower petals. Nothing of it remained. The two of them had had their parting long ago. In fact, it had taken place on the day Kaito Sena himself \"died.\" Then Kaito Sena slumped back in his chair. He closed his eyes and sank into a deep silence. He seemed to be mourning someone's death. Or perhaps he was lamenting the madness taking place atop the board. It was unclear which. Either would have sufficed. \"Who are you trying to wound exactly? Fool. I'll have you forgotten on the morrow.\" For a moment, Elisabeth lapsed into thought. However, she soon shook her head and gave her fingers a snap. A blue ring floated up and shattered. Its jagged fragments hung motionlessly in the air. Then those fragments dissolved into azure flower petals. The ring was what Vlad had tossed her right before he teleported her away. When it shattered, so too did the window she'd been looking through. Even before that, though, its image had gone completely dark. Elisabeth dispelled it, closing the window as one would a coffin. Nothing of it remained. Considering how devious he had been, it was almost hard to believe he was actually gone. Elisabeth closed her eyes and thought of nothing. Suddenly, a clear, dignified voice sounded out. \"...So Vlad Le Fanu is dead?\" \"Aye, so he is. He was as good as dead already, but Alice dealt the coup de gr\u00c3\u00a2ce. And I don't imagine he had any spare replicas lying around... Anyhow, the Sand Queen is in play too now. We need to make haste.\" Elisabeth spoke as though intent on moving past the man's death as quickly as possible. She intentionally redirected her attention to the passages she'd once read. \"A body unheld by death's fell claim.\" \"A radiant form.\" \"A glittering frame.\" \"Adorned with reddened scales.\" \"Like beautiful stones.\" \"Our eternal protector.\" There were countless legends of the Sand Queen's glorious battles, and even in death, she was still a formidable weapon. Nobody could have imagined that the demi-humans would have a counterstrategy ready for the Three Kings of the Forest. Now things were"}, {"text": "going to get really ugly. Elisabeth cast her fatigued gaze forward. A gleaming crystal sat before her. And in it, Kaito Sena and Hina were sleeping peacefully amid the boulders. By all rights, Alice's statement should have come true. Elisabeth shouldn't have been able to make it in time. However, the crystal was still there, safe and sound. Elisabeth turned her focus to the duo responsible. The two stood as a pair, gold on the left and silver on the right. Jeanne and Izabella. By the time Elisabeth got there, the mixed-race people had already been trounced. Two of them\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlikely Rubens and Huey\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwere lying unconscious on the ground, and Jeanne stood astride them with one foot planted on each. According to Jeanne and Izabella, those two had fought tooth and nail to let the rest of their allies escape. The fact of the matter was, though, that it didn't much matter what exactly had happened there. The bigger problem was why Jeanne and Izabella were there at all. How had they gotten there on such an impossible notice? And what's more, why weren't they at the demi-human settlement to take part in the crucial battle happening there? However, Jeanne and Izabella had answered those questions in full earlier. \"Oh my, Fool, you didn't know? Damn, you really did go soft! C'mon, how fuckin' obvious was it that the best way for those jackasses to turn the tables on us would be snatchin' up God and Diablo?\" \"We knew that you two were handling Alice and Lewis, so we got permission to stand guard here. Jeanne was the one who figured out where to go. She reasoned that if you wanted to hide something, this would be the best place to do it. When we split up, I assumed she would be back immediately, but it turned out that she got it right on the first try. That intuition of hers is really quite something. I must admit I'm proud of her.\" After hearing that, Elisabeth was satisfied. Now that she thought about it, that did make sense. She hadn't considered it at the time, but Jeanne knew how well hidden this place was better than anyone. Once she realized that was what happened, a flood of relief washed over her. If those two had actually switched sides on her, it all would have been over. Afterward, they used Vlad's window to learn what was happening in the settlement. Izabella shook her head and turned her gaze skyward. She whispered, her voice choked with bewilderment. \"Who would have dreamed that they would use the Sand Queen's corpse like that...? I mean, that's the object of their worship. How could they even think of doing something so blasphemous? I can't even begin to wrap my head around it. It all just seems so unbelievable.\" \"I can certainly see it seeming that way, especially to you. But I daresay you have it backward.\" \"...How so?\" \"Desecrating the Sand Queen's corpse is a grave taboo, aye. But that's precisely why the idea came to them. The mental weight of betraying everything cast the thing they were supposed to protect most of all in a brand-new light. If they were already going to sacrifice everything for the sake of their race, then there was no need for half measures.\" Elisabeth tried to conjure up an image of Aguina in her mind. However, she could no longer picture that sharp-tongued intellectual with any sort of accuracy. She had no idea what kind of expression he bore at the moment. That fact was probably sad, all things considered. At the moment, though, there were other issues that demanded her attention. Once the Three Kings got injured, they would have begun beating a defensive retreat. Officially, though, I'm a traitor. My showing up would only serve to throw the human forces into disarray. I have to send Jeanne and Izabella back, move the crystal, and if at all possible, aid our side's retreat while remaining unnoticed... Such thoughts were highly unbecoming of the Torture Princess. Well aware of that, Elisabeth laid her hand on the crystal. It was cold and hard against her palm. First things first, she began trying to think of somewhere to send it. Then Jeanne spoke. \"There's something I really must ask, lady. What do you intend to do? The mixed-race folk have their sights set on the crystal, as do the masses. Plus, everyone's got their asses all riled up now. Plus, the situation's changed, and you know what that means.\" Given the current state of affairs, hiding the crystal for any prolonged amount of time would be nigh impossible. The likelihood their foes would get their hands on Kaito Sena, as well as the danger if they did, had just gone through the roof. Izabella picked up where Jeanne left off. \"With the beastfolk's help, it would probably be possible to find somewhere safe to put the crystal. But with the Three Kings of the Forest injured, there's a real danger that Sir Kaito Sena will end up being used as a bargaining chip. The situation really is different now. And whether we have the crystal or not, our enemies aren't going to hold back anymore.\" At the moment, scores of people were dying over in the settlement. Every second counted. However, the two of them were willing to expend that precious time asking Elisabeth about her intentions. That was simply how large of a threat the prospect of God and Diablo falling into enemy hands was. Elisabeth quietly returned Izabella's gaze and nodded. She was all too aware of that. The information has already leaked once, and no plan is ever perfect. Even if I hide it somewhere only I know, there's a limit to the range of unexpected situations I can deal with. There's no way to totally guarantee the crystal's safety. That meant that at the moment, the best course of action would be to destroy it. However, that was something Elisabeth refused to do. And besides, there was something else she knew, too. On a long enough timeline, even that would amount to folly. Even if they destroyed the vessel and returned God and Diablo to their higher plane, someone would eventually just summon them again. When that happened, it would truly mark the end of days. In time, the world would surely be destroyed. \"If we smash it, a new contractor will eventually rise up anyhow. They already figured out how to make the Fremd Torturchen, and with each experiment a talented mage performs, the day of destruction grows that much closer. The only way to achieve true equilibrium is to free this world from God and Diablo and to end the cycle of creation and destruction altogether.\" The problem was, how? Elisabeth knew the risks involved, and she knew she couldn't do it alone. As she got to work drawing the teleportation circle to her chosen destination, she prepared to explain her plan. But then she heard it. To. Fro. Chitter. Chatter. There was a voice. It was a young girl singing, her voice loud and full of pride. She called out, her tone that of a person dashing through a field with deranged abandon and laughing their head off. \"Holy, Holy, Holy!\" she cried. \"Lord God Almighty! \"Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. \"Amen. \"Hallelujah.\" Elisabeth could definitely make out someone whispering. A chill ran down her spine. She didn't know why, but she felt as though she had just been asked to do the impossible. That she'd just been given a perverse order. Until the day of your death, try to do some good at least. And if you cannot do good, then die. Then someone continued that thought in a strangely childish voice. \"So if you say that God, too, should perish...\" Then doesn't that mean the world should perish? Wouldn't that be the greatest good of all? Suddenly, Elisabeth recalled the sight of a young saint's eyes. So much had happened since then that the memory was a bit foggy. But the hatred in those eyes had been something else. Apparently, the saint's explanation was that her body had moved on its own when she saw the danger Izabella was in. However, that didn't explain the intense emotion she had expressed. And that wasn't all. Izabella had probably only told Kaito Sena's location to a few trusted confidantes. That way, the information wouldn't have been lost with her if she failed her mission. But no matter how tight-lipped a paladin was, there was one type of person they would always willingly divulge anything to. After all, the saints were the most respected people in the Church. Realization shot through Elisabeth like a bolt of lightning. She knew who had leaked the location to Alice's men. Suddenly, Izabella looked up. After looking around, she gave a relaxed greeting. \"Hmm? Who goes...? Ah, pardon my rudeness. Might I ask what brings you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Izabella, you fool! Get back!\" However, Elisabeth's shout came too late. At some point, a girl with dead eyes had appeared before them. Her slender legs were bound, but without a word, she unfastened all her restraints. When she did, the wounds on her pale legs opened up, revealing the rows of saliva-covered teeth inside her flesh. A snake slithered out from within their warm darkness. Then, with a flash of light, it shot toward Izabella's throat. Elisabeth conjured a shield of darkness. However, the divine beast shattered her hastily improvised defense with ease. Izabella's half-mechanical face froze in shock. Then the divine beast bit deep into human flesh. Namely, the back of Jeanne's neck. \"J-Jeanne...?\" \"Rgh... Gah... Well, that stings...like a bitch...\" \"That won't do. Won't, won't, won't do. That won't do.\" Izabella let out a dumbfounded cry. As she did, Jeanne's groan and the saint girl's words came in unison. As she whispered, the girl slowly rocked from side to side. Sure enough, her eyes burned with an intense hatred. The mouths on her legs wriggled and squirmed in accordance with the saint's quiet fury. Several more divine snakes poked their heads out of the openings. They emanated a slithering sound, as though trying to imitate the real things. Meanwhile, Izabella's confusion grew ever deeper. \"B-but why? Why...why would a saint such as yourself...? Jeanne? Jeanne!\" The Torture Princess clicked her tongue. Izabella was too straitlaced to understand what was going on. For now, that made her useless. Upon reaching that verdict, Elisabeth moved to provide the other two with cover and squared off against the young saint on her own. The girl's skin was deathly pale, and she was still rocking from side to side. She directed a quiet whisper at Elisabeth. \"You. I, knew it... Ever since, I heard, you were moving the crystal. I knew, you would reach that blasphemous conclusion. Because that's all you have. You want, to cut Him off.\" \"...Interesting. I see your mind's clear enough when it comes to matters involving God, then.\" \"You want to, separate the world from God, and take us saints, and cut off our connections to Him, don't you?\" The young saint's head slumped to the side at an odd angle. Elisabeth raised both eyebrows. The girl had her pegged. She was right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dElisabeth wanted to find a way to free the world from the system that was God and Diablo. That was the only way to save the people who lived in it. To those two higher entities, their world was nothing more than a castle of sand. As things currently stood, stability would remain forever beyond their reach. Elisabeth unashamedly explained her theory to the saint. \"And what's so wrong about that? At the end of the day, God and Diablo are naught but natural mechanisms! Entities that do nothing but repeat their cycle of creation and destruction! 'Twas man that decided God worth worshipping, but both of them are terrifying in"}, {"text": "equal measure! Why is it, then, that you cling so steadfastly to your connection with it?!\" \"No, no... I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI, you see. I, believed, in God. Believe, in God. Believed, really, reeeeally hard. But ever, since, my legs, were blessed with, these holy wounds, my memories, have, been really, spotty, you see? But, you see. There was someone, who believed, even if salvation wasn't coming. He, I mean\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Suddenly, the saint's voice began to tremble. For once, she was whining in a manner befitting a girl her age. Large tears glistened in her eyes. Elisabeth was struck silent. The vast majority of saints had had all but the barest of human emotions stripped from them, but the girl before her was crying in unmistakable grief. \"He said it, right through to the end. That God was with him. He said that God was with him!\" \"...Wait, you know of La Christoph's final moments?\" \"I do! I\u00e2\u20ac\u201d We, we all do! We're all, the same. We all believe in God, and we all love God, so, so, so why? Why would you take Him away?\" The girl shouted as she cried. However, her expression itself never changed. The tears merely streamed down her cheeks. She was heartbroken, just as anyone would be if someone they loved was on the verge of being killed. Whether she wanted to or not, Elisabeth could tell. Compared to the Torture Princess, who was fighting for a brand of justice disconnected from any worldly desires, the girl's stance was almost more respectable. She had faith in God, belief in her compatriots, and sorrow for those she'd lost. In fact, she probably didn't even care. She didn't even care that her prayers were going unheard. She didn't care that God was just a name they'd affixed to an utterly alien entity. She's driven by a simple love of God, so explaining to her that God is unnecessary will never get through. It was as a child loved their parent or as a parent loved their child or as anyone would rail against having someone they needed ripped from their bosom. And because of that, Elisabeth spoke. \"See, I can scarce think of anything further beneath my interest.\" For to her, that was something that didn't matter in the slightest. Nothing in the world was wrong or mistaken anymore. After all, justice, righteousness, and goodness had all been lost. For instance, how could anyone truly come up with answers? Was the mixed-race people's hatred just? Was the beastfolk's fury just? Was the demi-humans' desperate struggle just? If you asked any of them why they did what they did, they'd all give you the same answer. It was the only choice we had. But that wasn't true, now was it? They could have always choked back their hatred and fury. And they could have always just shut up and let themselves be killed. But they rejected that tragedy. Instead of staying silent, they reached for swords. They refused to let themselves fall victim to tyranny. They chose to fight for something. And once that choice was made, they had to see their conviction through to the end. The girl believed that the world needed God. Elisabeth had decreed that it didn't. That was all. There was no good there, nor was there evil. And right and wrong didn't even begin to factor in. \"As such...\" *** \"...I shall cut you down. Go now to your end, with belief in your heart and hatred for me on your lips.\" Having already stepped forward, Elisabeth held the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal aloft. But the moment before the blade met its target, the wounds on the girl's legs loudly opened up. Inside, hundreds of teeth sat in shiny rows, like she had undergone some sort of macabre surgery. The mouths laughed as one. Then light gushed from their throats like vomit. A massive serpent wrapped itself around the girl, so large it seemed almost to be strangling her. Elisabeth carefully adjusted the tip of her blade to aim at a gap between its coils. The serpent writhed and it reared its many heads. Then, all at once the deadly balance was broken. \"The thing is, people's worth lies solely in their value as playthings. And your faith is uninteresting to me. Begone from my sight.\" A voice boomed out that sounded almost human, and a presence of overwhelming darkness made its appearance. Sensing imminent danger, Elisabeth stopped in her tracks, then quickly leaped backward. And with a single sweep of the Kaiser's mighty tail the frail young saint was sent flying. 12 The Lovers' Oath There was no change to the chessboard in that red room. Just a bestial piece that should have vanished, still moving around. And another piece, one that was covered in blood. The second piece had no effect on the board as a whole. And yet even so, someone was crying. \"You're so important to me,\" they were saying. \"I want you by my side. Even if the world doesn't need you there. \"Please. \"I'm begging you.\" \"...Kaiser?\" \"Ha, and what a sorry state you're in. To think that the self-proclaimed Torture Princess would nearly let herself get eaten by a divine beast.\" The Kaiser laughed, mocking her from the bottom of his heart. Elisabeth frowned. The question was, why was he there? Behind him, the saint's limbs lay broken and twisted in all the wrong directions, and the wounds on her legs were closed up so tight it was like they weren't even there. She clearly wasn't getting back up any time soon. Elisabeth had been saved. However, the Kaiser's very existence was a mystery. Vlad is dead. By all rights, his contract should have died with him. Elisabeth started to ask for an explanation, but the Kaiser shook his jaw at her in preemptive annoyance. \"Now, it seems to have slipped your mind, but...do you not care what happens to the other girl?\" \"...Ah! Jeanne!\" Elisabeth whirled around. He was right\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnow was no time for questions. Jeanne had just had her neck torn open. And given how deep the wound was, it was doubtful she'd be able to close it properly. Elisabeth rushed over to the golden girl. Izabella was cradling her. It was like a scene straight out of a fairy tale. The golden princess was in the knight's arms, eyes closed as though sleeping. Her luxurious honey-blond hair was splayed out and reached all the way to the ground. However, much of it was stained a grim shade of crimson. Izabella desperately tried to maintain pressure on the neck wound. \"Elisabeth, the blood... There's so much blood! What do we do? Oh, Jeanne...\" \"There's no need to cry like that, my lady... It's a damn waste of that pretty li'l face of yours.\" Jeanne opened her eyes and reached out with her bloodstained hand. She made to stroke Izabella's cheek but stopped at the last moment. Not wanting to soil what little skin Izabella's face had left, she slowly returned her arm to her side. Then it was Izabella who reached out. She grabbed Jeanne's hand and pressed it against her cheek. Large tears rolled down over Jeanne's tiny palm. One after another, the clear drops cascaded to the ground. Jeanne's eyes widened a little. She spoke in an unhurried tone. \"How very sweet of you. Heh, I wouldn't mind droppin' dead right here and now.\" \"Please, you mustn't say things like that. I'm begging you.\" \"This place...really does bring back memories. Both then and now, ain't never been nothin' but death here.\" Upon hearing that, Elisabeth took another look around. Jeanne had a point. This was Jeanne de Rais's birthplace, a cradle built specifically to raise her. And so, too, was it the graveyard where the alchemists had sacrificed themselves. Jeanne's rose-red gaze flitted about their surroundings. The crucified corpses that had once decorated the area were no longer anywhere to be seen. She looked back at Izabella and let out a small breath. \"Everyone lives knowing that death will someday take them. To the people here, I was nothing but a puppet meant to massacre them all. 'Grant us our wish, O Torture Princess,' they said. 'Send us to our eternal rest.' That's so messed up! I mean, if you're dying, your dreams ain't worth shit. They're just a burden, weighing down the livin'... I won't speak ill of their pride itself, but they could have stood showing their emotions a little more. But now there's nothing but death here, and\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Jeanne, that's enough! Please don't say any more. You're making your wound worse. You\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"But you...you were always so warm.\" Jeanne slowly closed her eyes. Her lips curled into a smile. Elisabeth thought back. Jeanne's crass manner of speaking was something she'd picked up from a group of bandits she went and captured, but the alchemists themselves hadn't taught her a thing about how to express emotions. And yet in spite of that, and in spite of the blood she was drenched in, she was looking up at Izabella with a gaze full of heartfelt adoration. As Izabella's tears rolled over her palms, Jeanne thoroughly mulled over every word as she spoke. \"Even with so much machinery in you... Even after what I did to you, you're still so warm.\" \"Don't say it like that\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyou saved me. I, you...you bring so much warmth into my life as well... Please, you can't die on me. Don't die. I'm begging you!\" Izabella squeezed Jeanne's hand even tighter than before. She was crying like a child, tears gushing from her blue and purple eyes. The way she embraced Jeanne, it was like she was desperately trying to pin her to the mortal coil. She buried her face in Jeanne's honey-blond hair and whispered. \"I'm begging you, my love.\" \"...Say what?\" And for her troubles she got back an incredulous cry. \"O-oh, goodness.\" Elisabeth reflexively stepped back. Now she was worried about what was to come for a completely different reason than she had been before. Jeanne jerked her torso all the way vertical in a highly inadvisable maneuver for someone on death's door. Elisabeth took another step back. Her intuition had been right on the mark. As for Jeanne herself, though, Izabella commanded the sum total of her attention. Jeanne's rose-red eyes were as wide as dinner plates. She spoke in an unnervingly serious tone. \"Again.\" \"J-Jeanne, that's not important, your wound\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Please repeat what you just said.\" \"Wh-which part?\" \"'My...'\" \"...My love?\" And with that, Jeanne died. No, wait, she just toppled over backward. Izabella cried out, frantically supporting her back and embracing her. Her tone rang with desperation. \"Please, my love, you have to stay with me!\" As Elisabeth listened to the dead-serious plea, she gave the two of them an askance look. Despite being a dog, the Kaiser's expression was much the same as hers. Then Jeanne abruptly sat up again. She, too, sounded scarily serious, but her tone was bewildered in equal measure. \"My lady, might it be the case that you, um, well, perhaps think of me...in that light? Y'know, kinda sorta maybe like lovers?\" \"...Forget what I think\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI already am your lover, am I not?\" Jeanne died. Oh, enough of that already, Elisabeth silently retorted. \"Ah,\" Jeanne said, then rose with surprising ease. However, she gave that no follow-up. Her mouth flapped open and closed, but her voice refused to come out. However, the cause wasn't exactly medical in nature. She then repeated the whole process several times, making it look like she was performing some sort of heretical ritual dance. A moment after she finished, she launched into a barrage of questions. \"But then why do you never act like it? One day you're kind to me, the next you seem wholly uninterested, and some days you barely even greet me. How many fuckin' beastfolk doors do you think I've had to smash down just so I could"}, {"text": "get some damn advice?!\" \"You know, I'm still waiting for you to apologize about that,\" Elisabeth noted. \"Can it, bitch. One thing at a time.\" \"...Y-you were smashing down doors? Anyhow, I thought that changing my lifestyle and behavior just because I was in a relationship would come across as insincere, but...if it made you feel insecure, then I was putting the cart before the horse. I'm truly sorry.\" Izabella scratched her cheek and gave Jeanne an apologetic bow. Jeanne began vibrating. Her expression couldn't keep up with all the powerful emotions welling up inside her, and as she shouted, she seemed liable to explode at any moment. \"But you never answered my c-c-confession!\" \"I did! I told you, 'I've acknowledged your feelings, and I appreciate them.' If I was turning you down, I would have said so!\" \"Surely you could have picked something a little more romantic, you dumbass! Fuck I love you!\" Meanwhile, Elisabeth and the Kaiser shared an inane little exchange of their own. \"That girl is quite something... Even her normal speech is starting to sound like that.\" \"What do you mean by 'like that,' Kaiser?\" \"You know, I'm not quite sure myself.\" Elisabeth couldn't begin to tell if Jeanne was acting angry or being bashful or what. All she knew for sure was that Jeanne was puffing up her cheeks and swaying side to side. That was when Elisabeth realized something. The wound on Jeanne's neck was completely healed. A small piece of metal had come off Izabella's hand and carefully sealed up the fang wound. Like Waltz, it was a technique that only the two of them could have pulled off. Ah, Elisabeth thought, satisfied. There really hadn't been a need to cry. Izabella was still worried about Jeanne's wound, but she steeled her resolve all the same. She had caused her lover to worry, and no person half as earnest as her would be able to forgive themselves for something like that. She reverently took Jeanne's hand in hers. Then, as Jeanne went still, she pressed her lips against Jeanne's fingers. It was beautiful and heartwarming, like a scene plucked straight out of a fairy tale. Izabella then spoke, the words coming from the bottom of her heart. \"My dearest beloved. You cast aside your weapon for me, saved me, sacrificed yourself for me, and fell from the sky into my arms. And in that moment, you were the most beautiful star I had ever seen\u00e2\u20ac\u201da light that shone for me and me alone. I ask of you this: Will you stay by my side for the rest of our days?\" Jeanne shook violently and nearly keeled over. It was far too much for her heart to take. However, she valiantly fought to stay upright. In spite of herself, Elisabeth found it somewhat impressive. This time, it was Izabella who had gone a bit overboard. Jeanne, not sure how to respond, lapsed back into her strange heretical dance. She squeezed her fists and eyes tightly shut. In the end, she shouted but a single word. \"Marriage!\" \"Of course! We'll have a big ceremony in the Capital!\" The two of them exchanged a firm embrace. Hmm, Elisabeth thought. Technically, Jeanne had been in a life-threatening situation. And now the two lovers had both successfully survived. Not only that, they'd finally managed to communicate their feelings to each other. Jeanne cried in joy, and Izabella gently stroked her fair back. Viewed objectively, the whole situation was downright moving. However, both members of the audience felt as though they'd been left completely in the dust. Elisabeth shook her head from side to side. Then she looked over at the Kaiser and shot him a question. \"What exactly did I just witness?\" \"Hell if I know.\" And at the end of the day there was really no other way to put it. 13 Something Broken At that point anyone who saw what was atop the chessboard in that red, red room would surely cry out. \"Oh God, it's horrible.\" \"What did I just see?!\" \"You saw it, too, right? That girl's eyes?\" \"Please, someone, anyone, make her close them.\" \"I feel like I just got cursed.\" It was a later time and, moreover, a different place. Namely, the royal castle. Specifically, the chamber that sat before the Room of Pain on the underground tomb's lowest level. Watched over by the rows of coffins and generations of deceased royalty stood two people. Elisabeth Le Fanu and Maclaeus Filliana. The Torture Princess and the human king. Officially speaking, the Torture Princess was on the Most Wanted list, meaning their rendezvous was by necessity a clandestine one. That was what made that section of the tomb such a perfect spot\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbecause the kings' corpses were interred there, the entire chamber was sealed off. Even with the death of its former Grave Keeper, Vlad Le Fanu, it was unlikely that anyone else would come down. There, the only company was the dead. A large crystal gleamed under the room's hemispherical ceiling. The dappled light it cast made the entire room look like the bottom of a pool. Even so, though, it was still dim, and their expressions were grave. Elisabeth spoke first, her tone detached. \"How many dead?\" \"We don't have hard numbers yet, but it looks to be over a third. The situation is grim.\" Elisabeth nodded. If anything, that was lower than she'd expected. She thought back. After returning to the settlement, Jeanne and Izabella had aided in the retreat, as had Elisabeth, albeit from the shadows. By that point, though, many of the beastfolk and humans had already made their escape. That was thanks to some decisive action from the Three Kings of the Forest, who had quickly decided to devote their full efforts toward protecting the survivors. Furthermore, the Sand Queen didn't pursue them particularly far. The mixed-race people had wanted to give chase, but the Queen herself refused. Her priority had been protecting the demi-human settlement. Apparently, the mana in her corpse had taken on some of her personality. And as a mother, that personality was intent on protecting her children. It was also unclear whether or not Satisbarina's son had survived, but at the moment, that was the least of their worries, and they didn't exactly have the means to look into it anyway. Most of the dead beastfolk and humans had yet to even be identified. And then there were those who'd been reduced to ash, those who would forever be listed as missing in action. \"The beastfolk trump card was bested, our foes have obtained a new weapon...and the Fremd Torturchen grew stronger still. We were successful in slaying Lewis, but even so, 'tis unclear which way the scales will tip.\" Elisabeth crossed her arms. Their overwhelming advantage had been overturned in the blink of an eye. Now it was impossible to say which of the scale's plates weighed heavier. Everything was in absolute chaos. This is what happened when rage was met with rage. The two would clash, and sparks would go flying every which way. Now the true battle, the one they'd anticipated all along, was beginning. The curtain had raised on a grand, all-encompassing war. And ironically, it was a war nobody had ever wanted. Even the mixed-race people would be hard-pressed to say that this was the outcome they had sought. Elisabeth shook her head. Then she posed another question. \"...I know not her name, but last I saw, that saint girl was still alive. What became of her?\" \"If it's La Filsell you're asking about, she's resting in a Church clinic. She fractured half the bones in her body and suffered serious organ damage, but she narrowly escaped death. I hear that La Dhruv\u00e2\u20ac\u201da fellow saint whose divine beasts take the form of fish\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis keeping her company as she recovers.\" \"...The saints sympathize with her?\" \"By and large, yes. But many of them are condemning her actions and calling her attack on Jeanne de Rais uncalled for. I don't foresee this causing any problems with our ability to secure their assistance. They understand what La Christoph stood for and how he viewed salvation.\" ...Do they, though? Privately, Elisabeth wasn't so sure about that. For many of the saints, having their prayers granted left their bodies horribly disfigured. To them, God was all they had. It wouldn't be strange in the slightest if more of them resisted the prospect of having their connection to Him severed. These were people who didn't even have families. If anything, it would be strange for them not to balk at losing the one absolute bond in their lives. It was impossible for outsiders to understand just how alone saints were and how important their faith was to them. Suddenly, Elisabeth turned her gaze to the wall farther in. There was a carving there of the Saint embracing a blob of meat swaddled in cloth. And beside her stood her demi-human servant. He, too, had ended his life while blindly believing in his mother. However, he left the world without a single regret. Elisabeth wordlessly shook her head. She turned her gaze back away from the carving and began thinking. A way to sever our connection to God and Diablo, eh...? Due to the fuss around Izabella and Jeanne's engagement, Elisabeth had almost missed her chance to explain her plan to them. But explain it she did, and she was set on carrying it out. It was unclear if it would actually work or not, but she knew she had to go for it. Even if doing so would end up sending her to her eternal rest. Maclaeus cast his dull green eyes downward. That information was precisely why he had sought that meeting with Elisabeth out. He hesitantly spoke. \"I heard about your plan from Vicker... Are you serious about that?\" \"Aye. You've realized, too, I imagine? That until we're freed from the system of God and Diablo, we shall never obtain true peace. Not until the end of time.\" Maclaeus's expression darkened when he heard the certainty in Elisabeth's tone. Patterns of light from the crystal danced on his face. Deep down inside, that was something he already knew. Mankind's sole available path was both treacherous and paved with blasphemy. The Torture Princess thought back to the plan she'd laid out right before teleporting away from Jeanne's birthplace. The first hurdle they had to clear was also going to be the hardest. We have to capture Fremd Torturchen Alice Carroll, otherwise known as Sara Yuuki, transfer just Kaito Sena's contract with Diablo into her body, then kill her. In other words, they would return Diablo to whence it came. That would leave only God behind. After that, even if someone managed to summon Diablo, they could use God to keep it in check. Then, if they eventually developed the ability to perfectly control God's power without having it run amok, it would be possible to rid the world of Diablo's influence for good. All they needed to do that was to get God to recognize its every act of violence, including the lesser demons' acts of destruction, as \"destruction carried out before the reconstruction.\" That way, God would reject them as being violations of the system. And with Diablo unable to commit acts of destruction, God's ability to influence the world would be severed in turn. Once that happened, the world would be free from its role as the higher beings' sandcastle. The infinite cycle of being endlessly destroyed and constructed anew would finally end. The one rub was that no mage alive had the power to completely control God. Their only choice was to stake their future on finding a solution to that issue during the reprieve that temporarily getting rid of Diablo would buy them. It was a dangerous gamble, to be sure. However, mankind had already come up with a way to create the Fremd Torturchen. It would probably involve"}, {"text": "straying from the straight and narrow, but odds were good that there were other such innovative techniques just waiting to be discovered. Someday, that hurdle would be cleared, too. The bigger problem was the here and now. Too many people knew that Kaito Sena was the vessel, so leaving God with him was too great a risk. As such, I have no choice but to make a contract with the Kaiser, grow my power through battle, and become God's vessel myself. With Kaito Sena left behind... The amount of mana he's amassed towers head and shoulders over that of any other. Keeping me hidden will be child's play for him. It will wound him to have to do so, but...he'll have Hina by his side. I'm sure he'll be fine. Elisabeth nodded as the image of that lovable maid flashed through her mind. At the moment, they were storing the crystal outside the beastfolk lands. The beastfolk would want to point fingers for their historic defeat, and there was a fear that both Vyadryavka and the crystal itself would come under fire. Right before moving it, Elisabeth laid out her thinking to everyone. Izabella had hesitated for a moment, then replied simply, \"It won't be easy.\" Jeanne just shrugged. And the Kaiser, as though filling in for Vlad, responded with exasperation. He shook his tail and laughed in that ever-so-human voice of his. \"Some God, getting dragged this way and that way and every other which way like that. Idiots, the lot of you. You know, I almost wonder what the greatest idiot I know would have thought of all this...\" Elisabeth didn't have to wonder. Kaito Sena was going to be livid. This isn't what I wanted for you! he would no doubt angrily cry. What do you think it was I fought so hard for?! However, the situation was different now. She couldn't protect him anymore. Because of that, this was their only option. Knowing that filled Elisabeth not with hesitation but with an emotion that bore a strong resemblance to relief. It was almost as though she actually wanted to lay down her burden. However, Elisabeth chose to focus her attention away from that secret desire of hers. All that mattered was that her plan was the best one for the situation. If it didn't change what she had to do, then how she felt about it didn't much matter. However, there was still an elephant in the room. With Alice as she is, will we truly be able to capture her? \"I can see you've made up your mind... In that case, it's paramount that we get a read on Alice Carroll's movements. There's a problem, though. At the moment, she's completely vanished from the site of the settlement.\" \"Aye, so she has. And I haven't the faintest idea as to why.\" \"It's odd, isn't it? Where could she have gone?\" Both of them had dropped their voices to whispers. They could feel it\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsomething was terribly amiss about the whole situation. Right after the humans and beastfolk made their retreat, one mystery had thrown everyone for a loop. The disappearance of Alice Carroll. And to muddy the waters even further, the first ones who'd begun searching for Alice were none other than the mixed-race people themselves. As it turned out, the scene from Vlad's window was the last time anyone had actually laid eyes on her. After that, she simply headed off somewhere without even telling her allies. Elisabeth thought back to the way she'd screamed upon losing Lewis. \"How dare you. HOW DARE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!\" That roar had been packed with more fury than should have even been possible. It was unclear what she intended to do next, but one thing was for certain. Her striking Vlad down was only the beginning. Alice would never forgive them. For just as I love Kaito Sena... ...Alice Carroll loved Lewis. It was as a child loved their parent. As a person loved another. As one would love any whom they ought to love. And as such, there could be no forgiveness. Not for anyone. Not ever. Suddenly, Elisabeth realized that something was off. Small specks of something were raining down on her shoulder. She looked up in confusion, only to discover that small chunks of debris were falling from the ceiling. Well, no matter then, she thought and turned her gaze back down. A moment later, though, she let out a small gasp. What was happening shouldn't have been possible. That chamber had been crafted by the Saint herself. Even the finest of modern technology wouldn't have been able to replicate it, and its seamless walls boasted hardness unparalleled. There was no reasonable way debris should have been falling from its ceiling. The next moment, a violent tremor ran through the entire tomb. Maclaeus lost his balance and nearly toppled over. He clung to a coffin for support and shouted. \"Wh-what...what's that?!\" \"It's the surface! I can sense several sources of mana; this is\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" A chill ran down Elisabeth's entire body. This was no ordinary dark magic at play. She could sense powerful, malignant presences appearing one after another, each horrible and alien enough to qualify as a monster in their own right. During a brief moment of relative quiet, Elisabeth took off at a dash. Leaving Maclaeus behind, she threw the chamber's heavy doors ajar. From there, she made for the stairs. Teleportation circles didn't work in the tomb, and although there were a number of spots designated for their use, she didn't have time to waste standing in line. Instead, she raced up the stairs alongside the paladins and Royal Knight guards doing the same. A handful of them noticed who she was, but none of them commented on that fact. They all just kept running. All the while, the tremors continued, each one dashing Elisabeth against the wall. And they had only grown stronger by the time she reached the final set of stairs. Several people even lost their footing and went tumbling down backward. One knight was falling in a particularly dangerous-looking manner, so Elisabeth kicked him back upright as she made her way to the surface. The moment she reached the entrance, she was greeted by the blinding light of day and a chorus of cries. The voices were definitely human. However, they sounded as much like demons as anything else. Eventually, she made her way outside and discovered a whole new hell laid out before her. A calamity cometh. No a calamity has come. To all the people of the land. The messenger blew the bugle of the end. It's time for a story. Normally, when someone died a death as pitiful, unseemly, cruel, and gruesome as a worm getting stepped on, they didn't get a second shot at life. It would be ridiculous to suggest that everyone simply got to go to the world of their dreams after they died. To sum it up, the answer was simple. Miracles didn't happen. That was all there was to it. Plus, even if they did get a second shot at life, sometimes all that awaited them were simply more horrors. Right now, Elisabeth was learning that fact firsthand. Pools of blackened crimson were spreading out all around the underground tomb. The pools, which looked like toxic swamps, were actually aberrant teleportation circles. They spread corrosively, paying no heed to the barrier the priests had set up around the entire Capital. The ground frothed, like the earth itself was boiling. Then several figures emerged through the circles, each more horrible than the circles themselves. The figures were human. But so, too, were they weapons. They had been transformed into fixed batteries. And the treatment they'd undergone was crueler than even La Mules's had been. Their eyelids were stitched together, their tongues had been plucked out, their teeth had been removed, their limbs had been severed, and their bodies had been affixed to pillories. And yet even so, they were still alive. All the fixed batteries were golems, which meant they were immortal as long as they didn't suffer catastrophic blood loss. In other words, the fixed batteries... ...were the broken husks of what had once been reincarnations. Elisabeth let out a faint murmur. \"...This is beyond the pale.\" Those were people who had no business even being in that world, all made to bear unbelievable burdens. She had underestimated just how broken her late foe had been. Summoning Alice had taught Lewis that his method worked. And because of that, he must have repeated the process, finishing up one reincarnation after another. However, he had only one heart to give. That meant he could only make one Fremd Torturchen. If he tried to make more, it would only dilute the power each could command. But then what to do with the rest of the people he summoned? Worry not. There was no shortage of ways to put vessels with limitless mana to use. For example, this. He could assign demon contracts to the spare reincarnations willy-nilly, feed them pain, and expand their mana stores. From there, all he had to do was teach them how to shoot forward and train them to act on his signal. That way, he could build himself a mighty fine collection of fixed batteries. They had probably been in the proverbial shop up until then, which is why they hadn't been deployed earlier. Now, though, they were seeing their first live battle. As far as that world was concerned, it marked the first time someone had taken another sentient person and made them into a living weapon without their consent. The reincarnations' egos had been destroyed, but even so, the amount of hatred they fostered toward that world that had given them nothing but pain was downright terrifying. A bombardment poured from their mouths like both a wave of vomit and a chorus of screams. They were calamities given flesh, spreading beams of absolute destruction wherever they faced. And all the while, their screams never ceased. Nobody could so much as get close to them. And standing at the center of all this was an adorable little girl. Alice Carroll. To. Fro. Chitter. Chatter. There were voices. Throngs of people sobbing and screaming and trembling. Someone was loudly screaming. There were no words, only pain. Someone else was lamenting the terror of it all, their tone that of a person dashing through a field with deranged abandon and laughing their head off. \"What's even happening?\" And there, in that place that seemed halfway between a nightmare and reality, a young girl spoke. \"Come now, let's be good girls and sing a song. \"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall! Humpty Dumpty had a great fall! \"All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again.\" The one thing that truly can't be put together again is this girl. Alice Carroll was broken. Elisabeth took a moment to let that fact sink in. As she did, the girl stopped singing and slowly spun to face her. The white, rabbit-ear-like ribbons attached to her oversized hat swayed from side to side. Just like before, Alice bent one knee in an elegant curtsy, and her white hair flopped adorably about. Their surroundings had been reduced to a grim hellscape. This was the Wonderland Alice herself had built. However, the way Alice faced her was much the same as ever. Alice spoke up. \"Come on, Elisabeth! Let's plaaay!\" Her tone was bright and cheery. It was as though she didn't have a single care in the world. Alice Carroll had broken past the point of no return. Nobody could put her together again. Elisabeth could tell that all this was happening because Lewis had been killed. But that wasn't the whole story. The mixed-race people being killed had started it as well, as had Alice's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat was, Sara Yuuki's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbrutal death. By now, they were all avengers. Everyone hated everyone. And the"}, {"text": "world kept on turning, just as properly as ever. And in that moment, a thought crossed Elisabeth's mind. A thought she couldn't afford to harbor. ...Why should Kaito have to protect a world such as this? Why did the person she loved have to die? Why, for something so worthless? The expression vanished from Elisabeth's face. However, she immediately dashed forward. Hesitation wasn't in the Torture Princess's nature. She did a forward roll, practically dancing her way across the field of death. \"Madam Elisabeth!\" the knight she helped back on the stairs shouted. He rushed forward to try and back her up, but a blast struck him head-on and vaporized him in the blink of an eye. Elisabeth could tell what had happened, but she didn't look back. She knew that if she stopped, she would meet the same fate. She ran with all her might. The blasts came in straight lines, so it was simple enough to dodge them. The fixed batteries almost resembled religious icons, and the Torture Princess deftly wove her way between them. As she pushed on forward, there was one thing she was sure of. Alice needs to die. She had become something that could not be allowed to continue living. Killing her would ruin Elisabeth's plan, but she was well past the point of worrying about that. She raced onward, eventually reaching her target. Elisabeth drew her long sword from a swirl of black darkness and crimson flower petals. Her glossy hair swayed behind her as she appeared before the girl. Alice, for her part, was waiting for the Torture Princess without so much as a shred of fear. Her arms were spread wide, and a broad smile sat plastered across her face. It was like she was greeting a playmate and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. Elisabeth's sword was raised aloft. Alice had her spoon in hand. Crimson and azure petals were cascading all around them. The Torture Princess gathered all the rage swirling in her heart, then brought her sword down and\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Epilogue 1 The room was red. It had no windows. It had no doors. Nobody could leave it. And nobody could come in. It was almost like a graveyard. Or perhaps a prison. And yet now its nonexistent door was open. Kaito Sena slowly rose. He no longer bothered to look at the chaotic chessboard. However, he did turn to the seat across from him and gently patted his bride's head. Hina gave him a small nod. With that, Kaito Sena started walking. Hina called out toward his resolute back. \"You're going?\" \"Yeah, I'm heading out.\" \"Well, good luck.\" Then she went on: \"Please do give my love to our beloved.\" Epilogue 2 Right before Elisabeth and Alice's blows met someone reached out and caught them. The ensuing gale force sent the person's tattered cloak flapping about. Their hood hung low, obscuring their face, but whoever they were, they had just caught the blades without so much as breaking a sweat. Elisabeth frowned. She could tell\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif the person hadn't stepped in, she was the one whose chest would have been gouged out. She looked at the newcomer holding the blades. They really did resemble the Butcher...except for their hands. Their hands were human. This time, she had no choice but to admit it. A hot tear casually rolled down the Torture Princess's cheek. And with a thousand different emotions swelling up inside her, Elisabeth Le Fanu spoke. \"Kaito, is that you?\" Epilogue 0 This is a story from a short while earlier. A story of repentance, dreams, and hatred. \"This can't be happening... This isn't happening, is it, Father? It isn't\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit isn't\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit isn't. Hee-hee, of course it isn't.\" Lewis's daughter let out a deranged laugh. As Lewis's guts spilled out of him, he felt a certain truth deep in his bones. Vlad Le Fanu's words had been completely true. At the end of the day, what Lewis had could hardly be described as paternal love. If being a good father had been his goal, then he'd gone about it in all the wrong ways. If he truly loved her then he should have comforted Sara Yuuki\u00e2\u20ac\u201dAlice\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand showered her with affection and support. He should have chosen to just live, and each of them could have helped to heal the other's scars. And of course, he definitely shouldn't have made any of those terrible weapons. They had been controversial even among the other mixed-race people, but Lewis couldn't help himself. He made sure to sow every seed of revenge he could find. He may have called Alice his daughter, but he certainly didn't treat her like one. Unlike Vlad, Lewis had some semblance of morals, yet he had gone and made the Fremd Torturchen anyway. That was a sin that went beyond the pale. There was no way for him to apologize. Not the slightest chance for atonement. And the cruelest part of it all... \"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Even though I loved you, I still... I'm sorry, Alice.\" ...was that his love was true. To him, she was his joy. She was his hope, his salvation, and his beloved daughter. Meeting her was the first time Lewis had known joy. And the moment she became his daughter was the first time he learned what love was. That was all thanks to a single young girl. That was all thanks to her pure, innocent smile. He still had time. He still had a chance. What message should he leave her with? What was it he could only say now, in his final moments? Lewis hesitated. However, his mind was being assailed by unrelenting heat and pain. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know anything. Alice's smile became his sister's semen-drenched face, then his brother's hanged body. He remembered the day he held Alice tight as she sobbed during a nightmare. \"I love you, Father.\" She smiled. \"It's all your fault,\" his brother screamed. Family really was a beautiful thing. He wished he could have been with them longer, much longer. No, wait, he had a daughter now. Did he? He did. And so... And...so? Then he spoke. \"Please, daughter, carry out my dream for me.\" And with that, the foolish man died. He remained a hopeless fool until the bitter end knowing full well how irredeemable he was even despite his love for his daughter. His daughter looked up at the sky. She was alone now. She blinked, her red eyes glowing from the fire all around her. Lewis hung motionless in her arms. His body was cold and hard. She gave a small, definite nod. Young as she was, she knew. This was what death was. Now he was like she had once been. And he would never move again. Alice didn't cry. She merely parted her arms. Lewis's corpse crumpled to the ground, but she no longer paid it any heed. After all, it was nothing more than an object now. Instead, she just looked up at the sky and laughed. Happily, happily. Merrily, merrily. She laughed and laughed and laughed and spoke. \"I see, I see! Don't worry, Father. I understand completely!\" It's time for everyone to die together! Afterword Hello, Keishi Ayasato here. I don't know about you all, but my cat's been shedding like crazy this summer. Each time I looked down, I found I was covered in a sheet of white fur. As for Torture Princess, it's finally reached Volume 8. Dear me, how auspicious. Of course, because of the way it ended, I felt like I was raising a death flag for myself just by writing it. That said, it was also the volume where both I and Elisabeth came to understand what losing Kaito Sena truly meant, and I think I was able to convey everything I set out to in it. I was also really happy about being able to write about what became of all sorts of different members of the cast. Now, I don't know if all of them are truly happy with how things turned out for them, but all I can really do is write clearly\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand, to the best of my ability, compellingly\u00e2\u20ac\u201dabout the way they choose to live their lives, so that's what I'm going to keep doing from now on. I hope I'll be able to do them justice in the next volume as well. I hope you'll read it and bear witness to their destinies. And I truly do hope you'll enjoy, even if only a little. Now then, as is custom, I have some people I'd like to thank. To Saki Ukai, for the breathtaking-as-always cover and all the other beautiful illustrations; to my editor O, for putting up with all the trouble I caused you this time; and to Hina Yamato, for the wonderful manga adaptation\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI would like to thank you all so much. I'd also like to extend deep thanks to everyone else involved in the process, as well as my beloved family, particularly my sister. And more than anything, I would like to express my gratitude to my readers once more. Looking back, Torture Princess has come quite a long way. I fully believe that it's thanks to you all that the story was able to make it this far. Thank you so much for accompanying me on this journey. Now, I've mentioned this before on Twitter, and some of the clever ones among you probably realized on your own, but Torture Princess is structured in three-volume arcs. Volumes 1 to 3 were the Foolish Servant arc, Part I. Volumes 4 to 6 were the Foolish Servant arc, Part II. And sure enough, Elisabeth's story, the Torture Princess arc, is going to last from Volumes 7 to 9. So before I wrote Volume 6, I wrote up a three-volume plot outline that ended on Volume 9 and sent it over to my editor. In other words, what I'm saying is this: Whenever there's a beginning, there must always be an end. The next book will be the series finale. It's going to pick up where Volume 8 left off and go full throttle until it hits the finish line, so I imagine it's going to be a bit of a challenge to write. But I intend to give it my all. If you don't mind, I really hope you read it through to the end. This I humbly beg of you. There was something he once said. \"We gotta bring this story to an end.\" There was something she once said. \"Would it not be better for a world such as this simply to end?\" There was something she once said. \"Please, you must protect this world of yours.\" This is a tale that lies beyond the one of admiration, folly, and love\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dand it's one of repentance, dreams, and hatred. I hope you'll accompany me one final time. The Final Miracle It's time for a story of a boy. His death was as meaningless as that of a worm\u00e2\u20ac\u201da death most pitiful, most unseemly, most cruel, and most gruesome. Ordinarily, there is no life after death. But because his soul was summoned to another world, the boy received precisely that opportunity. In truth, he had no desire to be brought back to life. Nevertheless, as soon as he was made flesh again, he was made to serve an overbearing master. That master was the very person who summoned him: the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. She had the pride of a wolf and was as lowly as a sow, a sinner ordered by the Church to butcher fourteen ranked demons and the people who had formed contracts with them. Once the task was complete, she herself was destined to face execution. She brought the boy back, and when all was said and done, he made the choice to continue serving her. Throughout Elisabeth Le Fanu's bloody life, she"}, {"text": "was accompanied by a single foolish servant. The boy chose to live a life that would bring about such a tale. But the world betrayed that expectation, and the boy's destiny was radically transformed. It's time for a story of a hero. The world once very nearly met a tragic end. However, that seemingly immutable fate was altered by a single person. And the one who accomplished that miraculous feat was a boy who had reincarnated from another world. He got a chance at life, then had a number of experiences, some horrifying and some irreplaceable. Then after a long series of battles, he obtained a colossal amount of mana and used it to save someone precious to him. And while he was at it, he saved the world. By sacrificing himself. After burdening himself with God and Diablo, the boy fell into a deep slumber at the World's End. Thanks to his deeds, the people of the world managed to avoid the apocalypse. The greatest good for the greatest number was, surely, the greatest outcome. One could say they lived happily ever after. As an aside, there was one little fact. Hardly any knew it, and it was of little true importance. The fact was, the boy and hero were the same person. Thus did the story of admiration and folly and love come to its end. After that, they say, everyone lived in comfort and peace forever after. \"Oh, were it only that simple.\" Right before Elisabeth and Alice's blows met, someone reached out and caught them. The ensuing gale force sent the person's tattered cloak flapping about. Their hood hung low, obscuring their face, but whoever they were, they had just caught the blades without so much as breaking a sweat. Elisabeth frowned. She could tell\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif the person hadn't stepped in, she was the one whose chest would have been gouged out. She looked at the newcomer holding the blades. They really did resemble the Butcher...except for their hands. Their hands were human. This time, she had no choice but to admit it. A hot tear casually rolled down the Torture Princess's cheek. And with a thousand different emotions swelling up inside her, Elisabeth Le Fanu spoke. \"Kaito, is that you?\" The newcomer silently gave each of their blades a shove, and Elisabeth and Alice both leaped back. Upon landing, they reassumed their combat stances. The figure standing between them pulled back their hood. Now their face was plainly visible. The first thing that tumbled out of the tattered cloak was a mop of long dark hair, followed shortly by fair skin. Then came a pair of blinking eyes as tranquil as a lake shore. The figure's hair was the color of the night sky, and their eyes were the color of bones that had been burned to ash. Elisabeth choked out a murmur. \"You.\" The person in the cloak was not Kaito Sena. It was, however, a woman Elisabeth knew well. The woman in question was the centerpiece of the Church's religion and, at the moment, a fugitive. She was the savior of all creation and a sinner without peer, mother to everything and an impartial reaper. She was the person who reconstructed the world, and she was the person who had beckoned its end. After a small shake of the head, Elisabeth spoke once more. \"I can hardly say I expected to see you here, Saint.\" The genuine Suffering Woman returned Elisabeth's gaze. The faintest of smiles crossed her face. Then the Saint began her gentle speech. \"We meet again, Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu. I don't believe I've seen you since your dream. I'm sorry to have startled you somewhat, but now my wish to see you once more has finally been granted.\" \"I...take it that means you've not come as my foe?\" \"Much to the contrary, in fact. Through God and Diablo\u00e2\u20ac\u201dtwo entities I once harbored within my body\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI heard his voice and came to rescue you. He's unable to come out here himself, but he was able to open a door and speak to me through it. Now I am here to deliver those words to you.\" She extended one hand toward the Torture Princess. Her skin resembled freshly driven snow, and sure enough, there was no hostility in the gesture. The hatred that had once colored her laughter was now gone and forgotten. \"I impart unto you A Message from Him.\" Elisabeth's eyes went wide. The crystal was farther away than the World's End. Touching it accomplished nothing, and hearing voices from within was impossible. Yet the Saint was claiming that she had partially overcome that divide. Sure enough, though, Elisabeth could faintly sense Kaito Sena's presence coming from the woman before her. She could sense that kind, vaguely foolish warmth that had once always accompanied her. Almost on reflex, Elisabeth took the Saint's hand. That alien quality her palm once had was no more. Now it was faintly warm and faintly soft. The Saint and the Torture Princess looked each other in the eye. And not a moment later, a massive bombardment rained down upon them. The emanations of pain- and hate-filled magic bore a close resemblance to screams. Go on, cry out. Complain about your pain to your heart's content. Crush your throats. Burn your lungs. Your tongues and eyes and limbs have been torn from you. You are bound now as fixed batteries, and even death is denied to you. You hurt. For there is pain. You hate. For there is hatred. However, they didn't know who it was they should hate. They didn't even understand why this was happening to them. Let's make the story even simpler, then. What would a person hate in a situation like that? That's an easy enough question to answer. It's everything. They would hate the entire world. Once someone's pain reached a certain threshold, it burned away any sense of reason they might have had. By screaming, the fixed batteries were able to spread their hatred to their surroundings. Linear blasts of magic burst forth from their mouths, accompanied by heat and shock waves. Several paladins had emerged from the underground tomb upon catching sight of the Saint, and a good dozen of them were burned to a crisp. Flesh and blood and armor alike melted into the ground, and the bones peeking up from beneath the black sludge crumbled into dust. Elisabeth watched their grotesque transformations out of the corner of her eye as she waited for the light to pass. A massive shield stood before her\u00e2\u20ac\u201da wall of briars the Saint had conjured. Blocked by the wall, the blinding light passed behind them and faded away. The briars' roots were coiled around the Saint's arm. Her already-tattered cloak split even further, and she began bleeding all over. That aside, that single wall was all she needed to block the attack. Whether she wished it or not, the Suffering Saint's very existence was rooted in the concept of self-sacrifice, and her magic reflected that fact. \"Hurting yourself to protect yourself? What a peculiar technique. I must say, I'm a little disappointed that didn't kill you.\" The hollow murmur came from Alice\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe same little girl who'd given the order for the fixed batteries to fire. She pursed her lips with her hands clasped behind her back. Her blue dress was just as adorable as always, yet the way she looked in it now gave Elisabeth the impression of something that it never had before. It reminded her of a gargantuan stomach. To her, Alice seemed like a bloated organ, hideously pulsating and ever ravenous. Elisabeth shuddered in horror as she realized why she felt that way. The amount of mana Alice was wielding was unusually large. And what's more, it was growing steadily. It didn't make sense. At the moment, she already had more mana at her disposal than the Torture Princess did. Now that was always going to happen eventually. The Fremd Torturchen was a limitless vessel. The fact that she had the capacity to surpass Elisabeth was the whole reason she was even there. The problem was... ...'tis too fast! What in the blazes did she even... How many did she consume, and where did she even do it? \"As long as you die this time, I think it should be fine. It's okay, remember! We're allll going to die together!\" Alice smiled. Cheerily. She raised her right arm high, and flower petals began swirling azure around her fingers. The fixed batteries opened their mouths in unison. In an instant, she and the batteries would unleash a magical technique coupled with raw magical destruction at the same time. Then, out of the blue, Alice's arm got rent to the side. Red blood shot out from the wound and sprayed her in the face. However, she didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow. The blood transformed into a fresh wave of petals, and most of it gathered at Alice's wrist to heal her wound. Some of it, though, took on a different form and coalesced into a bizarre-looking swarm of bread-and-butterflies. The swarm flew at Alice's attacker, shedding off butter-colored scales in its wake. The slender woman beat a hasty retreat with her silver hair fluttering behind her. \"Rgh! Looks like I'm not going to get anywhere trying to take her down.\" Elisabeth recognized her voice in an instant. She called to the woman by name. \"Izabella!\" Izabella tried to reply by giving her a wave. The moment she did, though, another bombardment rained down on them. The screamed blasts were as simple as they were powerful. However, they made up for that with sheer quantity. The linear attacks came from both high and low, and Izabella had to dance her way between all of them. She cast off her cloak in midair before safely landing back on the ground. There was a limit to how much she could dodge, however, and she slid in behind the Saint's shield before her luck had a chance to run out. She stood beside Elisabeth and panted for breath. A good chunk of the mechanical section of her face had been melted like butter. She had the butterfly scales to thank for that, no doubt. Izabella forced the gears in her cheek to spin faster than usual. By the look of it, she was having to accelerate the rate at which her organic parts regrew themselves. When she turned to face her two shieldmates, her blue and purple eyes widened a bit. As the leader of the Holy Knights, seeing the Saint in the flesh like that probably affected her more than most. However, she valiantly regained her composure, then spoke. \"I apologize for my delayed arrival. I was talking to my men patrolling the city about revising our defensive perimeter when it all happened. At the moment, I have them heading up the evacuation efforts. As for you, uh, ma'am, I'm sorry, but you're not the most important thing on my plate right now. Madam Elisabeth, have you noticed?\" \"Noticed what, Izabella? Do you mean to say there's a matter more pressing than what's going on right in front of us?\" \"There is. Those fixed batteries aren't just here. They're appearing all over the capital. Demon grandchildren, too. And from the reports I'm getting...Alice attacked a series of towns and villages on her way here. We're getting distress calls from some, but there's probably far more that were hit, and even the ones with survivors were all but wiped out.\" Her expression was racked with grief. Elisabeth nodded. That was a method only the Fremd Torturchen could have used. Furthermore, it was one that had been unavailable to her back when she was operating within the framework of rebellion and following its strict methods and logic. There was no limit to the amount of mana Alice could hold within herself. She had no laws she was beholden to, and as someone who"}, {"text": "was already dead, she had nowhere to run. As long as she had vast quantities available for her consumption, she had little reason to inquire about their quality, nor did she have any need to consider the bill that might eventually come due. She could simply make like a swarm of locusts, descending and eating ravenously until nothing remained. Then, upon finishing one bloody plate, she could just toss it aside and move on to the next one. She would devour and devour with no regard paid for maintaining the world's balance and, in doing so, make herself ruler of the dining table. Elisabeth gave her tongue a small click. \"Ah, I see... That explains her vast reserves of mana, I suppose.\" \"We thought she had started a war on us, but we're not the only ones who have suffered losses. The mixed-race folk are in shambles as well. Lewis's grim legacy is loose. This is no longer a rebellion.\" Izabella shook her head, her jewel-like eyes burning with an unmistakable fury as she laid out the horrible truth. \"Alice Carroll's only goal is to destroy the world.\" There was a truth Elisabeth knew\u00e2\u20ac\u201da truth that Kaito Sena himself was living proof of. The \"conception\" possessed by those who met cruel deaths could form the basis for limitless magical growth. But what if there wasn't anything that the person in question wanted to accomplish? A hollow vessel had the power to change its shape at will. It was impossible to tell what it would give the world and what it would do. Would it love or would it hate? Would it be just or would it be evil? Lewis failed to see the implication...failed to notice the danger. As did Alice herself, for that matter. \"This time, I'm going to accomplish everything I set out to do.\" Nobody even considered what would become of the script if that \"everything\" took a turn for the worse. Lewis's story of repentance, dreams, and hatred had laid the foundation. Once he was done atoning for all the people he hadn't been able to save, he dreamed of creating a perfect utopia. Just as Vlad pointed out, though, that dream was based on lies and self-deception. And on top of that, Alice was terribly young, and in the end, the innocence of her youth let her see through Lewis's smoke and mirrors. She had, in the truest sense of the word, inherited his hatred. Now she was trying to grant his most fervent wish. Love, hate, justice, and evil had nothing to do with it. Her sole aim was for everyone to die. That was all. And nothing more. Alice Carroll had broken beyond repair. Nobody could put her together again. All this was happening because Lewis had been killed. But that wasn't the whole story. The mixed-race people being killed had started it as well, as had Alice's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat was, Sara Yuuki's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbrutal death. By now, they were all avengers. Everyone hated everyone. And the world kept on turning, just as properly as ever. And in that moment, a thought crossed Elisabeth's mind. A thought she couldn't afford to harbor. \"...Why should Kaito have to\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Elisabeth.\" Then, out of nowhere, she heard Kaito Sena's voice. It was the voice of one who had died to save the world. And it was a voice of one she adored dearly. \"Please, never come to loathe this world again. No matter what happens, never internalize sin again. You and I worked together and protected this world. Please, never think it's not worth saving.\" *** It was like he had read Elisabeth's mind. She gasped. She was a hair's breadth from barking out an angry reply, but she stopped herself. Kaito Sena wasn't the one who'd said that. The words were his, but they were coming from the mouth of another. The speaker's gaze was gentle, and Elisabeth saw herself reflected in the woman's ashen eyes. The Torture Princess sighed, then posed a question to the Saint. \"That's his message, then?\" \"It is. However, there's more. And if anything, the continuation is the most important part...but it would be best delivered after the current situation is dealt with. If this goes on, many will perish. It's an act of blasphemy against the world for me to be concerned about that, I know. But the necessity remains.\" \"Aye... 'Tis imperative those fixed batteries be destroyed.\" Elisabeth shook her head, then clapped her cheeks to fire herself up. The Saint replied with a small nod, clutching at her tattered cloak as she turned her focus to the batteries. Elisabeth followed her gaze. The fixed batteries were lethally impeding their ability to fight Alice, and the reincarnators were beyond saving. Granting them a swift death was their best recourse. However, Elisabeth knew it wouldn't be that simple. A young girl stood smiling before the batteries. It was Alice Carroll. The Fremd Torturchen. If they wanted to make it easier to kill her, they needed to get past her first. A contradiction among contradictions. However, this was no time to be holding back. Elisabeth snapped her fingers with a bellow. \"Splendid Executioner: The Boondock Saints!\" \"Oh my, it's so sparkly!\" Alice's reaction was as innocent as could be. She held her hands up over her head, and a light flashed from between her fingers. Slabs of metal tumbled one after another from the eddy of darkness and crimson flower petals, each a massive blade designed to assemble into a grand executioner. As the metal purposefully wove itself together, it headed for the fixed batteries and obliterated them\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor rather, it tried to. However, the parts were struck before they could fall into place, and the hard metal shattered in midair. The pieces shifted back into crimson flower petals and splayed out like splashes of blood. But it wasn't a bombardment that had felled them. It was a lance strike. \"My White Knight.\" Before Elisabeth's eyes, Alice was sitting astride a knight's horse. She was the very image of a fairy-tale princess. The knight guarding his young liege was picturesque as well, clad as he was in his pure-white armor. He glared down at everything that entered his gaze as he raised his helmet's visor. There was no emotion in his eyes, but his features bore a striking resemblance to the human half of Lewis's face. It had taken but a single strike from his lance to shatter the Executioner before it could finish forming. Alice chuckled. \"Say, did you know? In the strange, strange world of Through the Looking-Glass, the White Knight is the only one who fights for Alice's sake from the very beginning. I would've liked for Father to get a chance to read Alice's wondrous stories. But now he can't. And he never will.\" Midway through, her voice took on a cold harshness. She stopped swaying her legs back and forth. As though reacting to his master's displeasure, the White Knight raised his lance aloft. Elisabeth immediately sensed the danger she was in. She mentally splayed out her hand, and the Torture Princess selected the appropriate card. \"La Guillotine, Saint of Beheadings!\" \"And that's why it's time for me to get serious,\" Alice declared with a vacant look in her eyes. Elisabeth cast her spell. Six black-and-crimson swirls materialized in front of the Saint's briar wall. At the moment, that was the most Elisabeth was capable of deploying at once. A white doll burst out from each of them and landed heavy on the ground. They were white maidens, each made to embody the holiest of saints. Upon seeing them, the bona fide Saint narrowed her ashen eyes a smidgen. Before her, the maidens raised their heads. Their straight-cut silver hair swayed briskly. Without a moment's delay, Elisabeth clicked her heels. The maidens crossed their pale arms atop their chests, then spread them wide. Rectangular blades shot loudly from their elbows. The Knight gave his lance a mighty swing, and a fierce shock wave slammed into the blades. The first pair shattered, the second pair split, the third pair burst, the fourth pair split, and the fifth pair twisted. Only the sixth pair made it to Alice. \"Too bad, so sad.\" Alice smiled and gave the blades a little poke. They crumbled into chunks, spilling down atop Alice's knees and bursting into crimson petals as they landed on her blue dress's skirt. Meanwhile, La Guillotines fell victim to the lance's aftershock as well. Their heads came off, their torsos contorted, and their limbs were shredded to ribbons. The maidens collapsed. Elisabeth fought to quell her panic, then let out a low murmur. \"No match, huh? I see she's been eating well.\" This was no longer the same Alice Carroll as before. No more was she Alice, Lewis's beloved daughter. What was she, then? She was nothing and no one. Alice's white hair bobbed as she recited lines as though to introduce herself. \"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! ...Hee-hee, just kidding.\" She blinked her red eyes and smiled. A thought crossed Elisabeth's mind. What was Alice now? If she were forced to do the impossible and define her... ...then 'twould be \"something that ought not to exist in this world.\" This was the result of an alien reincarnator having fulfilled a narrow set of conditions. She may not have been on Kaito Sena's level, but all the same, the world wasn't built to contain one such as she. The Saint's voice was dispassionate and barely louder than a whisper. \"Well, this is a problem. The longer we remain at this standstill, the more people will perish, and the worse the situation will become.\" There was no sign of fear in her gaze, but her gray eyes wavered ever so slightly. Elisabeth nodded in agreement. The destruction was spreading, and Alice was only going to amass more mana as she claimed more victims. At the moment, though, the biggest problem was their current position. The thing was, they were standing before the temporary royal castle. It was the most strategically important location humanity had. The saints' greatest forces\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa Mules, La Christoph\u00e2\u20ac\u201dare already dead. And Vlad is no more. That leaves me, Izabella...and Jeanne de Rais, who's doubtless observing from some vantage point. If the three of us fall...mankind will be left without a path to victory. Elisabeth furrowed her brow as she thought. They had countless pieces at their disposal, but only a few assets with any real strength to them. The vast majority of their pieces were all but useless. It was the same reason why Kaito Sena had had to become the Mad King, way back when. Elisabeth could tell by that point, the plan to apprehend Alice and forcibly transfer Diablo to her was a pipe dream. The situation as it stood was that if they failed to kill her here and now, and instead fell in the process, humanity would not survive. Then there was the matter of those who felt the need to move about freely despite their complete and utter uselessness. \"Lady Saint! We never expected to find Your Holiness in a place like this!\" \"What are you all doing out here?!\" Izabella barked at the paladins. \"Get back underground and protect the king!\" \"But\u00e2\u20ac\u201d!\" Despite her sharp rebuke, that was one order they were loath to follow, even coming from their esteemed commander. The small group had successfully made their way to the Saint unharmed. In all likelihood, Alice had spared them because she found them amusing. \"But we have to help the Saint!\" they argued back at Izabella. All emotion vanished from the Saint's ashen eyes, and she responded to their pleas in a voice void of warmth. \"Did you people not hear of my loathing? I never loved you, and even now your faith is nothing more than a nuisance to me. Nearly all the tales your Church shared of me were rooted in mistakes and"}, {"text": "errors. Yet you say you love me still, knowing that love to be folly? Are you people truly that incorrigible?\" \"Absolutely!\" The Saint's cynical, reproachful question was met with a resolute reply. Her mouth hung half-open in exasperation. However, the paladins were undeterred. They puffed up their chests in simple pride. \"We know full well how many lies there were, and the Church's influence is nothing compared to its splendid days of yore. But even so, you were the one who made the world. That means that everything good in it came about because of you. What cause do we have, then, to lose our respect for you?! Our hearts are unchanging, Your Holiness! The Church may have been incorrect, but it was never errant. So, as such!\" They thumped their large shields against the ground in succession. The shields were finely crafted, with blessings from priests carved into their very surfaces, and they offered a high degree of protection against dark magic. Sadly, though, against Alice, they might as well have been made of paper. However, they positioned themselves in front of the Saint in an attempt to defend her all the same. The fools went on. \"We paladins believe in your suffering! You may have once hated us, but you still shouldered pain on behalf of ignorant wretches like us. That truth is noble in and of itself.\" \"Ah... True enough.\" The Saint bit her lip and clenched her fists. A sort of difficult-to-describe passion crossed her expression for the first time. Elisabeth was well aware of the anguish the Saint had been through. Flocks of sheep were, fundamentally, stupid. And that was the way things ought to be. But was that ignorance not truly a sin? That fact\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat hatred\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad been an obsession for the Saint. Now her entire body was trembling. Alice, who'd been watching everything play out, called over to them. \"Are you done with story time now? In that case, I think it's time for everyone's insides to become outsides!\" Alice rested her cheek softly against the Knight's back, and the Knight responded by raising his lance up high. Then he pointed it at the paladins. \"If any deserve to have stones cast at them, if any deserve to be whipped, it is I.\" The Saint stepped forward. She moved as calmly as if she were walking on water, and as she did, she began shedding tears of blood from one eye. It's time for a story. A tale from long, long ago. Once upon a time, a preeminent genius was born in a world where war waged without end. Once she grew up, she realized that the cycle of violence and hatred was fruitless. Humanity, beastfolk, and demi-humans were all equal. Every living creature was ignorant, and every living creature was like a stupid animal. That was why she had to save them. After steadying her resolve to bring about salvation, she got to work. But she screwed up the method about as badly as she could have. And so, with a pop the world broke. Because of that, she had to carry out an atonement. But at the same time, she found herself struck by a particular question. She had tried to save the world. Yet for the rest of eternity, no one would ever consider what she had truly felt. They would hear only what they wanted to hear, see only what they wanted to see. Flocks of sheep were, fundamentally, stupid. That was the way things ought to be. But at the end of the day, was that not truly a sin? Was it? Truly? \"You were absolutely right, Mad King. All living creatures are nothing more than ignorant, stupid animals. And that's what makes them worth protecting. Despite their ignorance, there is good in them. Our present situation was brought about by a confluence of all sins, mine included. Yet even so, nobody has the right to cast all people as sinners and judge them all as deserving of death.\" As the Saint spoke, her briars spread outward like a wave. Ivy rose up to block the lance strike. However, over half of it ended up getting sliced to bits. The shredded briar scattered. Then roses began blooming from the torn cross sections. A wave of azure and crimson gently swallowed up the lance's shock wave, and thousands of petals went dancing brilliantly through the air. However, that came with a price. The briars coiled themselves tight around the Saint, and blood gushed from her slender frame. The paladins let out cries bordering on screams. They called over to her in a panic. \"Lady Saint! Lady Saint, your body!\" The Saint offered no reply to their worried shouts. She just silently held her ground and watched carefully for when the next blast would come. Then, drenched in violent red as she was, she spoke with great deliberation. \"I have spent a long time thinking about atonement. It consumed my thoughts, day in and day out\u00e2\u20ac\u201das did what the Mad King said to me.\" As the lance strike vanished, Elisabeth leaped into action. At the moment, it was essential she buy time. She let out a small murmur. \"Honey Candy.\" Honey began streaming down Alice's neck. Lilies had manifested in the air, and the golden liquid was spilling out from them. Next, a swarm of ants climbed up the glistening wave. They started gnawing on the honey and the arteries that sat beneath it. \"Ack! What's going on?! This is nasty!\" Based on Alice's screams, it would seem she was still vulnerable to physiological disgust. The plan was absurd, but it had worked nonetheless. Meanwhile, the Saint unraveled her briars for a time. She collapsed backward, like the strings holding her up had just been cut. The paladins rushed over to her. However, Izabella got to her first and propped up the Saint's gaunt back as she spoke. \"Lady Saint, please don't do anything rash. If you hold still, I can get you healed\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"'You just chose to be alone, that's all.' That's what he said to me. And he was right.\" The Saint didn't respond to her offer. Izabella said nothing to that, instead choosing to quickly cast some basic healing magic on her. As she did, the Saint continued her vacant murmuring. It was like she was giving a confession. \"I went on a journey, and I saw that with my own eyes. Trade was bustling; the child did his job well. There were many who recognized this tattered cloak. He was called Butcher, he was loved, and he lived a good life, yet he never abandoned his task or forsook me. How, then, am I to repay him after I abandoned him so?\" Elisabeth bit her lip. As she'd suspected, the Saint's outfit and its resemblance to the Butcher's had been an intentional choice on her part. Now, at long last, the Saint realized what it was she had lost. However, Elisabeth could think of nothing to say to her. The Butcher was dead. Regretting that now was an act of gross arrogance. Death closed all doors. Nothing she did would ever be able to reach him. Then the sound of burning fire filled their ears. It was accompanied by an adorable singsong voice. \"Goodness me, it's hot. Or should I say that it hurts, I wonder?\" Elisabeth's eyes went wide. Of all the ways Alice could have dealt with the ants, she had chosen to light herself on fire. The flames consumed her white hair, charring her skin as it bubbled and burst. Elisabeth surreptitiously shot a volley of stakes at her, but those went up in flames as well. However, all of Alice's burns healed right up. A moment later, her auto-immolated skin was as pristine and unscarred as if nothing had happened. Izabella, somewhat shocked by the rapid back-and-forth, let out a whisper. \"Madam Elisabeth, would you be able to make another opening? She appears to still have some human sensation left in her. I was able to cut her arm, so if Jeanne and I aim for her neck this time\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"Best not. Even if you lopped her head clean off, she would merely sew it back on. Gouging out her heart might get us somewhere, but anything short of that, even piercing it through, would be as useless as beheading her. Her regenerative capabilities are unfathomable\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmuch as Kaito's were at the end, when he reached the point of no longer needing a heart.\" \"Then what would you suggest? I find it difficult to imagine us ever finding an opening that big,\" Izabella replied in consternation. Elisabeth focused her crimson gaze on Alice's innocent figure. As she tried to gauge Alice's mana reserves and current capabilities, she thought through her options. Bull of Phalaris, Pied Piper of Hamelin... No, it's no use. It would take her little effort to overcome whatever I threw at her, even with ostentatious techniques such as those. The time they would buy isn't worth the mana they would cost me. But this chance we have now... We may not get another... Unlike Kaito Sena, Alice was still ostensibly mortal. All they needed to do was outpace her incredible regeneration, and that would be that. However, Elisabeth had no idea how they were supposed to accomplish that. Alice's current strength was second only to the Mad King's. Amid that air of frigid tension, the Saint moved once more. She pushed Izabella back and rose unsteadily to her feet. Then she spread her arms out and, without hesitation, stepped forward. \"Shouldering everything is a sad, lonely lot. And thus\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" A trio of lances struck her briars. Even more blood gushed from the Saint's body. The paladins cried out again, shouting \"Lady Saint!\" like children calling out for their mother. A few of them even rushed forward, upon which the Saint grabbed them with her vines and dragged them back. That was when Elisabeth realized that the Saint's feet were no longer touching the ground. The briars were wound tighter around her than ever before, and their vines were holding her up and anchoring her in the air. It was like looking at a crucifixion. The Saint went on, her voice practically a hymn. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI will act on behalf of that which I hated, that which I discarded, that which I tried to destroy\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand that which the child loved.\" Blood trickled down through her messy black hair. She didn't scream or cry, and there was nothing reflected in her ashen eyes but void. She stared forward, searching for someone that was no longer there. And in that moment, though she didn't know why, Elisabeth found herself reminded of some very sad words. Through her tears, she spoke. \"Thank you for being born unto me,\" she said. That was all. And that was enough. I had fun. Madam Elisabeth, Mr. Dim-Witted Servant, Ms. Lovely Maid, really, truly, and deeply. And finally, thank you so much for your many years of patronage. Elisabeth felt as though she saw a cloak-clad figure waving off in the distance. She shouted at the top of her lungs. \"This isn't the way, Saint! The Butcher would never have wanted you to sacrifice yourself in atonement!\" \"I imagine you're right. That's why I'm not doing this as the Saint. This is my story.\" By then the Saint was already high in the air. Red drops dripped from her feet. The paladins let out voiceless screams. They dropped\u00e2\u20ac\u201dpractically crumpled\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto their knees and began fervently praying. The only one who remained standing was Izabella, who clenched her fists tight like she was forcing herself to endure. The Saint didn't mock the paladins for their incorrigible display. She simply spoke, there at the center of their prayers, as a single, lone individual. \"This is my tale of repentance, dreams, and hatred.\" Determination's light glowed in her expression, and a hitherto unseen strength peeked out from her red eyes. Elisabeth realized something as"}, {"text": "she saw her face. Long ago, when a solitary genius destroyed the world, atoned, and hated, she probably wore the exact same expression. \"Let me tell you something about me, Elisabeth. I was powerless to do anything. Yet for the longest, longest time, I only wanted one single thing\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI wanted to protect the world. I can't believe it took me so long to remember, but...I once...had a dream.\" Droplets of blood, too many of them to count, rained down from her body. A change began taking place in the ground. Briars began growing from the bloodstains, like the earth itself had just received mana from the heavens. They grew at a shocking rate, faster than they ever had before. Roses bloomed all over. Petals fell from the sky, painting a pattern of azure and crimson roses onto everything they touched. The wind carried them, and the magic propagated. After spreading outward without end, they began glowing. The lines spread all across the Capital, and at the center of them all, Alice's childish face contorted. \"What is this? Why, I don't even know. I can't decipher the pattern, no matter how hard I look. What's...going on?\" \"My technical command is still unparalleled, if nothing else. I lost most of my mana when I transferred God and Diablo out of my body. I suppose I only have myself to blame. Now I find myself in a state where I can be forced to yield in the face of overwhelming violence. For now, though, I ask that you accompany me, O ye who would replace me as the enemy of the world,\" the Saint intoned. The cold, rational part of Elisabeth finally realized something\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthere was no need to actually stop her. During the battle, the Saint had determined that she couldn't hold out for long, and so she'd made her choice. And part of that choice had involved using a once-in-a-lifetime technique to draw the largest teleportation circle anyone had ever seen. Roses rained down from the heavens, and countless petals danced through the air in celebration. It made for an extravagant, gorgeous sight. It was like they were trying to paint a beautiful painting atop a canvas with nothing on it. Their painting had nothing but beauty, but oh, how beautiful it was. \"What was your real name, Saint?!\" Seized by impulse, Elisabeth shouted. This was her last chance. She needed to know. Just as the Mad King was Kaito Sena, so too must she have had a name. Whether or not ignorance was a sin, it was certainly at least sad. Elisabeth couldn't let things end without anyone having ever heard it. A look of mute shock crossed the Saint's face. A few seconds later, her expression softened for the first time. And then she merely shook her head. She murmured gently. \"I never gave him a name.\" And so it's fine. This is right. \"What could possibly be right about that?!\" Elisabeth screamed. Long ago, Kaito Sena had once expressed a similar sentiment about the Butcher's decision. However, the Saint stubbornly refused to give them her name. She only opened her mouth a single time more. And from her soft lips, the True Message came. Elisabeth's eyes went wide. However, she didn't have time to reply. The petals' dance grew into a storm, and the light flashed. It wasn't just in the plaza there\u00e2\u20ac\u201deveryone attacking the Capital got sucked in. The Saint's smile faded from view, as did the tears running down her cheeks. She was losing the last vestiges of her human expression. And there, at the very end, she murmured as though she could hear something. \"You're right... I had fun, too... And so...\" Thank you so much for being born unto me. And as she spoke to the empty air, the Saint vanished and took Alice with her. To fight on her own, and to die alone. \"That didn't...just happen, right? Lady Saint... Lady Saint!\" \"We just bore witness to a miracle. For what would you call that, if not a miracle?!\" The various paladins' shouts echoed through the space where their foe no longer was. As they clamored, they stared straight ahead. Alice and the fixed batteries were still alive. The Saint was going to die by their hands. That was a certainty. However, that meant that the Capital\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand the world\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwould survive for that much longer. On top of that, the scene before them was well deserving of being called a miracle. It wasn't clear how it worked, but even now that the light had died out, the briars still remained. Their vines were wound in intricate patterns, and they stretched into the sky in the shape of a cross. And what's more, the entire sublime fixture was still covered in azure and crimson flower petals. Each time the wind blew, it filled the air with a dancing cloud of colors. As the petals landed among her raven locks, Elisabeth had a thought. True enough. This is a miracle. In the end, the sinner who tried to save the world, that solitary genius, powerless to do anything, had brought about the impossible. 2 Chaos Returns Long ago, the Saint thought once more in that blank, white world. Why had she tried to save them all? Given how things had turned out, it couldn't be described as anything other than a flight of fancy driven by a serious case of arrogance and conceit. A fatal mistake, one brought about by the sense of omnipotence that accompanied the possession of great power. Yet in her heart of hearts, she couldn't bring herself to consider what she had tried to do as worthy of scorn or rebuke. It had been clear as day that if she hadn't done anything, the world would have fallen into ruin. And it was just as evident that, even knowing that fact, nobody else had tried to act. That was why she had fought on her own for so long. To save them all. However, she had been assailed by profound regrets. After all, what had she been left with after salvation had been carried out? In the end, what of hers, what of anyone's had she been able to save? Nothing. Nothing at all. Just like when she was young, she hadn't been able to save anything. But this, this now\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthis was different. It was an inelegant conclusion, to be sure. And it had come far too late. People might well point fingers and laugh at her. But that was fine. She had finally regained that which she had forgotten. And she had managed to salvage one thing from that long, long suffering and those many, many failures. She had protected that which the child she abandoned loved. In the end, perhaps she merely wanted someone to say it to her. Perhaps she wanted to think it about herself. Thank you so much for being born. At long last, the solitary genius realized that, and in doing so, the Saint finished carrying her burden. That, and that alone, was enough to give meaning to her entire tragedy\u00e2\u20ac\u201dher entire farce. \"And I lived happily ever after.\" A new miracle had taken place, and the Capital was saved. However, things were far from over. All those who hadn't borne witness wanted to know the truth. What had just happened exactly? And just what kind of peril was confronting the world? It was imperative that they explain the events to the young king Maclaeus Filliana. Powerful people were going to come to him looking for answers. The Church, in particular, was going to be abuzz like a poked beehive. It made sense, after all. The Saint had sacrificed herself and gone willingly to her death. It wasn't hard to imagine how people would react to something like that. Elisabeth knew all that, but she chose to neglect her reporting duties regardless. The Saint may have completely stopped her in her tracks, but the time that buys us is limited. 'Twould make for a fine joke if I were to spend that time all tied up alongside Izabella. The Saint had turned her life into a precious hourglass. There were a million things they needed to do while the Saint held Alice at bay at their teleportation destination, and their sand was running out. Elisabeth started out by having Izabella give her info on all the towns and villages she'd gotten distress calls from. Then she left the plaza, which was still astir regarding the miracle, and put down the remaining demon grandchildren and fixed batteries as fast as she could. With their foes in disarray, now was their best chance to thin their ranks and cut off the accumulation of pain at the source. As she did, she sent out a message. I presume the Saint is fighting Alice and her company at the spot where she herself was sealed away\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe abyss in the World's End. The question becomes, then, how should we\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhow can we\u00e2\u20ac\u201dspend this time she's bought us? Elisabeth looked at the ceiling as she sank into thought. It was adorned with living flowers. After teleporting and teleporting and teleporting some more, she had ultimately made her way to a darkened manor. Its long hallways were coated in a thin layer of dust. She leaned clandestinely against the white wall. Then she silently watched the flowers daintily sway as she waited for her message's recipients to reply. Suddenly, though, she heard a laugh that sounded almost human boom from close by. She cast her gaze in the corresponding direction, then scoffed as she spotted a particularly dense patch of darkness. \"Hello, Kaiser. And what exactly have you been doing all this time? Lazing about, no doubt.\" \"What an insolent tongue you have, foolish child. Would you like me to make offal of it? Perhaps I should just crush your skull between my jaws,\" the Kaiser replied. He revealed himself from the darkness and melted into view. He was a black dog the size of a small cow, and he flashed his jagged fangs. Elisabeth, wholly undaunted, just gave him another scoff. \"Ha. If you wish to try me, then by all means, do so. Unlike your former contractor Kaito, you'll find me a good deal harder to gobble down\u00e2\u20ac\u201das you're well aware. Now, I ask you again. What is it you've been doing?\" \"The stage wasn't suitable for me, is all. A more fitting moment is yet to come. So to kill time, I was simply watching people suffer. You know, like going out to watch a show.\" Geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, fu-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, geh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. The Kaiser laughed, his voice shrill and cacophonous. Elisabeth shrugged. In truth, her comments had been toothless. She knew full well that the Kaiser's presence wouldn't have been enough to tip the scales. He could have forced Alice into a war of attrition like the Saint did, and perhaps he would have done an even better job than she had. However, it was as he said. Doing so would have taken him off the board for good. And besides, no mere human could give orders to the Kaiser and expect him to follow them anyhow. As yet, 'tis still unclear who his contractor is, and his aims are just as opaque. Elisabeth stared intently at the Kaiser's sable frame. She was on the verge of asking him the answers to those questions, but he spoke first, cutting her off as though to say he couldn't be bothered explaining himself. \"I have a question for you, foolish child.\" \"And what might that be? I must say, I never took you for the inquisitive type.\" \"It's true. I'm not, by nature, but something about the situation piqued my curiosity.\" The black dog slapped the ground lightly with his sleek tail. The hellfire in his eyes flickered. Looking at him, he seemed like one who had transcended mortal understanding, yet the words the supreme hound spoke next had a shockingly human feel to them. \"The Accumulation"}, {"text": "of Seventeen Years' Pain and the Saint both said some nonsense about this place being worth protecting. But this whole situation was caused by the discrepancies, oppression, and sorrow brought about by the living themselves. Even if you succeed in protecting the world, the grudges caused by those wounds will still fester. Destruction will continue to lurk just around the corner. Knowing that, do you truly believe that enough righteous ones will be born to overturn all that?\" \"Nay. Not in the slightest,\" Elisabeth declared without missing a beat. The Kaiser squinted at her in surprise. In Elisabeth's eyes, though, it was the only answer she could have given. The Saint may have been naive, but not her. No, the Torture Princess knew. She knew that ignorance was a sin. She knew that the weak could commit horrendous acts without batting an eye. And she knew that even if they succeeded in saving the world, that as long as God and Diablo existed, it could fall back into ruin at a moment's notice. Yet even so... She went on, dignified and true. \"But I leave it in their hands regardless. As a sinner, I'm hardly in any place to lay bare the wickedness of the living and write them off as being fit solely for the grave. I've an obligation to keep the thread together, that others may yet try spinning it.\" Elisabeth had long since found her resolve, and it was still just as unwavering. Those who owe their lives to another have a duty to fight. Watching the Saint make her choice had made Elisabeth sure of that. She didn't have time to waste falling into despair over everything that was wrong and broken. She owed her life to Kaito Sena. His love had saved her. That meant that all of this, everything that was happening and everything that was going to happen, was her story. Averting her eyes and passing the buck wasn't an option. \"'Twas my choice to make, and I chose to see this fight through to its end.\" \"Hmph. Playing the part of the peerless dunce, I see. Well, so be it. Will you be able to emulate that fool whose twisted mind remained clear to the end? Or will you drown in your hypocrisy and die? I look forward to... Hmm? Ah, they're here. Well, I have no patience for squeaky little mice.\" With that, the Kaiser vanished. Elisabeth, now alone again, looked up. She had told them that a message alone would suffice, but in spite of that, a teleportation circle was etching itself onto the ground before her eyes. It wasn't quite the same as the sort humans employed. Fire ran across it first, after which a cloud of red and white sand swirled up from its center. The two hues filled her view like a sand painting. Eventually, they hardened into a wall, cracked, and crumbled. When they did, a dozen-odd beastfolk stood before her. The copper-furred wolf standing at their center looked up. He gave her a courteous bow. \"Captain Elisabeth, the entire Peace Brigade is reporting for duty!\" They were Elisabeth's soldiers, her subordinates from the land of the beastfolk. \"I appreciate you coming all the way out to this fateful manor,\" Elisabeth said. \"As I suspected, the place is deserted. 'Tis the perfect spot for a clandestine meeting.\" The beastfolk nodded. Asking them to come there of all places was in poor taste, to be sure, but given that she had a proper reason, none of them voiced any complaints. Elisabeth stepped forward from the wall she'd been leaning against. In truth, it was no wall at all. It was the entrance to a room, packed tight with pale-silver ivy. The vines were cold, firm, and soft, like a corpse that was just coming out of rigor mortis. It reminded her of a graveyard. And that was exactly what it was. They were in Vyade Ula Forstlast's primary residence. And they were standing before the throne room\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe room she'd died in. After her self-inflicted death, Alice and Lewis made their escape by destroying a nearby wall. However, the room's actual entrance was pristine and untouched. That was where Elisabeth had awaited Lute's response. However, he and the rest of her men had foregone the use of a communication device and chosen to answer in person. Even though she'd conveyed her location to them, this was a turn of events she hadn't foreseen. Knowing what it likely implied, Elisabeth broke the ice. She repeated the questions she had asked them in her missive. \"How fares the situation in the beastfolk lands? How is Vyadryavka? What states are the Three Kings of the Forest in?\" After Vyadryavka Ula Forstlast's appeal to the Three Kings and their march on the hidden demi-human pureblood village, the Sand Queen's awakening had dealt the beastfolk a harsh blow. Elisabeth didn't have a great picture of how things had gone down for them after that. Her soldiers exchanged looks with each other. Then three representatives from their ranks\u00e2\u20ac\u201done with a fox head, one with a dog head, and one with a bull head\u00e2\u20ac\u201dstood at attention side by side. The three of them answered her questions. \"To be blunt, Captain, the situation isn't pretty. The surviving members of the imperial family are divided, and the people's spirits are wearing thin. And Lord Vyadryavka Ula Forstlast is in similar straits. The Three Kings of the Forest made their choice, so there were initially talks about letting him off the hook, but now...\" \"For now, he's being monitored and held under temporary house arrest. It's hard for us to say what will become of him.\" \"As for the Three Kings of the Forest, they've suffered grievous wounds and are having difficulty even moving. There are many who fear the Sand Queen will strike again, and it's given rise to a level of unrest our nation has never seen. There are some who want us to go on the offensive so we can avenge the Three Kings of the Forest, and others who even want us to offer the demi-humans our unconditional surrender.\" \"Not even the honorable beastfolk are immune, then? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but...all that would accomplish is to delay their inevitable ruin.\" Elisabeth sighed. There was a faint glimmer of grief in her eyes. No matter the nation, the masses were always like a single sprawling ruler. The things they thought and said had profound effects on the rest of the board. For how could they not? And the thing that always shook them most was their fear of death. Nobody wanted to die. And sometimes, that meant they were willing to sacrifice anything. The situation was just as unstable as she'd feared. Her sheep-headed subordinate was the next to speak up, his voice restless. \"We serve the Torture Princess, Madam Elisabeth Le Fanu. We're not ashamed of that. However, the members of Lady Valisisa Ula Forstlast's private army have been asking a lot of questions about the immoderate support we've been giving mankind and the search we conducted for Satisbarina's son. Up until now, we've been standing fast at the World Tree to defend the Three Kings of the Forest, but when you sent your message, we came as fast as we could. Captain...what do you think's going to become of the beastfolk? What will become of the world?\" \"On that front, I have news both good and bad.\" Elisabeth raised two fingers. She had no intention of letting the question linger, so she went ahead and revealed both pieces of information without giving her men so much as time to brace themselves. \"The situation has changed. Due to the Fremd Torturchen Alice Carroll awakening and going on a rampage, the world once more finds itself faced with obliteration. On the other hand, in all likelihood, the demi-humans and mixed-race folk are no longer our foes.\" The declarations sent a stir through her subordinates' ranks. They flashed confused gazes at each other. It was a natural reaction. Just a single day prior, they and the demi-humans and mixed-race folk had been trying to kill each other. And what's more, Alice had originally been on the mixed-race people's side. However, Elisabeth was sure of her statement on all counts. With Lewis dead, Alice feels she has no place to go back to. Her father was the only thing she held any real attachment to. And besides, the mixed-race folk would never have allowed her to use the weapons Lewis crafted in the manner she did. It holds, then, that they never gave her their leave. Yet she's using them all the same. There was a story there, and one that Elisabeth suspected involved bloodshed. The Fremd Torturchen had done something to her own allies and given her declaration about it being time for \"everyone to die together,\" Elisabeth suspected that the first ones she had made sacrifices of were the mixed-race folk themselves. That, and any demi-humans who happened to be present. A truly pure heart made no exceptions. Sometimes, innocence could be the most horrifying thing imaginable. Elisabeth went on. \"We have to act now, while Alice is out of the picture. We need the Sand Queen on our side. The time for pleasant infighting has passed. By the sound of it, though, the beastfolk are in no state to negotiate. As such...\" Elisabeth paused for a moment. She took a deep breath. Whether or not the deed was possible was yet to be seen. However, an attempt had to be made. And with the Saint gone, the task fell to her replacement. When Elisabeth continued, she made sure her conviction rang in every word. \"...I shall go and persuade the demi-humans and mixed-race folk.\" A new herald of the end had appeared, and the arrival of a common enemy made for the perfect opportunity to negotiate a cease-fire. It was craven, in a sense, and comical to boot, but that was just how the world worked. Even in the midst of abject chaos, Elisabeth was still keeping tabs on her foes. For one, she knew that the mixed-race folk were still using the hidden demi-human village as their base of operations. It still had the Sand Queen's protection, after all, so there was little need for them to pack up their bags and leave. After fleeing from their historic rout, the other races had yet to so much as approach the settlement again. That said, Elisabeth knew where it was, so as long as she wasn't afraid of getting attacked the moment she landed, she could still at least get there. She chose to gamble on them having fallen too deep into disarray to intercept her. However, nothing could have prepared her for what she found there. It was an entirely different sort of hell than it had been when she last left. \"How could something like this even happen?\" \"Who would have thought that the Sand Queen would\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" The Peace Brigade members' voices were tinged with fear. Elisabeth had tried to stop them, but they had accompanied her to the desert regardless. Not even her warning that \"the battle that lies beyond will transcend mortal comprehension\" had been enough to get them to back down. As far as Lute and the others were concerned, the scariest thing of all was the prospect of not being able to help. Now, though, they simply stood in blank shock. The hidden village was located in the Dragons' Graveyard. It was covered in its entirety in bones, and an overlarge dragon skull had been left to serve as its front gate. At the moment, though, there was a new colossus collapsed in front of it. The sloping semicircle its frame formed atop the ground was like looking at a hill made of sand. Its hardened scales were cracked, exposing the strangely elastic flesh beneath. Dark blood was pooled around it on the sand like"}, {"text": "oil. It was as though a black circle had been cut directly out of the desert. Meanwhile, the head was marred by a peculiar-looking scar. It looked like it had been opened wide up, then closed again. Elisabeth stood motionless before the grisly spectacle. She thought back to the quotes from the poem she'd once looked into. \"A body unheld by death's fell claim.\" \"A radiant form.\" \"A glittering frame.\" \"Adorned with reddened scales.\" \"Like beautiful stones.\" \"Our eternal protector.\" The people loved the Sand Queen. They revered her. And that was why they had made use of her corpse. They had forced it back into motion, and this was the result of their efforts. The Sand Queen lay before Elisabeth and her men, now dead twice over. \"Or to be more precise, her magical reactor was destroyed with great precision,\" Elisabeth amended her thought as she looked at the corpse's chest. It was a mystery what had caused the head wound. Whatever killed the Queen, though, it must have been a single blow. Not even Alice would have survived a protracted clash with her. Elisabeth shook her sand-battered hair off her shoulders and gave a small nod. \"Lewis was the one who aided the demi-humans in their engineering efforts to analyze the Sand Queen's corpse. Alice would have been with him, so it stands to reason that she would know the Sand Queen's weak spots. If she caught the Queen by surprise, a carefully placed lance strike from that White Knight of hers could well have gotten the job done. That said, the wound on the head is closed up. Did she fail to down the Sand Queen with her initial strike, then?\" Elisabeth tried approaching the corpse, but she quickly stopped in her tracks. Thousands of little bubbles were floating on the black blood's surface. She tried popping one with the tip of her toe, and her shoe melted a little. It wasn't hard to imagine what would have happened if she'd set foot in it. Lute shook his head, then cautioned her. \"Best not to, I think. Even if we got close, the Sand Queen's body is too much for us to handle.\" \"Aye, true enough. Without appropriate tools of some sophistication, we've little chance of gleaning anything of note from her.\" Elisabeth frowned as she let out a sigh. The magical devices she was capable of summoning were first-rate, but they only served the purpose of torturing people. And besides, even understanding the Sand Queen's corpse was easier said than done. She was like the Three Kings of the Forest. No matter how long you looked at her, keeping a coherent mental image of her in her entirety was nigh impossible. Her springy flesh, her chipped, jewel-like scales, the grim cut across her head, and her claws submerged in the lake of blood were all perfectly comprehensible on their own. However, it was impossible to picture them as a whole. Furthermore, the corpse's expression was unseeable. It was anyone's guess as to whether her second rest was a peaceful one. That said, the fact of the matter was that she was dead. Even pondering such a question was an act of pointless sentimentality. The question is, what are those who yet remain doing? With the Sand Queen dead, the hidden village was back to being as good as defenseless. To lose her was to lose their shield and their sword at the same time. Yet despite the emergency it was facing, the settlement was dead quiet. The horrors within must have been far beyond Elisabeth's expectations. However, even realizing that wasn't enough to shake her. She spoke succinctly. \"Let's go.\" \"We're right there with you, ma'am,\" Lute replied. However, Elisabeth didn't so much as cast a glance his way before setting off. The decision to follow her or not was theirs to make. She threw the dragon skull's mouth open. Then she walked straight forward. Her men wordlessly came along after her. And with that, they went in. Into the chaos that awaited them\u00e2\u20ac\u201dinto Wonderland. There were corpses. There were corpses. There were bodies. There were remains. There were carcasses. There were corpses melted like butter, corpses sprinkled with pepper, corpses seated for a tea party, corpses with their heads cut off, corpses drowned in a sea of tears, corpses packed into buildings, corpses that had fallen off walls. The sheer number of bodies was almost comical. Demi-humans and mixed-race people alike had been killed without distinction. The mixed-race people suffered heavy casualties during the Three Kings' invasion, but none of those victims had been made into macabre displays like this. By Elisabeth's estimation, these ones had been picked off soon after their victory. The desert had no shortage of places where one could cremate and store bodies. However, all of these had simply been left out in the open. The bodies sat splayed out like they were nothing more than objects. Strangely, though, each one had been offered a tiny display of mercy. Someone had gone and placed a blue flower atop each and every one of them. A tiny prayer, perhaps, for the dead. And that was the scariest part of all. \"It can't be... Did any of them survive?\" Elisabeth shook her head. \"I know not. Many fled, I imagine. That said, I've yet to find any survivors.\" Lute's tail curled up. He had known that before even asking, but he simply didn't want to believe his own eyes. Alice was acting completely within expectations. However, that didn't make what she'd done any less deranged. The two of them arrived at a section of the settlement that had avoided getting hit by the fire during the Three Kings' attack. However, everyone they passed was still dead. And it wasn't just the main residences, either. Even the underground bunkers that the human-beastfolk army missed during the battle had been cracked wide open, and the people who'd fled there for shelter had been butchered as well. It reminded Elisabeth of her birthplace. Those who lived surrounded by walls made for perfect fodder, and it was in just such a town that Elisabeth had once gorged herself on pain. Although the people here had been given much quicker paths to death, what they'd been subjected to was much the same thing. It was a sin of the most depraved sort. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth! Cruel, hideous Elisabeth! Those old, familiar cries of hatred sounded deep in Elisabeth's eardrums. Here, though, there was no one to even scream. At the same time, she was reminded of a woman. Namely, she was reminded of a lizard-headed noblewoman\u00e2\u20ac\u201dAguina's wife, Satisbarina Elephabred. When she gave Elisabeth the settlement's location, she made Elisabeth make her a promise. Elisabeth could still remember exactly what she'd said to her. \"Those who boast of knowing love cannot well make light of the love of others. Such is the oath I demand of you.\" \"When you find my son and his wife, I ask that you vow not to forsake them.\" \"I cannot...will not allow harm to come to them.\" How would she lament if she saw this grim spectacle, I wonder? Elisabeth shook her head. A slight shadow came over her expression, but speaking as the Torture Princess, the total annihilation here was actually a decent outcome for them. With the Sand Queen gone, there was little value to be found in reconciling with the demi-humans and mixed-race folk. This way, there was one less thing she needed to worry about. That said, Elisabeth's instincts were as sharp as a knife, and they were telling her a different story. Something seems amiss... Can I really write this off so simply? She cast her crimson gaze downward and sank into thought. As she did, her dog-headed subordinate with the black-and-white-spotted fur rushed over to her and dutifully remembered to salute. When he gave his report, his tail was standing on end, and he was clearly trying to suppress the emotion in his voice. \"Captain, we've finished checking the temple that was damaged in the battle, and we have good news! It has a sanctuary modeled off the one in the demi-human pureblood sector, and not only did it avoid the fire, its wards kept it intact in its entirety. There are no signs it was ever opened by force. Quick, ma'am, this way!\" \"Very well. Let's go.\" Elisabeth gave him an immediate nod. Her instincts were telling her to follow him, and follow him she did. The settlement had no palace, so it was the path to the temple instead that was dyed vermilion. Painted atop that hue, there was an intricate array of other vibrant colors. It was an illustrated depiction of the demi-humans' history. Her high heels chipped at the paint as her thoughts turned. Deep inside the demi-human Sand Temple, there was a hexagonal sanctuary adorned with gold and jewels. By the sound of it, the temple here had a similar space, though they probably enshrined holy relics there instead of the Sand Queen's corpse. Only a scant few demi-humans would have even known how to open it. The slightest pangs of hope beat in Elisabeth's and the Peace Brigade's chests as they hurried onward. Would there be survivors inside? And even if there were, would they be too scared to function? Elisabeth and the others had no way of knowing. But they hoped all the same. \"Looking at this... Is there not a fair chance that those inside were annihilated as well?\" The moment they got there, Elisabeth immediately feared the worst. There was a bittersweet smell wafting through the air. Alice had probably gotten bored and given up on destroying the sanctuary, but instead, she had pumped it full of poison. Getting done in by a poison they themselves had developed was an ironic way for the mixed-race people to go. In a way, though, it was also fitting. However, her black-and-white-spotted subordinate shook his head in disagreement. \"There's something unnatural about how the lingering fumes are concentrated. They're thinner in the area around the sanctuary, but that's not the way air is supposed to flow. Someone inside must have taken countermeasures against the poison.\" \"Ah, I see. Thank you for bringing it up. I lack the olfactory precision to pick up on such details. Shall we open it, then?\" Elisabeth quickened her pace. The sound of their footsteps echoed off what bone pillars remained. There was still no reaction from inside the sanctuary\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand that made Elisabeth and the Peace Brigade let down their guards. A harsh wham split the air. The door to the sanctuary flew open far more violently than it ever would have in peacetime, and someone rushed out like a loosed arrow. He took the object he was holding and thrust it forward. Elisabeth's wolf-headed subordinate suddenly found something hard and metal in his mouth, and the man followed up by sweeping his legs out from under him. The wolfman did a half spin, and the man planted himself squarely on the wolfman's chest. The man's movements were skillful, but more than anything, it was his weapon that impressed Elisabeth. The weapon in question was a rifle. The demi-humans were masters of metalworking, and they had already developed functional firearms. However, there were still a lot of kinks to work out before they could mass-produce them. At the moment, there were only a small number of prototypes out in the world, and they were owned solely by members of the aristocracy. In short, the comfort with which their new acquaintance was handling his rifle meant that he must have been a big deal, even among the high-grade purebloods. Elisabeth took another good look at him. The man was a male demi-human with the head of a lizard, and his slender build, golden eyes, and vermilion scales looked somehow familiar. Could it be? Is he\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? \"Nobody move!\" the man shouted. \"Not unless you want this guy to"}, {"text": "die!\" \"Randgrof Elephabred! You're alive!\" Elisabeth was about to say his name, but Lute beat her to the punch. Randgrof Elephabred. That was Aguina and Satisbarina's son. If beastfolk faces were difficult to tell apart, demi-humans were nigh impossible. However, it would seem their suspicions were true. Upon hearing Lute's shout, the man\u00e2\u20ac\u201dRandgrof\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlooked up and frowned in puzzlement. \"Who are you...and why do you know my name? Do we know each other?\" \"I can answer that,\" Elisabeth replied. \"I come at the behest of Satisbarina Elephabred.\" \"My mother? Why?\" \"She asked that I ensure your safety, and we've been searching for you since the Three Kings began their march. Now calm yourself and look around. This place is filled with corpses as far as the eye can see. Who would come to do you harm? Any foes of yours would simply depart and leave you to your lot. Know where it is you stand,\" she said coolly. The provocative wording was a considered choice on her part. Knowing that she was talking to Satisbarina's son, she judged it would have the desired effect. After showing a quick flash of anger, Randgrof lowered his rifle. Sure enough, rage was the fastest way to get through to him. He got up off Elisabeth's subordinate and offered him an apologetic bow. Then, having realized who the group's leader was, he came over to Elisabeth. The Torture Princess's crimson eyes narrowed. Randgrof's silken clothes were smeared with blood. Then, with a shudder, Randgrof dropped his gun. He crumpled to his knees. \"Thank goodness... Thank goodness you're here. Please, I'm begging you, you have to come in. This place is sacred to our people. I would normally bar you, but now I welcome you with open arms. That was too close... A little longer, and we'd have...\" \"What happened? Pull yourself together. What exactly is going on in there?\" Elisabeth helped Randgrof up. The man was scared stiff. However, Alice had long since left. Whatever it was he was afraid of, it wasn't her. Randgrof shook his head and continued his desperate plea. The words came out more as sobs than anything else. \"Any longer and we would've started killing each other.\" At that, Elisabeth and her men couldn't help but exchange some glances. Despair was a funny thing. Sometimes, it robbed people of their ability to make rational decisions. Given the circumstances, though, acting rationally was hardly that important. The mixed-race people had spent many long months and years plotting their rebellion against the world. They wanted to see their wish through to fruition, even if it meant making foes out of everyone else. However, there was one important fact they overlooked. The Fremd Torturchen didn't share that fervent desire of theirs. The only thing she held was a deep-seated affection for the man who called her his daughter. Granted, she was quite fond of her other allies, but therein lay the tragedy. To Alice and Lewis both, those people they held dear were nothing more than people they felt ought to die alongside them. In Alice's eyes, killing the survivors was an act of mercy. Thus, all it took was a child's grief to shatter the mixed-race people's dearest desire. Many of them were given the \"kindness\" of having their lives taken. But the bigger issue, the problem now at hand was... ...what are those misfortunate enough to survive to do from here? They'd made enemies of the world, they had no homeland to return to, and if they fled, they would be doing so in disgrace. Their failure was despair-inducing in its totality. Their rebellion had brought about doom, just not in the way they'd wanted. They had repented, and they had hated, and now their dream was over. They had no more reason to live. Even that had been taken from them. All of that had led them to where they were\u00e2\u20ac\u201din the sanctuary. The mixed-race people were pushing to die by mass suicide, and naturally, the demi-humans were refusing to go quietly. Most of them had been nothing but hostages, and even the traitors among their ranks at least had a homeland that would take them back. They had no reason to play along, and so life and death were being forced to vie for supremacy in a tiny, isolated space. Whenever that happened, there could only be one outcome. People would start brutally killing one another. However, the arrival of their unexpected visitors put a temporary halt to the brewing violence. The Torture Princess followed Randgrof into the tense room, then took advantage of both sides' bewilderment to start haughtily giving out orders. Beneath the temple, there was a small room for its grave keeper. It was there that Elisabeth took Randgrof and a representative from the mixed-race people and set up a meeting. The other survivors were even farther underground, in a stone room surrounding a bed of vitreous sand. It was modeled after the Sand Queen's chamber and was similarly massive. Inside, mixed-race folk were huddled up tight with mixed-race folk, and demi-humans with demi-humans, yet even so, the chamber was packed nearly to capacity. Elisabeth commented on the head count. \"Three hundred, give or take? I'm surprised to see so many.\" \"Three hundred hid underground, and around the same number fled,\" the middle-aged mixed-race man replied. \"Take away the demi-humans, and we make up just half that number. And you call us many? The ranks for our rebellion against the world have been whittled down to a mere handful. Although, I suppose that's a happy turn of events for you people.\" The man had the eyes of a human, the ears of a beastfolk, and the face of a demi-human. His cheeks were stretched taut over deep sword wounds, and he had scars from someone nearly ripping off his face. That alone was enough to get a glimpse at the depths of his despair. In spite of that, though, Elisabeth's reply was blunt. \"Unashamedly so, yes. Allow me to be concise. As I see it, there's little reason for me to even negotiate here. However, it'll be one fewer thing for me to have to think about, so I call for a temporary cease-fire. I vow to place your survivors under my protection. In exchange, I ask for information on Lewis's legacy. Furthermore, I ask that you hand us custody of the living demi-humans here.\" When Elisabeth listed out her conditions, it earned her dubious looks from not just the mixed-race man, but from Randgrof as well. By the looks of it, he didn't understand why she'd made the request she had about the demi-humans. However, Elisabeth had had a good reason for that. If she wanted to help deescalate the situation, extending a gesture of goodwill to the demi-humans who'd never turned traitor was a good first step. Furthermore, and more importantly, there was something weighing on her mind. \"Randgrof, I have a question for you. Was your father... Was Aguina off somewhere else?\" \"Father? No. After his betrayal, he joined up with the mixed-race folk and came here as well. That's why he left my mother a message...or at least, I hear he did. I actually saw him a few times here myself.\" \"What became of his corpse, then?\" \"...Wait, you haven't seen my father's body?\" Elisabeth gave Randgrof's shocked question a nod. Randgrof went on with an expression that was somewhere between relief and bewilderment. \"Father didn't escape with us; he continued evacuating purebloods until the very end. I had simply assumed he passed. I was sad about it, surely, but are you telling me he survived?\" \"I know not. I find it hard to imagine he did, but then...\" Elisabeth shook her head. It was hard to picture Aguina fleeing the settlement and simply leaving that sea of corpses behind. That said, she couldn't rightly say that she'd seen Aguina Elephabred's corpse. The death of the man who slew a saint and could well be described as an enemy of the world was, as yet, unconfirmed. Elisabeth obviously hadn't gone around to check each and every corpse, but there was something else that she was confident about. If Aguina had been staring down death, he would have made sure to leave some sort of mark on the world. However, she had seen no such thing. It begged the question, where did he go? \"In any case, I have my vow with Satisbarina to uphold. You're coming with us.\" \"Ah, um...right. I have to wonder, what exactly did my mother make you promise?\" Randgrof frowned. He probably knew full well just how tough Satisbarina was. Elisabeth waited for the middle-aged man's response, but the mixed-race representative persisted in his silence. It was a good ten seconds later that he finally moved. He inclined his head, and, in the same motion, shook it. \"You can do what you want with the demi-humans...but I have no information to give you.\" \"Interesting. Stubborn to the very end, then?\" \"No, it's simpler than that. I just don't have anything I can tell you. I imagine Lewis already told you about the demon grandchildren, and you saw the fixed batteries for yourself. We have nothing valuable enough to bargain for our lives with. Our ambitions are broken, and our dearest wish lies dashed. This is as far as we go. There's nothing more to it.\" \"What are you saying?\" Elisabeth asked. \"Consider yourselves lucky, demi-human. You get to live another day. Now take them and go. But us, our lives end here,\" the man said matter-of-factly. Elisabeth took a moment to stew on what he'd said. He was not speaking out of panicked desperation. He had just calmly made the decision that that was where he was going to die. She raised an eyebrow and rested her chin on her hands. \"And your people are in consensus on that?\" \"I wouldn't expect you to understand, but our despair is not something so easily forgotten. 'Have you ever seen someone who was murdered?'\" It was nonsensical, asking a question like that to the Torture Princess. However, the mixed-race representative went on like a man possessed. \"'Someone who was sold off? Someone who was violated? Someone who was robbed of all their dignity? Someone who was cast into despair? Someone who was dissected while they were still alive?'\" Have you ever seen someone get sacrificed and have it not weigh on their killers' consciences in the slightest? Have you ever seen someone be victimized in the name of justice and faith? I'll never forgive them. No matter who does. No matter if God himself does. No matter if even the dead do. \"'I'll never forgive them, even if I'm the only one,'\" the old man said, giving voice to his resentment. Elisabeth could tell that the words weren't his. That was a speech that someone else had given. The mixed-race man exhaled, then confirmed her suspicions. \"That's something Lewis said once. We were all following his malice. His hatred called forth the Fremd Torturchen, and we welcomed her gladly. And you can see where it got us. There's no need for us to 'slay as many of you as we can until the day of our ultimate defeat' anymore. The girl's going to kill everyone anyway. We're all beyond help. If we went and shook hands with the very people we tried to kill just to eke out a tiny bit more life, what would that make us?\" Elisabeth didn't respond to that. She simply barked an order. \"Lute, go on down.\" Lute understood what she meant. He nodded, then left the room and headed for the stone chamber below. He directed a forceful shout out into the crowd. \"If any mixed-race people want to leave with us, come this way! You have my word that no harm will come to you!\" The only reply he got was dead silence. Down in the murky darkness, the air was thick with"}, {"text": "anger and hopelessness. It told Elisabeth all over again just how deep-seated their hatred of the world was. Now that their rebellion had failed, they were turning all their destructive cravings inward. If she were Kaito Sena, Elisabeth mused, this was where she would try to talk them out of it. There was no doubt in her mind that he would have used every argument he could have to try to save the oppressed. That was just the kind of good-natured guy he was. But the Torture Princess was not him. Elisabeth casually rose to her feet, then turned around and spoke. \"So be it. If you seek death, then be my guest. I can see I'm unneeded here, so I'll merely take the demi-humans and be on my way.\" \"We're...saved? But...we're the only ones who got saved...\" Randgrof's murmur dripped with guilt. However, Elisabeth ignored him. By nature, the Torture Princess was one who oppressed. She had no capacity to play the saint, and the prospect of her trying to get in good with the wounded was laughable. Elisabeth had no more attention to spare for those who resented the world. The Torture Princess began walking as she spoke. \"I shan't denounce your desire to end things. Let this bring a close to your hatred and your dreams.\" Resentment and sorrow and rage, despair and malice and suffering, for better or for worse, they would all come to an end. In a sense, it was a sort of salvation. It was sad, no doubt. It could be spoken of as pitiable. But the fact remained that death was a way for things to end. Elisabeth couldn't deny that, and she knew that speaking of hope when there was none would be nothing more than a base act of deception. She did, however, give Randgrof a dispassionate instruction. \"Leave them your gun. 'Tis a wretched sight when one tries to end their life by the blade and fails to finish the job.\" \"Ah, right, okay. I'll leave everything we have.\" Randgrof hurriedly acquiesced, gathering up the valuable weapons and piling them in the corner of the room. The Peace Brigade began taking the demi-humans outside. Cries of relief began rising up all over, and the middle-aged man made sure to tell the other mixed-race people not to interfere. Elisabeth cast a single glance their way. Still no reaction. Their appearances were wildly varied, but all of them shared a common rejection of the world that lay ahead. Elisabeth left those who'd chosen death behind and set foot on the staircase. And that's when it happened. A massive reeeet rang out like the world itself was creaking. The sanctuary started shaking. Chunks of rubble rained down from above. The vitreous sand scraped against itself, making it sound as though someone was screeching. It was as if the end of days had come again. However, it was too early for Alice to be back. Elisabeth paused, perplexed at what was going on. Not a moment later, the mixed-race man's eyes went wide as he realized what was happening. He opened his mouth as wide as it would go, and his ugly scars shifted about as he cackled at the top of his lungs. His laughter echoed about like the cries of some avian portent of doom. \"Oh, I see, I see, I see! You would go that far... You would take and grant even that?! Oh, you adorable girl! It's to be death, then, death, death, death! An impartial massacre that casts aside every ideal we held true!\" His voice rang with considerable amusement as he kept on laughing the laugh of a man whose fraying sanity had finally snapped. As the chaos swelled, Elisabeth thought back. She thought about the awe-inspiring presence she'd felt that day. And at the same time, she heard Alice's words repeat in the depths of her memories. \"I didn't move, you know. But despair did.\" Her voice had rung with ridicule, as though mocking those who listened for expecting anything more of the world. Off in the distance, they could hear a roar they'd heard once before. Countless voices screamed, yet they were all one and the same. Die. Die. Die. The time has come. I have found you with my eyes. The heavens and earth shall be moved, and thou shalt come to judge the world by fire. This day, day of wrath calamity and misery day of great and exceeding bitterness. This day our master is resurrected. Randgrof and Lute both moved to protect Elisabeth from the debris, but she shook them off and rushed outside. It was there that she witnessed the series of changes for herself. A rain of black blood fell, and the toxic droplets melted the sand where they landed. Scales blurred as they healed, like the crystal once had when a pair of arms had extended from it. Off in the distance, the grand titan\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe one who had died, been forced to move again, then died once more\u00e2\u20ac\u201dgot up. It was thrice now that the Sand Queen had acted. However, something about this time was different. Her eyes swiveled, staring off restlessly in every direction. They were the eyes of one who had lost their mind. A corpse should have had no mind to lose, and that was enough for Elisabeth to discern what had changed. That's not the Sand Queen in there! Upon further reflection, it was odd how half-cocked a job Alice had done of destroying the Sand Queen. The Sand Queen was a fantastic weapon, but her mana had inherited her maternal nature toward the demi-humans. That made her a threat to Alice. However, she was still valuable as a tool of mass destruction. Simply killing her would be a waste, and that left two options: destroy her completely...or change her. What had Alice done, then? The diabolical answer to that question roused itself within Elisabeth's mind. If you wanted to modify a windup doll, all you had to do was bore a little hole, swap out the part you wanted, and fill the hole back up. And that was the exact same thing you did to a golem to implant a soul in it. The setup they used to make the Sand Queen's corpse move in the first place was similar to the way you would configure a stone golem. It stood to reason that Alice would be able to put a soul inside the Queen's body, and the mixed-race folk she had been working with would have had all the appropriate tools needed to put that idea into practice. On top of all that, Alice's \"whimsical\" magic had a troublingly strong affinity for \"playing with dolls.\" It was a challenging feat, one that any mage from their world would've been hard-pressed to achieve, but Alice had done just that. By inserting a new soul into the Sand Queen's body, she had overwritten the nature of its mana. The rest was simply a matter of time. As soon as the soul became acclimated, the body would begin moving once more. It was unclear when the Sand Queen would break down, but until that moment, its rampage would continue unopposed. That, then, posed a new question. Who had Alice used? Their ego would have been an impediment, so Alice would have made sure to destroy it first, but even so, she'd have wanted to pick someone clever enough to act of their own volition. Someone capable of becoming an enemy of the world. Elisabeth stood amid the destroyed houses with her mouth agape. It was Lute, who had now caught up with her, who bellowed at the figure in the distance. Perhaps it was his bestial sharpness that had let him realize who it was. *** The man who had believed so firmly that he was just had been cruelly given up as a sacrifice. Now it was he who served as the Sand Queen's new broken mind. 3 Marching to Their Deaths Aguina Elephabred held heroes in disdain. He had loved to read when he was a boy, and that was how he had learned of the concept. In the tales he read, they always showed up at just the right moment. The vast majority of people who read the same books he did would have regarded them with admiration. But young Aguina knew. Heroes didn't exist. Nobody was going to swoop in at the last second to save them. The more he researched, the more he realized just how bleak the future of his people truly was. The demi-humans had spent their long history excluding the mixed-race folk and building a rigid caste system. At the beginning, there hadn't been any larger purpose to it. It was simply the result of the purebloods' obsession with aristocracy. Now, though, deviating from that system would spell disaster for them, and even so much as loosening it would lead to immediate repercussions. The pureblood caste would collapse, and the line that marked what it meant to be demi-human would grow blurrier and blurrier. Why, their country's very leadership might get supplanted by those whose blood had been sullied by that of other races. After all, their birth rate was declining. They might have been able to weather the losses they suffered from the demons, but the fact that humanity was multiplying like rabbits weighed heavy on them. They could hold fast to their pride, or they could perish. Those were the only choices the demi-humans had. This realization was what drove Aguina to his blood purity fanaticism. That was why he hated the concept of heroes. Whenever he heard a fairy tale, it filled his heart with scorn. He regarded them as ludicrous from the bottom of his heart. Such a person couldn't possibly exist. If there existed someone who had amended the injustices of the world, they would have seen his people's plight and helped them bridge that population gap. Ironically, the very fact that Aguina existed as a blood purist served to discredit the possibility that heroes existed. In a sense, he played the role of a villain, as his very life was the personification of how nonexistent and meaningless heroes were in the world. There were no noble crusaders or legendary champions. Or at least, there weren't supposed to be. But when the end of days came, Aguina saw a hero with his own two eyes. Sure enough, that boy pining for the peerless sinner that was the Torture Princess brought about a miracle. And Aguina witnessed a noble death, too. It was a ludicrous way to go, but the man's pure wish for a star of his own and the way his faith in God remained unshaken to the end were beautiful in their own right. Aguina Elephabred held heroes in disdain. Fools, though? Fools, he had a soft spot for. \"And that, if nothing else, was why I wished I could be one.\" \"That was all there was to it, I must confess.\" The Sand Queen's mind had been overwritten so that she would behave a certain way. Now there was a pitiful man inside her. Aguina had tried to protect the purebloods in the hidden settlement. Now, though, his soul had been twisted and placed inside the Sand Queen. For starters, his ego had probably been shattered, but even if it hadn't, contents placed in ill-fitting vessels had a habit of breaking. And if that vessel was the body of someone who exceeded mortal comprehension, then all the more so. By now, Aguina Elephabred was broken beyond repair. It was perhaps only a matter of time before the surviving demi-humans and Torture Princess alike were all burned to a crisp. Upon realizing that, Elisabeth dashed through the settlement. She raced between burning chunks of debris like a gust of wind and barreled out of the skull gate. Then she began setting up to launch a fierce point-blank attack on the Sand"}, {"text": "Queen. All she needed to do was draw his attention her way. However, she didn't get a chance to activate so much as a single torture device. For the Sand Queen did something wholly unexpected. \"Gu............Gu r u............Gi.........Ru r u.........Rurururu......Ru.........gi............\" After a bewildering cry, she hung her head low. Then she ran her long tongue across the lake of spilled blood. Dark mana welled up within, and the surface of the lake burst into flames. The Sand Queen slowly began submerging herself in the black fire. Her mind's\u00e2\u20ac\u201dAguina's\u00e2\u20ac\u201ddestructive impulses clearly weren't being directed at the hidden demi-human village. \"Ah, I see... Broken as you are, you would still choose as such,\" Elisabeth murmured quietly. She analyzed the spell that had been cast on the black lake. Although the Sand Queen's method deviated from the norm, she was trying to teleport. And with Aguina being the blood purist he was, it wasn't difficult to guess what destination his unconscious mind would choose. He would head to the lands of the purebloods' biggest threat\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe humans. Elisabeth reached her verdict instantly. The Sand Queen's already begun her teleportation, and stopping her halfway is beyond us. She hurried over to the lake. As she ran, she conjured up a whirl of black darkness and crimson flower petals and, without slowing down, drew Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal from within. She gave it a firm swing downward. The swing sliced her own left arm clean off. Her blood poured out and splattered atop the parched sand. Elisabeth didn't close the wound. Not right away, at least. Instead, she splashed its gushing crimson flow into the black lake. It was like watching a dance. Or like someone mixing poison into water. \"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLa (become).\" The spell she wove was one the Torture Princess rarely used. She was tampering with the Sand Queen's teleportation magic. The Sand Queen had less blood at her disposal than the beastfolk did when they sent the Three Kings out of their nation, and furthermore, she had no incantations to support her. Thanks to those vulnerabilities, Elisabeth was able to successfully influence her spell. In doing so, the Torture Princess skillfully shifted the destination site. The Sand Queen dived into the blackness none the wiser, and her massive frame vanished completely. The moment it did, the ground around the lake's perimeter began violently moving. Sand spilled into the newly formed hole like it was being swallowed up by an ant lion pit. As the quicksand swirled in every direction, it made its way down into black depths and began filling in the lake. With one of her arms missing, Elisabeth quickly lost her balance. Fortunately, Lute was able to catch her just in the nick of time. \"Ho-whoop!\" With a strange cry, he yanked her back to safety. However, the excess momentum caused him to collapse on his backside. He got sucked up in the sand's flow like so many ants. On seeing that, Elisabeth calmly conjured up a rope. She started by tying off her left arm to stop the bleeding, then threw the other end at Lute and caught him by the tail. She reeled him in like the catch of the day. \"I appreciate the save!\" she shouted. \"Now, get on back here yourself, Lute!\" \"Oh, what a shameful way for me to get caught! Thank you for the assistance. I must say, though... Owwwww.\" Having his beloved tail squeezed like that brought tears to Lute's eyes. Yet somehow, he managed to drag himself back up. That was when a vermilion, lizard-headed demi-human chose to pop up. \"I would ask if you two are all right...but I can see the answer for myself!\" It was Randgrof. Elisabeth was surprised. Apparently, he had chosen not to hide with the other purebloods. His good nature was clear to see, as was his sense of duty. He helped Lute to his feet. Then he plucked up Elisabeth's arm before the sand had a chance to swallow it up and offered it back to her. He seemed a little daunted, but he spoke up all the same. \"I imagine a mage like you can reattach it, no? Come on, we need to get out of here!\" \"Nimbly done. You have my thanks. Let us be off, then!\" Elisabeth loosened her rope, then forcibly pressed her arm against her stump and squeezed down on the seam as she fell back alongside Randgrof and Lute. Once they'd reached a safe distance, she turned to look back. Her eyes went wide. Both the black lake and the fire were gone without a trace. In their place, a hexagonal tower of sand rose high into the sky. It was the exact same shape as the demi-human sanctuaries, and it was cracked on the edges like over-pounded sugar candy. Then, all at once, the tower crumbled. A dry yellow wind blew past. When it faded, there was nothing there. Abruptly, Randgrof fell to his knees. He must have heard Lute's shout earlier, as he let out a vacant murmur. \"Father... Her Majesty the Sand Queen... What the hell is even happening? I don't...\" Elisabeth and Lute had no reply to that. They just stared at the space before them. The Sand Queen had vanished off to the human lands. And with her, she had brought death and destruction anew. A calamity cometh. A calamity cometh. To all the people of the land. It was like an apostle's proclamation\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe calamity that was the Sand Queen was on the move. By all rights, she should have already been burning the human territories to the ground. However, Elisabeth had interfered with her destination site and changed it to a mountain range far to the east. There were no houses there, nor did anyone harvest any natural resources from the area. It was about as far from human habitation as you could get. That bought humanity a little time to try to come up with countermeasures. However, preventing the Sand Queen's invasion altogether had been beyond Elisabeth, and the prospects of them being able to stop her en route were slim. After all, her wounds had already been patched up. Furthermore, she still had enough mana in her to wreak all manners of destruction. The broken toy had been repaired, and her key had been wound back up. What was mankind to do, now that they were faced with this new peril? Elisabeth turned her thoughts as fast as they could go. I doubt we've any option but to destroy her reactor again... She has her scales, but we hold a better picture of her weaknesses than we did before. It shan't be easy, certainly, but we've no choice but to try. Damn it all. If this were the final battle we had to face, that would be one thing... Elisabeth ground her teeth. If they threw the saints and everything else they had at her, they actually stood a pretty good chance. The problem was, the Fremd Torturchen was waiting right in the wings. It was all too easy to imagine what would happen if Alice came back right in the middle of their battle with the Sand Queen. Mankind simply lacked the power to take both of them on at once. If that happened, there would be no way for them to escape annihilation. They needed to kill the Sand Queen, and they needed to kill her now. Elisabeth thought back to Kaito Sena's True Message. \"Fool. You would ask me to believe in you, even in a situation such as this?\" she muttered. She was still drenched in her own blood. She stared off into empty space like an infant. However, she soon shook her head. This was no time to waste dwelling on idle thoughts. She needed to get back to the Capital as fast as she could so she could tell them about the situation. Conveniently enough, her surroundings were already splattered with her blood. She began drawing a teleportation circle. Then Lute interrupted her. His voice was oddly grave. \"Ah, I see. Fate can be a funny thing, can't it? Maybe this was what my people's turmoil was leading to. It made us think long and hard about the weight of our own lives, and maybe that will be what lets us make a choice we won't regret.\" \"What are you on about, Lute? Don't tell me you're going to get all gloomy and muddled on me.\" It wasn't like him to be so roundabout with his words. Elisabeth couldn't help but be a bit worried about him. Lute looked up. The look in his eyes was firm and unclouded. He straightened his posture and spoke with deep solemnity. \"I can't make any promises, Captain Elisabeth, but the world is in peril again, and the end is nigh. My people and the demi-humans were once sworn friends, and I believe we have it in us to make the right decision.\" Elisabeth was about to reiterate her question, but she stopped. There was a strange sort of drive burning in Lute's eyes. He closed his mouth and said no more. It was obvious that she wasn't going to get any clearer of an answer out of him than that. Randgrof, who'd been listening to their exchange from the side, wore a similar expression to Lute's. Still silent, he clenched his fists tight. He didn't seem any more likely than Lute to give voice to his thoughts. Realizing there was nothing to be done about it, Elisabeth turned back. Petals scattered as she completed her teleportation circle. The florid crimson splashes hardened into walls, obscuring Lute and Randgrof from view. The two of them saw her off through to the very end. And all the while, they were brimming with a tragic sort of bravery. \"...and now the Sand Queen is on the move. We need to deploy combat assets so as to intercept her.\" As soon as Elisabeth returned, the first thing she did was explain what had happened. She was in the underground tomb, standing before the round table in the royal council room. The moment she entered that cramped chamber, she immediately laid out the situation. When she ended on the news of their new foe's march, the conversation came to a standstill. Maclaeus, his attendants, a smattering of aristocrats and high priest representatives, and Izabella all stared at her in disbelief. When Elisabeth arrived, they had still been discussing Alice and the Saint's death. However, it was hard to fault them too much for that. The Church and its religion had been the cornerstone of human society for many years, yet now their central pillar, the Saint, had chosen to sacrifice herself and perish. If anything, it would've been stranger if their discussion hadn't been in disarray. Now Elisabeth had dropped yet another bombshell in their laps. With how somber the room was, it was like the world was ending or something. Suddenly, one of the high priests\u00e2\u20ac\u201dan elderly man who'd stayed neutral during the schism between the reconstruction sect and the moderates\u00e2\u20ac\u201drose to his feet. He thrust one of his withered fingers at Elisabeth. \"What?\" she responded. \"If you've something you wish to say, do at least try to be quick about it.\" \"Why couldn't you have been the one to die?\" he spat, the crinkles in his face quivering. Ah. Elisabeth nodded. The question was one born of abject hysteria, but it wasn't completely without merit. Even Elisabeth found it somewhat odd that she was the one who'd been left behind. That said, it was the Saint herself who had determined that the Torture Princess was a piece better suited for a protracted battle. That was all there was to it. However, the high priest was clearly unconvinced. His scarlet vestments swished as he prattled on. \"Why is Her Holiness the Saint gone, yet the Torture Princess draws breath? And not only did the peerless sinner have the audacity to survive, she even comes"}, {"text": "and brings us more calamity? It's not too late, you know. You can still go to Her Holiness and die instead of\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"You must really be distraught, to want us to sacrifice our own forces. I hope you'll forgive me this impropriety.\" The words rang with great courtesy as the fist sank squarely into the priest's cheek. His wrinkled face crumpled inward. The discrepancy between the voice's tone and the sheer violence of the act was a sight to behold. On both counts, the culprit was Izabella. She lowered her fist, her silver hair swaying. However, it was clear that she had held back as much as possible. The priest stumbled a little, but was otherwise none the worse for wear. Another high priest grabbed his shoulder to help support him. The second man had been one of the moderates, as well as Godd Deos's direct pupil. After his mentor's death, he assumed Godd Deos's position. His long hair rustled as he shook his head. When he spoke, his voice was calm. \"Compose yourself. In this case, Madam Vicker is right. Now, Elisabeth Le Fanu, you just comported yourself as an apostle heralding a calamity and told us that the Sand Queen is on the move, do I have that right? In other words, she's sided with the Fremd Torturchen and is assisting with her rampage?\" \"Not in the strictest sense, no. But explaining the particulars would take time we don't have. I'll be sure to write you a full report later. The long and short of it is that she's coming for the human lands, and she won't stop till she's laid waste to us all.\" This time, it was Maclaeus who spoke up. \"Any coordinated bombardment we try with the paladins and priests would cost us too much, and it wouldn't give us the firepower we need anyway. It looks like we don't have a choice but to deploy the saints, even if it means leaving the Capital undefended for a time. Do you know where exactly it is she appeared?\" As always, he carried himself with composure. But in truth, he was doing everything he could to keep his terror in check. His eyes still retained a great deal of their youthfulness, and he couldn't conceal the fear lurking in their depths. However, they didn't have the leisure to worry about such things at the moment. Elisabeth chose to ignore the king's emotions. Instead, she just answered his question. \"That I do. I shifted her drop site as far as I could. The problem is...\" \"We still have to deal with the Fremd Torturchen, right,\" Izabella murmured to continue her thought. \"That means we'll want to keep our casualties as low as we can get them... Still, even if this will mark her third death, it's still the Sand Queen we're dealing with. We're up against long odds.\" Elisabeth nodded. Their only choice was to pull out all the stops to deal with the threat before them. There was no point worrying about the future if they were going to be dead before it even arrived. If mankind was to survive, this counterattack needed to succeed. The discussion moved on to details of how they were going to deploy the saints. The air was thick with tension. Despite the voices clearly audible, the room felt as still as a seabed. That was, until the door swung loudly open. \"King Maclaeus, big news!\" An outsider barged into the room. It was one of the officials who'd been monitoring the communication devices. Everyone turned anxiously to look at him, wondering what it could be now. Under the weight of their tense stares, the official shouted excitedly. \"The message is from Sir Randgrof Elephabred of the demi-humans and Sir Vyadryavka Ula Forstlast of the beastfolk! They've received permission from their respective leaders and are working together to assemble a joint army!\" \"The beastfolk and demi-humans, together?\" \"And what's more, the injured Three Kings of the Forest are joining the march. They're coming to stand against the Sand Queen!\" That certainly sent the room astir. As it did, Elisabeth finally realized what Lute had meant. So the beastfolk understand. The Sand Queen was being controlled by Aguina, and between his broken mind and his obsession with blood purity, there was little doubt that he would turn his attention to the beastfolk after he was done with the humans. Plus, even if the humans prevailed, Alice's slaughter was right around the corner. And those who numbered strongest among the beastfolk, the Three Kings of the Forest, were ill-suited for battle against pesky little rats. In other words, the beastfolk were doomed if they lost the shield that mankind represented. Considering all those conditions, the choice they were making was more or less the best one they had. And that choice was to help humanity preserve its strength. No one wants to die, after all. However, there were also those whose positions were such that they had to protect others, even if it meant throwing themselves to the wolves. It was a sad, lonely lot, having to shoulder the weight of the world. Yet the Three Kings of the Forest had chosen to act for their people's sake all the same. The room was full of clamor and commotion, but Elisabeth alone remained silent. The official clutched his abdomen as he quickly relayed the rest of his information. \"The message went on! 'We and the demi-humans are old friends, and as their friend, the duty to cut off their head falls to us. We wish to leave the battle with the Fremd Torturchen to our new friends the humans.' And there was one more thing...\" \"The Three Kings of the Forest are marching to their deaths.\" And march they would, for the sake of the countless lives that hung in the balance. Shedding rivers of their noble, precious blood as they went. The Three Kings' declaration echoed through the room, then vanished into silence. Come, let us sing a victory hymn. What lies beyond death? What lies after death? What awaits us following death? It isn't oblivion. It isn't tragedy. It isn't despair. It isn't the end. It's life. Our deaths will pave the way for new life. The moment we drew our swords, victory was already at our hands. So let us sing. Let us sing our victory hymn. Sing of a battle that will live on beyond us. Sing loud the victory hymn of our kings. And sing loud they did, scores of soldiers all in unison. It was clear to Elisabeth that it wasn't merely a victory hymn. It was just as much a funeral march. The soldiers all knew the implications of the choice the Three Kings of the Forest were making, and still they chose to honor their kings' resolve and fight for the sake of their people. However, that didn't stop them from grieving for their kings' willingness to die. Their procession had a dignified gravity to it, and the grim sound of their march echoed through the forest. They were walking to their own graves, and they all knew it. Yet even so, not a single one of them even thought of stopping. Leading up the solemn march were Randgrof and Vyadryavka. Both of them had been impressively fast to make their choices and act. They had made their case themselves, they had won over the rest of the beastfolk imperial family, and now they were standing at death's gate. And there was another familiar face among the soldiers' ranks as well\u00e2\u20ac\u201dLute's. \"So this is what you were getting at earlier,\" Elisabeth said to him. \"'Twas a welcome choice from our perspective, but I'll admit to some shock at your Three Kings having chosen to battle to their deaths amid your country's national crisis, much less that such a thing was allowed.\" \"C-Captain Elisabeth! What are you doing here, ma'am?\" \"Really?\" Elisabeth shot back in exasperation. \"What could possibly compel you to believe I would sit this battle out after hearing its particulars? The very thought of doing so would be ludicrous. Am I wrong?\" Lute's tail was all puffed up. By the look of it, he really was surprised to see her. The man had many talents, but reading the room wasn't one of them, nor was being quick on the uptake. Even deep in the undeveloped mountains, the path between the trees was flat and easy on the feet, and the view was clear and unobscured. A damp forest wind lapped at Elisabeth's cheeks. The air was humid and ripe with the smell of rusty iron. That was all due to the Three Kings of the Forest mowing down the trees and leveling the ground in their path. Everything in their wake was dyed red with their blood. Lute veered away from the beastfolk procession for a minute. He and Elisabeth took shelter behind some trees. There, he gave her his thoughts on the current state of affairs. \"In a sense, it's that same national crisis that made this possible. Before, the imperial family was divided. But they all shared the same fear of annihilation. That was what made them tearily accept the Three Kings of the Forest's decision. It simply goes to show what sort of influence the Three Kings of the Forest wield.\" \"Kings going to battle gravely wounded to fight for their people and the lives yet to come... Why, 'tis almost like something out of a storybook. I can easily imagine what a beautifully tragic scene it would have made for. Little wonder, then, they were able to move so many hearts.\" Elisabeth frowned. You wouldn't have known it by her words, but she despised heroic epics. More often than not, stories that ended with everyone living happily ever after were just there to mask the tragedies that lay beneath, with their heroes stripped of every last vestige of their personalities. At the same time, though, there was something she had to begrudgingly admit. Beautiful stories had the power to spur people into action. This story was one well worthy of being told for ages to come. What she and the others were about to witness was the birth of a legend. She shook her head to dispel her saccharine reverie. Once she'd cleared her mind, she spoke calmly. \"Mankind has sent me, Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu, as well as three-fifths of the saints to join in this battle, with Jeanne de Rais, Izabella Vicker, and one of the other fifths waiting on standby. That said, we've already lost La Mules and La Christoph, the two who'd be best suited for this sort of counterattack. I intend to stand on the front lines, but the plan is to have the others acting solely as support for the Three Kings. We sent a signaller ahead, so Vyadryavka should already be aware of our intentions.\" \"Roger that, ma'am. I'm sure that's about what the Three Kings of the Forest, Sir Randgrof, and Lord Vyadryavka Ula Forstlast expected. At the end of the day, it's us beastfolk and a handful of the demi-humans who have chosen this place to die. The victory hymn is ours, as is the funeral march. If Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast were here, I imagine she would say the same thing.\" \"I see. Very well, then. Oh, and Lute...one other thing.\" \"What's that?\" \"Don't you dare die today.\" When he heard her curt warning, Lute conspicuously avoided meeting her gaze. Elisabeth gave him a kick in the rear, and a rough one at that. It nearly sent him crashing into a tree. Then, speaking as his captain, she tore him a new one. \"You absolute dunce, you have a child on the way! My plan is to act independently of the army, but I have every intention of doing it with my men by my side, and I'm of no mind to let you lot die. So don't."}, {"text": "Consider that an order.\" It wasn't something one would typically expect to hear from the Torture Princess. However, Elisabeth said it knowing full well how ridiculous she sounded. Even in a crisis such as theirs, there were some people whose role it was to survive. This was a battle to secure the future. Everyone there knew and boasted of it, and the man before her was one they couldn't afford to let die. Lute averted his eyes again. However, mentioning his child had produced a marked change in his expression. He gave her a deep nod. \"Of course. I have no intention of dying for nothing. That I swear, for Ain's sake as well.\" There was something ominous about his words, but there could be no doubting the unshakable resolve resting within them. Elisabeth had a mind to continue her warning. Before she could get the words out, though, a violent tremor shook the air. The bugle had been blown. Loud, loud, loud it blew. It was like a messenger had come to deliver a message: A calamity cometh. The broken Queen has arrived, in all her glory. 4 The Queen's Transformation It's time for a confession. Lute was a simple, awkward man with a heart full of compassion and righteousness who cared deeply about his wife and his friends. Part of that was due to his nature as a beastman, but it was just as much a product of his own personal convictions. In his eyes, any man who couldn't protect the people he cared about was no man at all, and a disgrace to the beastfolk to boot. That was something he believed deeply. Once, though, he went against those beliefs and committed a grave sin. There was something he had forgotten. Something he had absolutely needed to remember. Back at the World Tree, a thought crossed his mind. Perhaps he ought to remember Kaito Sena's smile. It would be best if he made sure to remember it, no matter what happened. But he forgot. And that wasn't all. There were oh-so-many things that had slipped his mind. It's time for a story. A story about who Kaito Sena was by nature. Lute had checked all his information in the beastfolk lands. Kaito Sena came from another world, one where he'd been abused and eventually killed. Then the Torture Princess had summoned him to act as her servant. Originally, though, he had been nothing but a powerless boy, a tragic child victimized without anyone to protect him. Yet somehow, everyone had forgotten that simple fact. None of the adults whose job it was to defend the world had remembered it. Lute and the others had collectively placed the burden of the entire world on the back of a single boy. They were the ones who were soldiers. It should have been their burden to bear. Kaito Sena offered no reply to his cry of regret. All he did\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas smile a vaguely awkward smile. Then after thinking it over for a moment, Kaito reacted. He waved with big, childlike sweeps. The meaning of that gesture was the same across worlds. And because of that, Lute gasped. When Lute realized that, he cried out Kaito's name. As he did, Kaito kept frantically waving. He was saying a single word. \"Good-bye.\" Lute had never forgotten that moment. Not a single day went by where he didn't think about it. Someday, someone would probably tell the tale with a lyre in one hand. Come, little ones. Come, and behold. Picture the sight. Picture the four monarchs, standing amid the flattened trees. Picture those who are too exalted, too noble, and too beautiful for us to even imagine. Picture the Sand Queen and the hermaphroditic Three Kings of the Forest. All of them were drenched in blood. And unlike the Kings, the Queen had lost her sanity to boot. Her eyes were staring off in different directions. The only thing lucid about her was the sheer bloodlust she was directing at any she considered to be in her way. The Three Kings responded to her malice in kind. The ancient wolf turned to the heavens, the white deer stomped its hooves, and the colossal hawk spread its wings wide. Then the Kings and Queen all opened their mouths in unison. A quartet of voices split the air like lightning. The noise quickly departed the range humans could hear. Yet heard or not, the Three Kings of the Forest roared on. Looking at them, it was clear they were singing an elegy. After all this time, their sworn friend's corpse had lost its mind. How could they learn of that and not grieve? However, their profound sorrow was met with flame. The Sand Queen's magical firebombing was much like the fixed batteries'. Anyone on the receiving end would be burned to a crisp. With nary a pause, the colossal hawk swept its battered wings. Blood spilled off them as a great wind blew forth. The shock wave dissipated the heat and extinguished it, and the ancient wolf followed up by kicking off against the ground and leaping into the air. Mountains trembled. The earth cracked. The beastfolk had braced themselves for the impact in advance, but even that wasn't enough to stop them from all tumbling ignobly to the ground. If they hadn't been ready, some of them might have actually died. Shouted warnings sounded through the air from all over. All the while, the ancient wolf soared. Higher and higher it went, a black shadow against the sky. The sun went dark, and a rain of blood poured down. Then the ancient wolf brought its arm down on the Sand Queen. However, its claws merely bounced off her scales and snapped off. The broken claws spun through the air and fell right in the middle of the army. \"Fall back, fall back! Take cover! Ahhhhhhh!\" One fervent scream rose up after another. By some stroke of fortune, none of them ended up getting skewered. Still, the fallen claws towered high over the army, each one easily taller than any of the beastfolk present. The procession's terror was all too visible in the way they held their tails and ears. Next, the white deer turned its hooves on the Sand Queen. The King shifted its weight forward in an attempt to trample the Queen, causing the ground to tremble so hard that cracks began forming across the mountain. The Sand Queen squirmed, but the hooves were unerring. The immense weight being focused on their tips caused a small chunk of the Sand Queen's scales to peel upward a hair. A familiar cry split the air. \"Ready, aim, fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire!\" Much the way Aguina once had, Randgrof Elephabred gave the order. A bombardment roared out, flames gushing from the cannons set up atop the slanted mountainside as one shot rang out after another in succession. It was a tremendous display, made possible only by the demi-humans' incredible transportation skills. The relentless, merciless bombardment served to illustrate the stubbornness, or to an extent, the ill nature of the ones unleashing it. Aguina had approved scant few to operate the cannons, and the ruthless efficiency with which they worked went to show what model examples they were of the demi-humans' natural disposition. Furthermore, those were no cannonballs they were firing. They were silver harpoons coated in the blood of the Three Kings. They slammed into the Sand Queen one after another. Over a dozen of them merely bounced off her. However, three of the harpoons managed to slip between the dislocated scales. The ancient wolf grabbed hold of the harpoons' chains and gave them a relentless yank. The Sand Queen's vast body rose up off the ground and tore loudly through the air itself. The ancient wolf knew that if it slammed her straight back down, there was no way the beastfolk would emerge unscathed. Instead, it used the short time before the chains snapped to hurl the Sand Queen against a nearby mountain. The sound of every bone in her body snapping under her own weight split the air. However, the Sand Queen was unable to feel pain. After landing, the Sand Queen slowly rose back up and let out a cry. Elisabeth still couldn't see her in her entirety, but her instincts told her that the Sand Queen was all but unharmed. The sole damage she'd sustained was losing one of her scales in its entirety. Elisabeth wasted no time in letting out a soft murmur. \"Nail Gun.\" A spiral of crimson petals and black darkness raced forward, and rusted nails the size of thin pillars appeared out of the air. In a perfect world, her goal would have been to pierce the Sand Queen's mana source through, but her scales had previously made that impossible. Now, though, Elisabeth was able to focus her attack straight at the Sand Queen's one bare patch of skin. A thunking noise rang out in succession. Black blood gushed out from between the nails, and the Sand Queen let out a roar of anguish. Even without the ability to feel pain, she was still able to tell when she was losing fluids. A chorus rose up to join her roar. \"Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, AAAAAAaaaaaaAaAaAaAAAAAA!\" There was an eerie solemnity to the voices. They sounded just as much like a scream as they did a hymn. A flock of birds. A school of fish. Rainbow light. Drops of blood. The divine beasts all shot toward the Sand Queen at once, using Elisabeth's nails as a target to land on and explode. The Sand Queen's flesh tore, causing massive amounts of blood to spill out and drench her surroundings. Elisabeth gave a small nod. The Sand Queen's blood was full of mana. The more of it they could spill, the better off the beastfolk would be. \"Let's see if we can bleed her dry, shall we?\" Seeing that the tactic was effective, the Torture Princess fired off more volleys of nails. The thunking ran out once more as Elisabeth stabbed, pierced, and penetrated the wound. \"Adjust for the second row, fifth from the right! Fire!\" Meanwhile, the beastfolk were making their move as well. They took advantage of the Sand Queen's immobility to finish adjusting their great bows, then carefully aimed between the peeling scales and fired. Their bows lacked the raw firepower the cannons had, but they allowed for far more precise sniping, and their arrowheads were coated in the same underling poison they'd used during Ragnarok. The Sand Queen was a corpse, so the poison had little effect on her body's ability to function, but its corrosive effects were powerful nonetheless. The scales around the impact sites began melting. That then allowed for more harpoons to find their mark. The ancient wolf grabbed the chains once more. The Sand Queen swayed on her feet. Waves of heat exploded erratically from her mouth, blasting away the topology of a nearby mountain. Some of the soldiers got caught up in the shock wave from the impact. Viscera spilled from their mangled torsos. Little ones such as them were so terribly fragile. Before the Sand Queen could do any more damage, the ancient wolf reached out and clamped her mouth shut. As it did, the white deer smashed her womb, and the colossal hawk pecked away at her legs. The battle was going far better for the Three Kings of the Forest than anyone could have imagined. They were all injured, but at the same time, the Sand Queen had already been destroyed once, and the beastfolk, demi-humans, and humans already knew how she fought. By all accounts, their victory was almost at hand. Upon seeing that, Elisabeth narrowed her eyes. ...Hmm? And there, for the first time, she realized that something felt off. She's hardly putting up a fight. Surely this can't be what Alice wished for. Elisabeth frowned. At the same time, though, there was a part of"}, {"text": "her that said, \"So what?\" Maybe the Sand Queen had suffered more damage than Alice had accounted for. Perhaps that was all there was to it. The problem was, that child really, truly wanted for everyone to all die together. Would a girl that driven really overestimate her toy soldier by such a degree? Elisabeth found that hard to imagine. On the other hand, she had no means to convey her misgivings to the Three Kings of the Forest, nor would she have even had time to. The gross humiliation continued playing out before her eyes. Scales and claws went flying. Flesh tore. Blood was shed. Viscera was spilled. The Three Kings of the Forest were tearing the Sand Queen apart piece by piece. It was horrible to look at. However, it was also logical. If you wanted to put down someone who was already dead, you needed to destroy their body to the point where it could no longer move. Elisabeth coolly observed the scene before her. As she did, she was reminded of a battle she'd fought once before. This wasn't Elisabeth's first time going up against someone who had been broken. For example, there was her final battle against the demons. By having their egos destroyed, they had attained a whole different sort of power than usual. Aguina Elephabred was a studious man. I've little doubt he knew about the demonic flesh mass and its attack on the Capital. An ominous premonition came over her as she mused on that fact. However, there was no reason to believe that, even if faced with defeat, the Sand Queen would be able to transform herself the way they did. The incident at the Capital came about due to the rare confluence of demonic contracts being mixed with ego death. In the Sand Queen's case, that didn't apply. It had no reason to. Yet for some reason, Elisabeth's sense of foreboding refused to go away. Then the ancient wolf's gargantuan arm sank into the Sand Queen's body. Her skin should have been elastic, but all of a sudden, it lost that quality. Elisabeth's eyes went wide at the impossible turn of events. The transformation was starting. \"What's going on?\" \"The Sand Queen's...falling apart?\" The beastfolk let out cries of confusion, and Elisabeth couldn't help but stare as well. However, out of the blue, her instincts as the Torture Princess screamed the answer to her, and all at once, she realized what was going on. Ah, so that's it! The Sand Queen's a corpse! She isn't alive! In other words, that meant that her entire body was nothing more than raw magical material. The demi-humans were poorly versed in the ways of magic. However, they had learned of the beastfolk technique of using corpses as raw material to perform magic with during their joint battle at Ragnarok, and while they thought of the beastfolk as old friends, the possibility of eventually finding themselves as enemies had always been at the back of the demi-humans' minds. It stood to reason that Aguina would have researched the technique in more depth later on. He made a choice based on that knowledge, and the material writhed in accordance. Scales melted, flesh crumbled and commingled with blood, bones faded away, everything swelled up, and, with a pop, it all burst. Ahrasa Aina, o'er Dragons' Graveyard the sun rises and flashes Ahrasa Ar\u00c3\u00a9na, blistering sands wash over her cold silver ashes Deep within an eternal sleep, her ever-closed eyes watch over her sheep Ensuring all her descendants are honest and true and good and resplendent Please, my queen, know it is true, believe in us as we believe in you Elisabeth thought back to those lines from the epigraph to the Sand Queen's legend. When she first read the passage, a question had sprung to her mind. Wouldn't an entity that watched over her sheep and ensured that everyone was honest and true and good and resplendent\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand with \"ever-closed eyes,\" no less\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbe terrifying? she thought. It seemed to her that the song could be taken as something like an aphorism for those children. There wasn't a demi-human pureblood in the world who hadn't heard that legend, and in all likelihood, Aguina had taken away the same impression from it that Elisabeth had. By the looks of things, the song had played a key role in shaping the Queen's transformation. By now, her entire body had crumbled. Her scales had melted away in their entirety, and her flesh and blood were all merged together. She no longer had any sort of defined silhouette. Instead, her whole body from top to bottom had become a soft, flabby blob. And that blob was covered in eyes. Eyes, innumerable eyes, swiveling every which way. That thing wasn't the Sand Queen anymore. It was just an entity that judged everyone and determined if they were honest and true and good and resplendent. It was a monster that saw everything. It was hideous. It was evil. It was wise. It was broken beyond repair. \"What the hell is that\u00e2\u20ac\u201dack, gack, GAH!\" \"Don't breathe in if you can help it!\" Elisabeth shouted as she covered her mouth. \"It might well be the last thing you do!\" Pungent poisonous fumes were rising up from the fleshy blob at an alarming rate. It was because all the Sand Queen's blood had gotten compressed at once. Soldiers fell to the ground where they stood and started vomiting. Beastfolk had a strong sense of smell. They wouldn't be able to endure it for long. Elisabeth snapped her fingers. Crimson petals and black darkness whirled up and blew as a powerful gust. As she did, the colossal hawk gently flapped its wings as well, protecting its people by blowing away the stagnant air. Meanwhile, the flesh blob began wriggling. Its surface extended outward with terrifying speed, and it turned a bizarre \"arm\" on its avian foe. The glutinous tentacle grabbed one of the colossal hawk's wings. The inside of the arm was lined with teeth. The blob bit down with them and ripped the wing clean off. Blood splattered the ground. A shrill screech rose up, as did a bellowing roar. The ancient wolf wrenched its arm free from the flesh blob and used its tremendous claws to grab the blob once more. It pulled with all its might and tore the blob in half. However, the halves simply sprang back. They rejoined all on their own and stuck fast to each other. The whole army collectively stared, dumbfounded. The flesh blob had done the impossible, and it had done so in the most ridiculous manner imaginable. It all kind of felt like a bad joke. \"Nail Gun.\" Elisabeth shot some stakes at it to test the waters. A muffled bwoinnnng echoed sadly through the air. All the nails had hit their target. However, that was all they had done. It made sense, in a way. The Sand Queen's body had already degraded as much as it could. There was no point trying to damage it further. Her blood was all blended into her flesh, and her mana reactor had moved inside her body. All her vulnerabilities were gone. At the end of the day, the Sand Queen was nothing more than a walking corpse, and now she was taking full advantage of that fact. For all the efficiency her transformation boasted, though, it was also as blasphemous as blasphemy could be. This wasn't a choice any normal man would have made. In short, that speaks to the sheer degree Aguina has been broken, Elisabeth mused bitterly. Meanwhile, the Three Kings' bewilderment was shaking the air itself. Never could they have imagined their old friend's corpse losing everything down to its very form. In the Sand Queen's current state, it was impossible to even grieve for her anymore. All that existed now was a comedically unidentifiable blob of flesh. A sad realization started dawning on those assembled there. The curtain had closed early on the battle of legend they'd been expecting. All they had to look forward to now was a sad, honorless brawl that would go on until the flesh blob's tank ran dry. Hooves smashed eyes. Claws tore flesh. Poisonous blood went spraying in every direction. The Three Kings of the Forest continued their melee, and the flesh blob took their fierce onslaught head-on. Suddenly, though, it began writhing again. The moment before the next kick made contact, the blob's eyes turned into mouths. It chomped down on the King's leg, hoof and all. The white deer hurriedly wrenched its leg free, but its entire ankle had already been eaten. White bone peeked out from inside the wound. And the ancient wolf's paw met the same fate. Just like its royal brethren, all the flesh on its fingers was gnawed off. The way the flesh blob was fighting was too bizarre for words. The Three Kings of the Forest were getting played for fools. However, the blob's new body did make it considerably more vulnerable to long-range attacks. \"Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, AAAAAAaaaaaaAaAaAaAAAAAA!\" The saints renewed their bombardment. Blinding light smashed into the blob over and over, burning away chunks of it and shaving it down. Compared to before her transformation, fire-based attacks seemed to be far more effective against the Queen. However, there was still a problem. The saints no longer had anyone who could gather and coordinate their attacks or alleviate their burden, and individually, they weren't cut out for protracted battles. Many of them were already vomiting up blood, and it wouldn't be long before they'd all reached their limits. \"I had hoped to be able to preserve my mana, but I can see that isn't an option. I'd best be prepared to drain my reserves dry.\" Elisabeth clapped her hands against the crimson ground and conjured a pair of small stakes. With them, she pierced her own hands through. Her blood poured out, mixing in with the Three Kings' blood that had been spilled across the ground. Elisabeth then used the mixture to draw a magic circle she would normally never use. With it, she carefully called forth the entity she deemed best suited for the job. \"Wicker Man!\" Darkness and petals burst and scattered, and a dry, snapping sound emanated as dark boughs reached out. A massive, birdcage-like figure knit itself together with the flesh blob at its center. It was far larger than any other time Elisabeth had deployed it, and it was shaped differently as well. This time, it had stumpy limbs and a long, protracted torso. It almost resembled a jail cell that had been locked up tight. Furthermore, its boughs were tightly interlaced. The flesh blob struggled and raged, but the figure obstinately refused to release it. Instead, it burst into tempestuous flames. Dainty, feminine screams rose up from within as a chorus of mouths all cried in minutely varied pitches. However, the person controlling those flames\u00e2\u20ac\u201dElisabeth\u00e2\u20ac\u201dclicked her tongue. \"'Tis insufficient. I haven't the power to burn her through. Abandoning the Sand Queen's form has made her hardy, I'll give her that.\" The blob was soft and vulnerable. However, burning it down to charcoal would have required a truly prodigious amount of thermal power. Plus, the mass of eyeballs had begun crying, drenching the flames and weakening them before Elisabeth's eyes. \"That Aguina, always a clever one,\" she muttered, chagrined. Despite the Sand Queen's mind being broken, the finesse with which she was manipulating her body was downright scary. And unlike how fervent her impulse to wreak destruction to protect her race was, she seemed to have no such compulsion to preserve her own form. That alone made her a formidable foe. At this point, it comes to a matter of how much the Three Kings can crush on top of the amount I already burned away. That was the ultimate verdict Elisabeth settled on. The flesh blob's very existence lay outside mankind's ability to fully"}, {"text": "comprehend, and although a powered-up Fremd Torturchen numbered among their foes, their side had no mages on par with Kaito Sena. The only ones who could take on foes surpassing the fourteen demons were entities of a similar caliber. Then, right as Elisabeth finished arriving at her conclusion, she heard something. It was the sound of hooves striking the ground. And pretty close to her, at that. She looked up with a start. There, she spotted a summoned beast that looked like a cross between a lizard and a horse. Elisabeth had seen those creatures before. The three races summoned them during Ragnarok, and by the looks of it, the beastfolk still owned some. There were just over a dozen of them, and they cut through the foul air and dodged the chunks of blobby flesh hurtling between the trees as they raced forward. As the pack passed her by, Elisabeth saw something more. The people mounted on the beasts were none other than her own Peace Brigade. Randgrof Elephabred was riding at the vanguard, and beside him on the same mount, Lute was manning the reins. 5 A Valorous Charge Randgrof Elephabred held his father in disdain. In a sense, that wasn't how he really felt. On an intellectual level, he held a great deal of respect toward his father. If he didn't, he never would have taken Aguina's advice to move to the hidden village. His father was easily an accomplished enough man to be worthy of his admiration. At the same time, though, Randgrof did not have a high opinion of his father. For Randgrof Elephabred knew. He knew that Aguina Elephabred was a kind, loving father. But he also knew that the man was capable of making unbelievably vile choices without an ounce of remorse. Randgrof grew up under the watchful eyes of his mother, who was wise yet was also a bit of an oddball, and his wet nurse, who was calm and gentle. He didn't even interact with his father that much. But before he knew it, he had realized something. His father was a monster. Someday, he was sure to sell his own master out for thirteen coins of gold or commit some other equally grave sin. And at the same time, Randgrof knew. His father was a hero. Someday, the people might well hail him as their one and only savior. It could just as easily play out either way. For that was the kind of person Aguina Elephabred was. And that wasn't all. Aguina was a man saddled with a tremendous contradiction. If he became a monster, he wouldn't regret a thing, and if he became a hero, he would take no pride in the fact. Everything Aguina did, he did for his race. No matter what became of him, all that would remain was his anguish. No amount of grieving, boasting, laughing, or crying would change who he was or what he needed to do. Those words were straight from the horse's mouth. And Aguina was right. None of that would've changed the aggregate amount of anguish he would have borne. That was the thing Randgrof hated most about his father. For he was wrong. Wrong beyond belief. \"Look, Father, if I may be so bold, all I wanted was to help you bear that anguish.\" \"Either that or for you to just be my father.\" \"You could've just not been an enemy of the world or a hero\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand I'll confess, that's all there was to it.\" \"Nevermore.\" Elisabeth called forth a massive raven. Crimson flower petals and black darkness swirled through the air, and the ebony bird burst out of them with its lustrous wings spread wide. As it glided forward, Elisabeth leaped astride it. However, the raven's nature was to be used for torturing people. It wasn't meant to be ridden. The bird let out a loud caw! of protest at the unexpected weight. Fraught as her attempts at steering it went, Elisabeth did eventually manage to get the raven under control. After catching up to the summoned beasts by some miracle, she decelerated. Eventually, she ended up side by side with her men, causing several of them to notice their captain's arrival. Some of them hung their ears, others balled up their tails, others still slouched awkwardly, and all of them averted their gaze. Elisabeth was livid. They were in no position to go and pretend they hadn't seen her. In fact, she had half a mind to go kick some sense into them, but the other half just barely won out. Instead, she cut through the thick air and made for the front of the pack. She pulled up alongside the fastest of the beasts. \"By the look on your face, you already know what a scolding you're about to get... Oy, Lute!\" \"Captain Elisabeth!\" To her surprise, Lute gave her shout an immediate response. He turned and met her eyes. Meanwhile, Randgrof continued clinging tight to his back. He clearly wasn't used to riding the summoned beasts, and his posture was downright precarious. Elisabeth's sleek black hair blew back in the wind as she glared at the two of them. When she shouted, it was directed at them both. \"You're an absolute dunce! And that goes for you as well, Randgrof. What the hell do you two think you're doing?!\" \"We're no dunces, I promise! Please, just hear us out!\" Surprisingly, the reply she got back was calm and collected. It seemed they had some sort of plan. She frowned contemplatively, then went quiet for a bit. As the silence wore on, the summoned beasts continued making their way onward. The sound of their spry footsteps overlapped with the noise of the flesh blob's writhing. Lute hurriedly explained himself amid the ever-thickening fumes. \"With the Sand Queen's original form, her ears were too far from the ground for us to try calling out to her! But now there's a good chance that her entire body is like a big sensory organ! As Sir Aguina's son, Sir Randgrof's voice may well be able to get through to him! If nothing else, it's worth trying!\" \"You would try reasoning with that horror?! Aguina's mind is broken! This is no time for naive hopes!\" Elisabeth barked back. At the moment, Aguina himself was the one forcing the Sand Queen's corpse to undergo an even more profane transformation than it already had. The situation was far too grim to be expecting any miracles. However, Randgrof felt otherwise. \"I'm well aware of that! But the thing is, my father was obsessed with blood purity, and he lamented the future more than any other! It's not his emotions I'm counting on\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit's his sense of reason and his broken thought processes!\" Elisabeth narrowed her eyes. It was true that Aguina was one of most fanatical blood purists there was. That was the whole reason he'd become an enemy of the world. It stood to reason that a pureblood voice\u00e2\u20ac\u201done that shared his own bloodline, no less\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwould carry special weight with him. Even so, the odds of success were slim. Elisabeth started to go on. \"But, even so\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" \"And more importantly, as things are, we're of no use in the fight. So...this is fine,\" Randgrof said firmly. He was prepared to place his own life on the scales of victory to try and tilt them in their favor. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes once more. Randgrof had a point. She herself had realized the same thing. The counterweights are practically weightless. The Sand Queen's body had melted away, and her new form was simply absorbing their poison arrows. There was nothing for the small folk to do. Lute and Randgrof were nothing more than powerless pawns, and in the grand scheme of things, them dying would change nothing. In contrast, the Three Kings of the Forest were heavily wounded, and every bit of stamina they had to expend cost them dearly. There was value in having Lute and Randgrof put their lives on the line to test this idea of theirs. However, that was only true if the person performing the calculus had no feelings at all. Elisabeth clamped her mouth shut, and when she opened it, it was the Torture Princess who spoke. \"I've no intention of dying alongside you, you know.\" \"Of course! We knew that all along, ma'am, and we leave the Fremd Torturchen to you!\" \"And what do you intend to do about Ain? About your child?\" That question, however, came from Elisabeth. A certain rational goatwoman healer rose to the forefront of her mind, as did the eagerly awaited child now gestating in her womb. Lute's snout contorted in anguish. However, he glared forward with steel in his eyes. His gaze was fixed on the hideous flesh blob writhing before them. As he spoke, he pointed at the comprehension-defying quagmire of a battle raging on before them. \"I'm sure Ain will understand. Well, no. She'll be furious. But she'll see why it was necessary. If that monstrosity is still here when the Fremd Torturchen arrives, our future will be consumed by darkness. And besides, it's not just me. Sir Randgrof has a boy and a girl, too. We all do. Yet we came to this fatal battle anyway\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto secure a future for those very same children.\" His words were foolish, there was no mistaking that. It was an absurd thing for someone as powerless as him to say. However, Elisabeth knew. Most of their world's people clung desperately to life in the ugliest way imaginable. Nobody wanted to die. They would kill others, they would drench themselves in blood, and they would shout at the top of their lungs. I don't want to die / So you should die instead / You should die in my place / Someone other than me should die It was all perfectly illogical. However, the fact that the fear of death could overcome any and all morals was plain enough to see. That was what had ultimately led to an avenger sitting in the judge's chair. Everything that had gone down had happened because of the three races' sins. Even in a world like theirs, though, there were still some people who were willing to throw themselves to the wolves in order to protect those who needed protecting. Who could possibly mock resolve and determination such as theirs? How could they, in a world where nobody wanted to die, and where everything was loathsome, and where people killed each other? \"That's right, we've made our choice!\" \"We are the Peace Brigade, and it is our pride to serve at the pleasure of Lady Valisisa Ula Forstlast and Captain Elisabeth Le Fanu! We know what it is we need to protect!\" \"Please, Captain, let us do this!\" This is our chance, her men pled desperately. It was aggravating, how shrewd their blunt sincerity could be. However, Elisabeth gritted her teeth. Her men had decided to do everything that was in their power. They'd chosen to fight to the bitter end. That meant that this entire act was their story. Elisabeth pursed her lips. She cast her gaze downward and recalled something. It was a thought she'd had some time ago. The soldiers who'd survived Ragnarok seemed to carry a certain sense of guilt, and perhaps because of that, they were generally kind to her. However, Elisabeth had done her best to keep to herself. If she wanted to best protect the world, she knew it would be best to avoid nurturing new bonds. There was no way of knowing whom or what she would eventually have to sacrifice. Now, though, Elisabeth was struck with a bitter realization. I was mistaken, completely and utterly. Now, it was precisely because she was proud of them with all her heart that she was able to make the decision to send them to their deaths. Elisabeth nodded\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand her expression did a complete about-face. The grin she wore now"}, {"text": "was majestic and cruel. With it, she laughed off both their tragic resolve and her pained decision. \"Very well! If you wish it that dearly, then live as you please, and race on unfettered! Your death is yours to die! Now, be proud, for the Torture Princess rides with you, and laughs at any and all! Onward, I say, onward and onward and onward yet more! Even if none grant you leave, even if none recognize your deeds, follow your hearts and bet all you have on that slimmest of chances anyhow!\" \"Of course, ma'am! As members of the Peace Brigade serving under Captain Elisabeth, we wouldn't have it any other way!\" \"The odds may be long, but we'll be damned if we don't beat them anyway!\" One after another, they drew their swords, and the sound of blades leaving sheaths filled the air. Elisabeth did likewise and drew Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. The flesh blob turned its attention their way, but Elisabeth swung down her sword without a moment's hesitation anyway. Lute took that as his signal, and he let out a battle cry. *** They all sped up. Just as the boy who'd once waved his hand did. All to protect those who needed protecting. The flesh blob swung one of its arms. The subordinate riding to Elisabeth's right had his torso blown clean off. Just like before, the flesh blob was practically toying with the Three Kings of the Forest. This time, though, it had turned a few of its arms on the Peace Brigade. The fleshy tentacles' insides were lined with teeth, and due to the speed they traveled at, merely so much as brushing up against them was enough to shave through the beastfolk's body with comical ease. Flesh and blood sprayed through the air. In the blink of an eye, it was over. By the time his insides started spilling out, the attack was already finished. Organs tumbled out of his body as his lower half continued onward. However, his legs soon convulsed and sent him tumbling to the ground. Several of the others glanced over at the man who'd fallen victim, but none of them made to stop their summoned beasts. Elisabeth didn't so much as look back. And thus, they rode on. Another arm came their way. This time, it was a sheep-headed soldier who was reduced to nothing more than meat. He was the one who'd once smiled cheerily and said, \"We all know how much you love to eat!\" Elisabeth would never get another chance to angrily threaten to dock his pay. They would never laugh together or talk to each other again. Even so, nobody stopped. If they stopped to scream, the dead would have died in vain. So they all charged onward. Charge, charge, charge, charge, charge, charge! Don't look back. Cry not. Bear no regrets. No miraculous salvation is coming. You chose this knowing that full well. All you can do now is do what you resolved to do, even in the midst of hell. A vast shadow loomed over Elisabeth and the Peace Brigade's charge. They were getting closer to the flesh blob, and the arms\u00e2\u20ac\u201dperhaps sensing danger\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshifted up their pattern. They began obstinately focusing all their efforts on Elisabeth. New tentacles swooped in at her from all directions. \"You would aim at me, even unconsciously? Well, I daresay you'd best stop underestimating the Torture Princess!\" Elisabeth chopped off the arm straight ahead of her. For the two arms behind her, she conjured up chains to dash them against the ground, then used her raven to dodge the myriad ones on her flanks. Her elaborate flight path caused the arms to all get tangled up in each other, and Elisabeth pulled well ahead of them. \"Gi...... Guuuuuu...... Uuuuuuuuuu.........\" As soon as she did, a bizarre voice rose up. Just like before, though, it quickly exceeded the range people could hear. Elisabeth looked and discovered that the flesh blob had caught the white deer right as the King was about to topple over. Waves of flesh undulated across the blob as it gradually ate away at its foe. Elisabeth knew they couldn't afford to forsake the white deer. She snapped her fingers and deployed a new spell. \"Cat's Paw.\" Five eddies of crimson petals and darkness manifested in the air. A pointed, rake-shaped implement extended out from each one. The implements got to work tearing at the flesh blob from all sides. Then they sank deep into its surface, and once they got far enough in, they froze in place and held the flesh blob still like a pair of forceps. The white deer kicked desperately with its forelegs. Eventually, it managed to wriggle away from the blob. Once it was free, the ancient wolf lashed out once more. It stuck its arm in the flesh blob's newly opened section and used what remained of its bony fingers to scratch away at the blob's insides. It was trying to find the blob's mana reactor so it could puncture and destroy it. The flesh blob struggled in what looked like agitation, and a moment later, a bombardment from the saints exploded across its surface. Apparently, some of them were still up and fighting. Elisabeth was surprised; she'd have thought that they'd have thrown in the towel by now. Given the animosity La Filsell had shown her, this was well outside her expectations. She muttered a few dazed words of praise. \"I'm impressed you all would surpass your limits so...\" The flesh blob screamed and thrashed violently in agony. That sent out a series of tremors. However, the Peace Brigade's summoned beasts managed to endure them. They swayed precariously but continued rushing onward nonetheless. Taking care not to let any of its finger bones break, the ancient wolf mashed its arm in even harder. Then a muffled snapping sound rang out. \"What?\" \"Don't let your guard down, you dimwit!\" Lute reacted with surprise, and Elisabeth let out a shout. Her aerial vantage point had let her see everything. The blob's arms had circled around the ancient wolf's back and pierced the King's chest through. They writhed within the ancient wolf's body as though to return the favor. Then they ripped something out and cast it aside. That something was the ancient wolf's still-beating heart. It toppled emphatically to the ground, crushing some ten beastfolk as it landed. Blood gushed from its arteries and ran between the trees. Ridiculously enough, the heart cast a glittering rainbow trail in the empty sky above it. The ancient wolf looked up high to the heavens. They slowly lowered their gaze. The King surveyed the beastfolk around them. After casting an affectionate look at them, it apologetically closed its eyes. One of the Kings was still now. A scream rose up as the beastfolk collectively cried out. However, Lute and the others didn't grieve, and they didn't stop. If anything, they did the opposite. At this point, there was nothing they would pause for. No matter what happened, they would never break their stride. \"Fan out!\" As the blob drew nearer, Lute raised his arm and gave an order. The remaining twelve men quickly heeded it and split into four groups. At the center of the four, Lute and Randgrof rode alone. Now that the arms had downed the ancient wolf, there were far more of them to spare. They lunged at Lute and the others, and Elisabeth pinned them down with her Cat's Paws. She had already burned through the majority of her mana reserves, so deploying a third torture device was out of the question. Instead, she summoned even more Paws. She knew that if their titanic foe managed to roll over on them, it would wipe them out. By anchoring down the main body, the Torture Princess was able to hold the arms in place as well. However, several of the arms split off. One particularly thick arm swung down toward Elisabeth. *** There was no time to dodge, and it was too powerful to block. Upon realizing that, Elisabeth focused her attention on the arm in front of her. She held Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal aloft and plunged it into the arm. Then she forced her raven onward, carving through the fleshy arm from within. \"HraaaaaHHHHHHHHH!\" With that, she sliced the arm in twain vertically down the middle. Venom spilled out and completely drenched her clothing. Her flesh burned as she fell back. Ignoring the searing pain all across her body, she focused a healing spell on her lungs and her lungs alone. Then she turned her gaze back up. There were other arms swinging at Lute and the rest as well. However, their aim was lacking. The Peace Brigade nimbly steered their summoned beasts and dodged the blows. Once they did, though, one of the arms headed straight for Lute and Randgrof. It started picking up speed. Then a sword sank into the arm with a thunk. The black-and-white-spotted Brigade member had thrown his weapon, and the arm changed its target. The black-and-white-short-haired soldier was a man who prided himself on his composure. He murmured a quick beastfolk prayer. Then he went on. \"Ah...damn it all. It looks like this is as far as I go. My apologies for jumping ship early.\" He gave them a weak smile. A moment later, his torso went flying off. He would never get the chance to follow another order. Elisabeth kicked aside the chunks of blob arm still lying on her. As she did, she saw more men die in her peripheral vision. Her bull- and goat-headed subordinates crumpled to the ground, summoned beasts and all. Elisabeth totaled up the rest, her internal monologue practically a scream. Only...nine remain! She forced her raven to change course. They flew at a blistering clip. By that point, Elisabeth had fully mastered how to manipulate her avian mount. She soared freely through the air, dancing circles around each of the arms and baiting\u00e2\u20ac\u201dforcing\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthem to turn their focus on her. Her young, coyote-headed subordinate with his distinctive notched ear couldn't help but let out a yelp. \"Captain, you can't! It's too dangerous!\" \"Look at me, I'm right here! Come and try me! Kill me, if you can! See if you can lay the Torture Princess low!\" Elisabeth flew, higher and higher and higher still. Waves of arms gave close pursuit. The fleshy tentacles surged at her as one. If they caught her, there would be no way for her to avoid being mashed into a pulp. Then the Torture Princess snapped her fingers. Cat's Paws collapsed down from both sides. The Paws skewered the arms, piercing them all at once and shredding them to bits. Elisabeth took advantage of the opening that provided to descend so fast it looked like she was in free fall. She was out of peril, but getting there had required putting a tremendous strain on her body. She vomited up the blood surging from her stomach, then brutishly wiped her mouth clean. While the Torture Princess had been performing her death-defying dance, the Peace Brigade had continued their charge. Just a little farther and they'd be at the flesh blob. Its vile, pulsating form was right before them, dimly glowing and covered in blood and fat. Just its appearance alone was enough to inspire physiological revulsion in any and all who beheld it. However, Randgrof didn't falter. Instead, he rose to his feet. It clearly took everything he had to maintain that unstable posture atop the summoned beast's back. Then he called out. \"Father, please, hear me out! What you're doing won't save our people! Even if you massacre all the humans and beastfolk, all you'd be doing is leaving us for the Fremd Torturchen to slaughter! No one will survive! That's a fact, and if you'd come to your senses, you'd realize it! Listen to me, Father!\" And upon hearing his heartfelt, soulful cry, the flesh blob froze for a"}, {"text": "second. But only for a second. The blob swung its arms even more violently than before. The sweeping blow came hurtling toward the Peace Brigade. With no time nor ability to stop on a dime, four more of them\u00e2\u20ac\u201dincluding the youngster who'd just shouted\u00e2\u20ac\u201dgot reduced to carrion. \"Sure enough, there's no reasoning with it,\" Elisabeth muttered grimly. As she did, she noted with some surprise the disappointment in her voice. Although she hadn't consciously realized it, apparently even the Torture Princess had been hoping for a miracle. In a sense, that just went to show how close they'd been. The flesh blob had reacted. Randgrof's voice had gotten through. It hadn't accomplished anything, but even just that much already bordered on miraculous. Aguina was serving as the monster's mind, and by all rights, he shouldn't have been in any state to even process language. However, that wasn't how Randgrof had seen it. His expression was marked deep with dejection and despair. Elisabeth decelerated, then turned toward him and shouted. \"Turn back, Randgrof! All you'll do now is throw away more lives! Turn back while you yet draw breath!\" \"But, I'm not... I can't...\" Randgrof hung his head. A moment later, though, he shook his head and fixed his gaze straight ahead. Then he took everyone by surprise by raising his voice and grabbing Lute by the collar. \"I'm not finished yet!\" \"Sir Randgrof, I say, what are you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? WHOA!\" \"I'm fully aware of how rude I'm being! Forgive me!\" With that, Randgrof tossed Lute off their summoned beast's back and grabbed hold of the leather reins himself. However, he had no idea how to properly lead or direct the beast, so he simply resorted to kicking its side. The beast began accelerating at breakneck speeds. Onward and forward Randgrof charged. One of the arms lashed out at him, and he dodged it by the narrowest of margins. However, the next one came barreling at him head-on. Elisabeth gallantly dived in front of it. Her corroded black hair fluttered behind her as she lopped the arm off. As she and Randgrof passed each other by, he gave her a shout. \"You have my thanks!\" \"If you wish to go, then go. 'Tis best to bear no regrets.\" She could have stopped him. However, she said nothing to that effect. His charge was an act of supreme folly. All that awaited him at its end was death. The Torture Princess knew that. She knew, and she let him go anyway. Elisabeth left Randgrof to gallop on away. Randgrof didn't fear that which awaited him. His own father was the man behind the Sand Queen's transformation, and yet even so, there was no hesitation in Randgrof's expression. It was as though he had always known that his father might someday become a monster. He raced all the way up to the flesh blob and drew his sword from its sheath. Then he raised his arm aloft and hurled his sword at the blob. *** The blade pierced the blob's flesh. Blackened blood trickled down its length. That was enough to get all the blob's eyes to turn and look Randgrof's way. Despite the clear animosity he was facing it with, though, the flesh blob didn't turn its arms on him. Instead, it froze again. Elisabeth had trouble believing it until a certain morsel of information wormed its way out of the depths of her mind. A tranquil song echoed in her ears. \u00e2\u20ac\u201dHer ever-closed eyes watch over her sheep \u00e2\u20ac\u201dEnsuring all her descendants are honest and true and good and resplendent \u00e2\u20ac\u201dPlease, my queen, know it is true, believe in us as we believe in you The blob is a monster that sees all, to be sure... ...but it was also an entity that cast judgment on all those it observed. To wit, because the song influenced it and provided the inspiration for its transformation... This was no miracle. Nothing of the sort. The monster had always retained both the ability to look at people and the intellect necessary to cast judgment on them. And Randgrof was no beastfolk. He was an honest, true, good, resplendent descendant of the Sand Queen. And on top of that, he was Aguina's son. The flesh blob's eyes widened even further, then spun in their sockets. It didn't know what to do. Eventually, it decided to simply get out of Randgrof's way. It reached its arms toward the wounded white deer. Before it had a chance to avert its gaze from him, though, Randgrof made his move. He pulled something out from his pocket. This time, Elisabeth felt as though she heard her own voice echo back in her ears. \"'Tis a wretched sight when one tries to kill themselves by blade and fails to finish the job.\" \"I won't fail. What son of yours ever would?\" Randgrof laughed. He held his knife at the ready. His hands were trembling. \"This is the one thing I can do to make sure you don't have to bear that anguish alone. Witness me, Father.\" And in one clean stroke, Randgrof Elephabred slit his own throat open. Blood gushed forth. Some of it sprayed onto the Sand Queen. The air froze. Or at least, everyone there could have sworn it did. The summoned beast shook its body. Randgrof's corpse, so sorrowfully light, tumbled to the ground. The Sand Queen immediately reached an arm out, catching his chest so gently and delicately it was almost funny. However, doing so caused the arm's teeth to damage it, spreading more and more blood across Randgrof's body. Tears poured from each of the Sand Queen's many eyes. She was grieving the death of an honest, true, good, resplendent descendant. Translucent droplets splashed against the ground. As they did, the colossal hawk drilled its beak forward once more. However, the Queen ignored the attack against her person. Her body shook. Then something rose up to its surface from within. A new transformation was taking place. When she saw what was happening, Elisabeth gasped. A key change had taken place in the flesh blob. Now a male figure was rising up on part of its surface. Based on the amount of mana contained within, Elisabeth immediately understood what had happened. The direct spiritual hit she'd suffered had caused the source of the Sand Queen's mana to change its shape and make an appearance. Now the part of her she'd kept so deeply hidden away was out in the open. The man-shaped core tried desperately to reach out its arms. However, it was unable to reach even the corpse immediately beside it. Its hands drifted helplessly through the air. And that was when a bellow rang out. *** Lute rushed forward, shouting at the top of his lungs. He dashed at the flesh blob with sword in hand. It was a sad, pathetic attempt at a battle charge. Everything had happened so suddenly that Lute hadn't even had time to put together a plan. His mad dash had come far too late. The man was about to recede back into the fleshy depths, and that would spell their doom. They were out of options\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor so it seemed. But instead of faltering, Lute called out to Aguina. \"I've been meaning to tell you\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwe're expecting.\" The man came to an abrupt stop. He looked back and forth between Lute and Randgrof's corpse. In the end, his gaze settled on his son. Lute's blade drew ever closer to him. However, the man didn't move. He just waited for the blow that would mark his execution. Lute continued onward toward his unmoving opponent. When he spoke next, there was no falsehood in his voice. \"You prayed for us to be blessed with a healthy child, and that's something I will never forget.\" The blade struck true. Lute's slash cleaved the thing shaped like Aguina in half from top to bottom. In that moment, the Queen's parts continued moving. However, her reactor itself was destroyed. That was too close for comfort, Elisabeth thought from atop her raven. If she, the white deer, or the colossal hawk had tried to destroy Aguina, he merely would have retreated back into the blob. Just now, though, he had allowed the slash to cut him clean in two. And it was all because Lute was the one who'd called out to him. They were both fathers, and that was what had sealed the deal. The man-shaped figure trembled, then melted away. All of a sudden, the flesh blob swelled up. Its skin grew taut, and blood vessels began bulging up on its surface. This was different from the earlier transformations. This was a destructive growth\u00e2\u20ac\u201dgrowth that signaled its demise. Lute hurried back. However, he didn't make it in time, and one of his arms got caught in the expanding flesh. He struggled like his life depended on it. He even kicked and punched the flesh, but all that accomplished was getting one of his feet trapped as well. Elisabeth forced her raven into a nosedive. If she used a Cat's Paw, she could cut around Lute and free him from the blob. She quickly conjured up a rope. It was the exact same trick she'd used back when Lute fell on his backside. \"You saved us!\" she shouted. \"Now, get on back here yourself, Lute!\" \"Oh, what a shameful way for me to get caught!\" After sharing pretty much the exact same exchange they had earlier, Elisabeth wound the rope around his wrist. This time, though, a staggering amount of force yanked her forward. The intensity with which the flesh blob was trying to swallow Lute up was simply too great. Elisabeth fell over, and the force from the impact caused her raven to crash-land. She found herself getting dragged toward the blob, so she plunged her sword into the ground in an attempt to resist. However, the handle slipped out of her blood-slick grasp. Lute stared at her. The blob had already swallowed half of his body. A determined expression crossed his face, and he reached his arm out as far as it could go. Then, after snatching hold of the belt around Elisabeth's neck, he hurled her as far away as he possibly could. It was like it was all some sort of gag. \"You! Utter! Fool!\" \"I leave the rest to you, Madam...no, rather, Sir Kaito's beloved\u00e2\u20ac\u201das well as our beloved Captain Elisabeth!\" Lute spoke with a look of clear relief, and just like that, the flesh blob swallowed him up. Elisabeth landed hard and tumbled violently across the ground. She quickly raised her wounded face and stared blankly at the scene before her. Like it or not, she could tell exactly what had happened. My raven was swallowed up, too. I shan't have the mana to deploy any meaningful torture devices for some time. In short, she had no way of saving Lute. She dragged her venom- and crash-landing-battered body to its feet and began walking. The retreat she was beating was a pathetic one hardly befitting the Torture Princess. But as she tripped over her own feet, she hurried on anyway. Even as she coughed up blood, she ran away like a woman possessed. Those who owed their lives to another had a duty to fight. Stopping and putting down her burden was an option denied to her. Somehow or other, she managed to get out of range. Her vision blurred as blood dripped down into her eyes. As she rubbed them the way a child would, she looked up and observed the flesh blob's final transformation. The blob swelled and swelled and swelled, and, with a pop, it burst. Afterward, all that remained was the foul sea of flesh expanding outward. 6 A Promise to Play I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I was a bad girl I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm bad and wrong and I'm a spoiled little brat whose"}, {"text": "brain is more rotten than garbage, please don't hit me I'll do anything I swear so so? I have to say I'm sorry. Until they forgive me. But see, there was one person who said I wasn't bad. So I'm not scared anymore. You promised, remember? You said that I was your daughter. That's right. There was someone who told me stories. Someone who stroked my hair. But now there isn't. Father died. Father was killed. Father asked me for something. Please, daughter, carry out my dream for me. I know. I know, you know? I know that really and truly, Father hated everything. He thought everything hurt, and everything was awful, and everything was horrible, and everything was scary. It's okay. Only I know. And I know that Father put up with it anyway. He endured for such a very long time. So it's all right. It's all right, right? There was someone who loved me. There was someone who stroked my hair. There was someone who forgave me. He was the first person in all the world who did that. And this is what he wanted. This is what I want. So, please, everyone, let's all please die together. There was a place, and in that place, there was a peerless sinner. She tortured the entire population of her fiefdom and killed them. In the end, her sins reached even the nobles. Everyone cast stones at her. They resented, hated, and despised her. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth, cruel, hideous Elisabeth! A curse upon you, a curse upon you, a curse, a curse, an eternal curse upon you, Elisabeth! It made complete sense. No matter how many good deeds she racked up, it meant nothing to the dead. No day would ever come where her sins would be washed clean. But there was a boy who told her he loved her, and a simple beastman who called her his beloved captain. They didn't call the Torture Princess \"the Torture Princess.\" To them, the Torture Princess was just Elisabeth. And now both of them were gone. In the grander scheme of things, it meant nothing. That was all that the story had to it. Elisabeth slowly sat up. Her body was in pretty rough shape. Due to the venom, her body was corroded all over. Her skin was covered in open wounds, and her black hair lay in uneven tatters. All of her usual beauty had been marred with injuries. Furthermore, her mana reserves were greatly diminished. Fortunately, she had enough left to support her demon meat-infused body, but that was all. Compared to the mana she normally had at her disposal, she was all but running on empty. It was almost like that time in the Capital, right after she'd finished defeating the three merged demons. This time, though, things were different. This time, there were people she knew among the fallen. Over half of the people who'd looked up to her had perished. However, that wasn't for the Torture Princess to lament. She had no right to value some of the dead more than others. Knowing that, she allowed herself one small utterance. \"Ha, some heartless killer I turned out to be. I couldn't even kill the one who needed killing on my own.\" After a few moments of silence, Elisabeth spat out the chunk of flesh lodged in her throat. During her flight, she had accidentally bit the inside of her mouth. She silently looked at the sky. The Sand Queen was dead. Off in the distance, Elisabeth could hear the white deer and colossal hawk wailing. Both of them had survived. However, it was unclear whether or not they would recover from their wounds. The beastfolk joined their lament. They had enough sorrow to go around. Then Elisabeth heard her name. \"Captain Elisabeth!\" \"Are you all right, Cap...tain?\" It was her surviving men. The four haggard beastfolk rushed over to her, but when they saw the state she was in, her subordinates went silent. They exchanged glances with each other. When they spoke next, it was all at once, and with renewed passion. \"\"\"We won, Captain Elisabeth!\"\"\" \"We did it... We did it! With this, those we lost will have their reward. Hold your head high, ma'am. We fought, and we won. Surely this is an occasion for joy.\" Their voices rang with enthusiasm, but Elisabeth could tell. The things they were saying weren't coming from the heart. They were just trying to cheer her up. It made her wonder\u00e2\u20ac\u201dup until then, had she ever been in as sorry a state as she was at the moment? And at the same time, there was something she was painfully aware of. The dead receive no reward. Once someone died, that was it for them. Absolute as that truth was, though, Elisabeth didn't give voice to it. There were things the dead had accomplished, and that fact was just as irrefutable. Denying that aspect of it would do nothing to change what had happened. Also, Elisabeth wasn't nearly so tactless as to shut down her subordinates when they were going out of their way to try to encourage her. And even if she was, there was no time She looked straight forward and brought up a different topic altogether. \"The Three Kings should still be able to serve as shields... You lot, take the beastfolk and demi-human survivors and have the Kings give you cover as you flee. Go now, and don't tarry.\" \"What? Captain, what's going on? Using the Three Kings of the Forest as shields... What are you talking about?\" \"If the attacks come, they're the only ones who'll be able to protect you! Enough questions, just go!\" Elisabeth shouted. Her flustered subordinates sprang into action, following her orders and passing the message along to what remained of the army. The four of them were skilled professionals. They would be able to get the survivors to safety. Instead of watching them go, Elisabeth glared at the ground. There was a rose blooming atop it\u00e2\u20ac\u201da peculiar little flower interspersed with azure and crimson petals both. Clear droplets sat atop it like little tears. Then the petals all fell off, as though the flower had used up the last of its strength. The bits of azure and crimson rose drifted slowly toward the ground, then melted away before they could land. Elisabeth knew. Like it or not, she understood exactly what it meant. It meant the Saint was dead. The Torture Princess's crimson eyes darkened, and she let out a low murmur. \"Despair is on the move.\" Her voice rang with ridicule, as though mocking herself for expecting anything more of the world. Deep in an abyss at the World's End, the Saint died by Alice's hand. However, the Saint's quick defeat hadn't been caused by her own strength running out. There was a different reason behind it. Now, after the fact, Elisabeth realized what that was. The Sand Queen was a corpse, and corpses couldn't feel pain. But feel it or not, the wounds inflicted on her flesh were converted into pain anyway. And all of it, along with all the pain she inflicted on others, was transmitted right on over to Alice, and it had caused Alice's power to grow tremendously. Not only was the Sand Queen a powerful weapon, she had also served as a trap. By fighting her, Elisabeth and the others had been all but strangling the Saint themselves. Still, there was no other way. The three races had no strength to spare. If they hadn't dealt with the Sand Queen, the blow she would have dealt them would have been lethal. Furthermore, Alice was always going to show up sooner or later, and there was no way they could've taken on her and the Sand Queen at the same time. Even as things actually played out, there was a good chance they would've lost if not for Randgrof and Lute. However... ...the fact remains that a person died because of what we did. That tragic woman hadn't even given them her name. Had better options been available to them? There was no way of knowing. Elisabeth shook her head. She gave her fingers a harsh snap\u00e2\u20ac\u201din part to clear her mind\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand drew Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal from the air once more. She thrust its blade into the ground to help herself rise to her feet. Then she heard a new pair of voices calling her from behind. \"Madam Elisabeth!\" \"You're in an even worse state than I expected. Don't you go keeling over on me now, girl.\" Izabella and Jeanne rushed over to her. Their Waltz was a technique designed for fighting in close quarters, so they would have been poorly matched against the flesh blob. Upon determining that, Elisabeth had chosen not to call on their aid during the battle. Now that she looked at them, though, she noticed that both of their mana reserves were a bit lower than she'd expected. On top of that, they were both splattered with blood. It begged the question\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhy? Izabella was quick to explain. \"A couple of the saints hit their limits during that last bombardment. We immediately teleported them out and gave them emergency treatment, but their conditions are still critical. Jeanne and I gave them blood and mana transfusions, and that was enough to get them stable, but still... But then! Just now there was a rose!\" \"Ah, I see... You got one, too, then,\" Elisabeth replied to Izabella's puzzled outburst. By the sound of it, a rose had sprouted at her location, too. The Saint must have wanted to inform Izabella of her death as well. Elisabeth brushed her shredded black hair back off her shoulder. Her finger grazed the bit of white bone peeking out from her jaw. Still looking like death on two legs, she closed her eyes. She thought back over all the stories Alice had told her up until then. As she ruminated on the scattered bits and pieces she knew about the Wonderland tale, she realized something. Our game with the Queen is over. Now the protagonist\u00e2\u20ac\u201dAlice\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwill make her return. Alice knew exactly how the Sand Queen fought, and she probably knew exactly where she was, too. There was no doubt in Elisabeth's mind that Alice would make her way to the same spot, destroying towns and villages on her way like she was skipping stones. Alice was pure and innocent, and she'd been fixated on Elisabeth for some time now. There was no reason to assume that had changed. In short, she was going to show up at any moment. Knowing that, Elisabeth did something very unlike her and opened her mouth up wide. Her voice rang beautiful and sonorous as she recited the poem she'd since memorized. \"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall! Humpty Dumpty had a great fall! \"All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again.\" There was something that couldn't be put back together. Something broken that was coming their way. To. Fro. Chitter. Chatter. There were voices. Throngs of people sobbing and screaming and trembling. Someone was loudly screaming. Their voice rang with terror. Someone else lamented the incoming calamity, their tone that of a person dashing through a field with deranged abandon and laughing their head off. \"It's the end of days all over again.\" And there, in that place that seemed halfway between a nightmare and reality, a young girl appeared. She spoke with a voice like an angel's. \"Come now, let's be good girls and sing a song. \"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!\" That mysterious monster, surely, had to be Alice herself. Sara Yuuki had become Alice, and now she was the Jabberwock. Right as the observation began tickling Elisabeth's brain, Alice landed and did a little twirl. She stopped singing and faced Elisabeth. The white rabbit-ear-like ribbons attached to her oversized hat swayed"}, {"text": "from side to side. Just like Alice had once before, she bent one knee and gave Elisabeth an elegant curtsy. \"Welcome, Elisabeth. Welcome to Wonderland.\" It was an odd thing for her to say. After all, she was the person who'd arrived latest out of anyone there. Yet she said it loudly and proudly. Alice was there, and that was what made it Wonderland. She raised her voice. \"Come on, Elisabeth! Let's play!\" She sounded positively bubbly. It was like she didn't have a care in the world. Elisabeth pursed her lips at the irony of it all. Then she replied in a voice heavy with exhaustion. \"Is that truly what you want? To destroy the world?\" Alice blinked at the question. Drops of blood trickled down her eyelashes. Due perhaps to some odd fastidiousness of hers, her hair, hat, and ribbons were as white as ever. However, the rest of her body was drenched in the Saint's blood. The crimson little girl gave the question some serious thought. Eventually, she came up with an answer. \"There's nothing I myself want to do, no. Nope, not a single thing. The one thing I want is to carry out Father's wish. But...there is one thing I want to ask, maybe.\" Alice looked straight at Elisabeth, and Elisabeth found herself reflected in the girl's ruby eyes. Eventually, Alice hacked her question up like so much blood. \"Why should I have to be the only one who loses Father? Kaito Sena's Elisabeth is still alive, isn't she?!\" The pained question hung in the air. Alice spread her arms out wide. She was facing the Torture Princess, but the question wasn't directed at Elisabeth. Alice had directed it at Kaito Sena, or perhaps even at the world itself. \"Why me?! We're the same, we're both reincarnations! We both came from another world! So why?!\" Her face contorted like she was about to cry. However, the very question was absurd. Those weren't the words of someone trying to destroy the world. Plus, the fixed batteries had been reincarnations as well, and that hadn't stopped her from using them the way she had. But whether Elisabeth wanted to or not, she understood. This wasn't about sin and punishment. Alice is... Sara Yuuki is but a child. Her death had filled her with a profound hopelessness, but it was still unclear how well she understood just how tragic her life had truly been. Despite the deep void in her heart, most of what she'd done and said had been happy. In all likelihood, Alice had honestly enjoyed herself. It was just like how Kaito Sena had found a family in his new world. She, too, had found a father. She had found someone who loved her. But now he's gone. Lewis was dead. Alice was alive. That cruel truth was her everything. And Elisabeth realized something. Sure enough, the reason for Alice's animosity toward the world was the simplest thing imaginable, yet was rooted in a heavy truth. \"Someone she wished was alive had been killed.\" That, as always, was what gave rise to the flag called revenge. However, Alice wasn't the only one who'd lost people. 'Tis but a tale from long, long ago. Once upon a time, there was a boy who was brutally killed by another and a monster who brutally killed others. Or perhaps there was a child who was abandoned by his parents and a sinner who was abandoned by the world. Then the child disappeared. Only the sinner remained. \"I am your reverse, then. Kaito Sena did not lose Elisabeth, true. But I lost Kaito Sena. The child is gone, and the monster remains alone. And yet, even so. He tried to protect everything, so I have a duty to protect it in his...stead. Ah. So... So that's it.\" Elisabeth trailed off. Another realization had just dawned on her. Perhaps...we're the same. Alice was trying to carry out Lewis's wish. And Elisabeth was trying to protect those who Kaito had left behind. That was all. They were the same, she and her. The only difference was whether the person they cared about had loved the world or hated it. And unlike Alice, Elisabeth realized something. By now, there was nobody left who knew how they had spent their days. But the sinner was fine with that. No matter what happened, no matter how tough things got, she was fine with that. The sinner and the boy used to be together. That was enough for her. \"In short, what I'm saying is\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyour grief means nothing to me.\" \"...Is this some sort of joke?\" Alice's red eyes went wide at Elisabeth's reply, and the force from the mana surging within her caused her white hair to floof outward. One of the blood drops that fell off her took on the shape of a small mouse, and it looked up at Elisabeth with a sleepy-looking grin. However, the Torture Princess was unmoved. She stomped the mouse flat. \"I assure you, it isn't. Go on, look back. Just once will do. You've piled up mountains of corpses and inflicted pain upon countless people. If anyone has a right to call this situation nonsensical, surely it's those you've made victims of.\" \"See, I knew you were joking. Why, what could it have been but a joke?\" Elisabeth was all too aware that in Alice's eyes, there was nothing wrong with what Lewis had asked her to do. She simply had no grasp of the gravity of the sins she was committing. She was pitiable, in a sense, but there was no way to save her now. In all likelihood, Alice herself probably didn't even want to be saved. There was only one person who had ever loved and accepted her. Maybe she could have found more, but at this point, Alice would probably deny the possibility if anyone pointed it out to her. Knowing that, Elisabeth's tone remained cold. \"I shall say one more thing, then. You said that you and he were 'the same,' but what similarities can you even claim to have? What of this world did you ever love? What did you protect? No, 'tis you and I who are the same. But Kaito Sena is different. He tried to protect everything. He loved everyone, knowing full well how foolish it was to do so. Why, he gave himself up to save a wretch like me. You are nothing like that fool, and I shan't suffer you to say otherwise.\" \"Oh, is that so? I wasn't even given a chance to save Father. So you've got a lot of nerve, ma'am. We're the exact same, can't you see?! Elisabeth, Kaito Sena, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwe're all the same!\" All of a sudden, Alice's voice rose to a bellow. Tears streamed from her eyes, but it wasn't sadness that colored her expression. It was plainly rage. She was putting her hatred toward the world on display for all to see. She cried harder and harder as she went on. \"Our fates were a little different, that's all! You could have become just like I did! So...so why? Why should I be the only one who has to suffer?! Why?! Why?!\" Elisabeth nodded. \"True enough. You represent a future that could well have been ours, I grant you that.\" There was a certain logic to Alice's claim. If Elisabeth had died for nothing, Kaito Sena might have come to hate the world as well\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand that went doubly so if Hina hadn't been around. Plus, the same could be said of Elisabeth, too. Who knows what she might have done if Kaito had died cursing the world. It was as one would their confidante, or their brother, or their savior. As one would a kind, incorrigible fool\u00e2\u20ac\u201d As one would any whom they ought to love\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Elisabeth Le Fanu loved Kaito Sena. And Alice Carroll loved Lewis. Hers was another form Kaito and Elisabeth might have taken. And yet, even so... \"Don't you dare dream that your pain serves as justification for those you're trying to kill.\" I'm hurting / So I'm going to kill you / I'm hateful / I'm going to kill you / I'm sad / Kill you By all rights, that line of reasoning was unforgivable. Elisabeth brandished her sword. \"Cease in this path of yours. Elsewise, I shall slay you.\" Alice gave her a majestic smile. Elisabeth laughed right back at her. Then a duo of silver and gold took their places by her side. It was Izabella and Jeanne. The two of them moved in to help keep Elisabeth's battered body upright. \"Don't forget, we're here as well.\" \"That we are. Win or lose, this here's our fight, too.\" The two of them were no match for Alice. However, neither Izabella nor Jeanne showed any signs of backing down. The three of them and the Fremd Torturchen squared off. And when they did, a stillness descended that seemed to last for an eternity. Eventually, Alice broke the silence. She spoke softly. \"That's very bold of you. You know you're weaker than me. Bold indeed, I say.\" \"Aye,\" Elisabeth replied. \"We are weak. But if we fail to stop you, 'twill be our heads that roll. That's all there is to it.\" \"I suppose you're right. You're doing the same thing I am.\" Alice gave them a cherubic smile and crossed her hands behind her back. Then she gave her head a little tilt, swaying from side to side as she went on in a singsong voice. \"I'm going to kill you and lop your sinful heads right off. I'll make rivers of blood and mountains of bodies and burn everything to ash. And once I'm done killing...I'm going to go smash Kaito Sena's crystal.\" Alice opened her red eyes disconcertingly wide. However, her gaze itself was serene and unclouded. The look in her eyes was fair, but the words coming from her mouth were anything but. \"Kaito Sena has God and Diablo in him, but... But I don't need them as a deterrent anymore. So the best thing to do is to break them. And when Kaito Sena dies, the world will come to an end. What do you think, Elisabeth? Doesn't that sound lovely?\" \"You plan on destroying the crystal, releasing God and Diablo, and bringing about the reconstruction? How very efficient of you.\" Elisabeth simply gave Alice's suggestion the nod. There was no denying it\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif she wanted to destroy the world, that was the logical way to go about it. Alice went on with great delight. \"I even know where the crystal is already. You either put it back at the World's End or you moved it to your castle, right? It's okay, you don't have to tell me. Wherever it is, I'll destroy it.\" \"'Tis at the World's End, in the cave where Ragnarok was fought. I returned it from whence it came.\" \"Goodness me, how forthcoming you're being. Very well. Whether you're lying or telling the truth, it'll all end the same way.\" \"One thing, though, Alice. You say you intend to enact slaughter on a grand scale. How about we play a game first?\" Elisabeth asked offhandedly. Alice squinted at her. Then she laughed, as though mocking Elisabeth for even suggesting such a thing. She replied haughtily and with as sinister of an expression as could be. \"But I just have to kill you and everyone else, Elisabeth. You're not even the Queen of Hearts, and you think you have the right to challenge me to a game?\" \"I do. For I intend to bet my whole self. For Kaito's sake, I cast myself onto the scales. Are you so base as to ignore such an act? O daughter of Lewis?\" One of Alice's eyebrows sprang up. She put a stop to the spell she was about to unleash. Then she asked Elisabeth to elaborate. \"All right, then... Tell me the rules. I'll hear you out, Elisabeth.\""}, {"text": "\"I shall be the White Rabbit. You shall be Alice. Your goal is to pursue me. I, and I alone, shall fight you all the way to the World's End. If I kill you on the way there, the win is mine. If you kill me and reach the crystal, the win is yours. In exchange, though, you shan't lay a hand on another living soul.\" \"Ah, I see. Well, that's fine. I'll just kill them later. What about the people who help you, though?\" \"...Any who choose to involve themselves of their own volition are fair game. If you wish to kill them, then so be it. But you have to agree to leave everything else until afterward.\" That was the promise Elisabeth hoped to get out of Alice. And there was a pressing reason behind her proposal. Once Alice began her massacre, the world was done for. The Fremd Torturchen had finally become everything Lewis had hoped she would. It was similar to what would happen if Kaito Sena had wanted to destroy the world. Alice might not have been quite on his level, but what she'd been on the verge of starting was certainly in the same ballpark. For now, Elisabeth needed to delay Alice's rampage for as long as she could. \"As the Torture Princess, I've gone all in\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhow could the Fremd Torturchen possibly reject my wager?\" \"All right, Elisabeth. If you're willing to insist that hard, I'll play with you. I do want to give you an extra-special death, after all. For starters, you should go on back to the Capital\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand when the time comes, I'll chase you.\" And with that, Alice accepted Elisabeth's invitation to the stage. Then she vanished. Leaving behind nothing but a promise to play a twisted game. Alice was gone. All that remained where she'd stood was a vast, devastated wasteland. Elisabeth let out a small exhale. She surreptitiously wiped away her sweat. That was close... It could all have ended right then and there. She was running on empty at the moment, and Izabella and Jeanne didn't stand a chance against Alice on their own. If Alice had killed Elisabeth, then turned her attention to the others\u00e2\u20ac\u201dIzabella and Jeanne, the beastfolk, the Three Kings of the Forest, and the backup saints\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand began her slaughter, they would all have been done for. The mere fact that Elisabeth had managed to secure that promise from her had been a stroke of good fortune. If nothing else, they had gained the new leeway that the game afforded them. At the same time, though, all that had done was delay their execution. Jeanne narrowed her eyes a bit, then tilted her head with the same expressionless look on her face as always. \"What are you up to, you inscrutable lady? Buyin' us time ain't gonna be enough for us to take Alice down. It doesn't make much difference when we get smoked, you feel me? You got some sorta idea cookin' in that head of yours?\" \"Nay. But in a way, you could say I do.\" It was kind of an absurd thing for Elisabeth to say, given the imminent peril they were in. The women of gold and silver exchanged a glance. Elisabeth squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them back up. The words were all but impossible to believe in. At the moment, there were so few sureties in that world of theirs. Justice had perished long ago. Nothing was truly \"good.\" Everyone was flying the flag of revenge. Places all over had been turned into hells on earth. It was so impossibly hard to find anything worth believing in. And yet even so, Elisabeth spoke. \"That woman told me Kaito Sena's True Message.\" The Saint had stubbornly refused to give them her name. In the end, she'd only opened her mouth a single time more. And from her soft lips, the True Message had come. The Torture Princess relayed it. \"'Do whatever you can to buy some time. Even a little will do.'\" Just a little longer, Elisabeth. The words were clumsy, and they were fleeting, but at the same time, they represented a definite source of hope. 7 The Young King's Decision It's time for a story about a boy. The boy was a sad little person. He was timid, and cowardly, and gloomy to boot. Normally, it was hard for people like that to live exciting lives. However, this particular boy had been born as the heir apparent to the human throne. Although he himself never wished for anything of the sort, he was forcibly coronated and made to serve as king by those around him. On top of that, the boy didn't have a single person who believed in him. As he lived his solitary life, he ultimately made the choice to give in to his destiny. In the world, there was a single nitwit of a king. With great resignation, the boy chose to live a life that would be mocked in just that way. But the world betrayed that expectation, and the boy's destiny was radically transformed. It's time for a story of a hero. The world once very nearly met a tragic end. However, that seemingly immutable fate was altered by a single person. And the one who accomplished that miraculous feat was a boy who had reincarnated from another world. He got a chance at life, then had a number of experiences, some horrifying and some irreplaceable. Then after a long series of battles, he obtained a colossal amount of mana and used it to save someone precious to him. And while he was at it, he saved the world. By sacrificing himself. After burdening himself with God and Diablo, the boy fell into a deep slumber at the World's End. Thanks to his deeds, the people of the world managed to avoid the apocalypse. The greatest good for the greatest number was, surely, the greatest outcome. One could say they lived happily ever after. As an aside, there was also one little fact. Hardly any knew it, and it was of little true importance. As it turned out, though, the boy\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe human king\u00e2\u20ac\u201dadmired the hero deeply. Thus did the story of admiration and folly and love come to its end. And with it, for the first time, the story of Maclaeus Filliana the Craven King began. \"It was the first time I ever had something I wanted to become. It was the first time I'd ever admired someone like that.\" \"It was the first time I realized that it didn't matter that no one else believed in me.\" \"I just had to become someone that I could believe in.\" \"We don't have any problems with you buying time on your own. If anything, I think it's admirable.\" \"But we're not about to sit here and let you choose the crystal as the finish line for your game!\" \"The same goes for that drivel from the Mad King! Who would ever be willing to put their faith in something so vague?!\" \"And how the hell could you let her set the Capital as your starting line?!\" A chorus of angry shouts echoed through the provisional royal castle. After the battle against the Sand Queen and her encounter with Alice, Elisabeth had returned to mankind's territory. Once she got there, she gave her report about the promise that had been made. The reactions she got were about what she'd expected. As everyone dumped their verbal abuse on the Torture Princess, Elisabeth shook her head. It was all very grating on her ears. She knew that all their complaints were legitimate, but at the same time, she didn't hear any of them offering up better alternatives. After all, there wasn't a single person in the world who could take Alice in a fight. If they wanted a different method, though, Elisabeth herself had long since thought of one. We could simply let Alice carry out her massacre. Then, while she was preoccupied, Elisabeth would take Kaito Sena's crystal and hide it as well as she could. From there, all they would have to do was wait with bated breath for that \"just a little longer\" to pass. Compared to Elisabeth's game, that method would provide far greater security for the crystal and make averting total destruction that much easier. However, it also carried the serious possibility that by the time the end came, humanity would have suffered too great a blow. Even if some form of salvation were to come, it would be pointless if most of the people receiving it were already dead. And what's more, there's no telling what state God is in over Kaito's body. 'Tis crucial we consider the possibility that if the destruction crosses a certain threshold, it will commence with the reconstruction... And even if it doesn't wake, the rebuilding efforts to come will demand considerable manpower. Even if the mother yet lives, a world without children has no future. Either way, they had no choice but to trust Kaito Sena's words. And if they wanted to take the option that prevented a massacre from occurring, offering the crystal up as a prize would be an essential part of that. After all, that was the bait they needed to get Alice to come running. From there, all they could do was buy as much time as possible before Alice reached it. That said, Elisabeth was going to have a hard time pulling that off on her own. Still, she couldn't exactly just go up and ask others for help. Any who took part in this upcoming battle would be heading to their deaths. There wasn't a soul who stood a chance against Alice, and that was even before taking the Sand Queen's battle into account. As the voices of dissent filled the air, Elisabeth quietly spoke. \"I hear no alternate suggestions, so this is the way it shall be. Now, I can't promise any will survive, but...if there are any who would be willing nonetheless, I beseech you to lend me your aid. As for everyone else, I recommend you find somewhere you can hide in utter silence.\" Elisabeth had more or less resolved to fight this battle alone. At the moment, her mana reserves had largely recovered. Her encounter with the Grand King had led her to start keeping stockpiles of her own blood, and the transfusion had worked wonders. Now that she could stand on her own two feet again, she had no intention of lambasting any who chose to flee. She owed her life to Kaito Sena. His love had saved her. That meant that all of this, everything that was happening and everything that was going to happen, was her story. Averting her eyes and passing the buck wasn't an option. Silence descended on the room. However, there was one person who moved. It was the human king\u00e2\u20ac\u201dMaclaeus. He solemnly rose to his feet, then laid a hand atop his chest and spoke. \"Anyone who wants to run should run. The Fremd Torturchen will probably come to the castle first, so I'm going to stay here. That way, I'll be able to send out evacuation orders as Alice and Madam Elisabeth fight. I can handle communications on my own, so by all means, if you want to go, then go.\" \"Maclaeus?\" Elisabeth looked at him in astonishment. It was true enough the kingdom of man could replace their leader with little trouble. There were plenty of other people who could serve as king. Back during Ragnarok, though, the Craven King had fled. By all rights, Maclaeus should've been more scared of what was going on than anyone. Elisabeth shot him a questioning glance. Are you sure about this? However, he didn't answer her. That in and of itself was his answer. There was no need for him to put it into words. Maclaeus had steeled his resolve. He squeezed his fists tight in a way"}, {"text": "that looked almost childish, then raised his voice. \"Last time, I ran away. I'm done running now. I'm not going anywhere, even if it means I have to stand here alone.\" The king's declaration echoed across the room. His entourage of high priests and influential nobles exchanged glances with each other. Izabella said nothing. Somebody tried to break the silence, but they were quickly interrupted. The door to the conference room swung open with great force. Heavy footsteps boomed out in concert with a soldier's voice. \"That's just what we've been waiting to hear.\" \"Royal Knight Commander Darius!\" Izabella cried. Elisabeth blinked. The Royal Knights were a knight order ranked below the Holy Knight paladins, and this was Elisabeth's first time crossing paths with their commander. The man Darius was about as ordinary-looking as they came. He was a gruff, bearded soldier, and though his physique was rugged, Elisabeth couldn't sense an ounce of magical potency in him. Even so, just looking at him was enough to get a sense of what an impressive military career he must have had. Darius went and stood beside Izabella. He placed his arm over his chest and bowed, then grimly laid out the facts. \"We saw those fixed batteries, so we know that the situation is as bad as it was during the end of days. But this time, the Mad King isn't here, and I'm not about to send my men out to fight under the orders of a man who isn't giving it his all. Not when we all know they'd be going to their deaths. But just now, we heard your resolve loud and clear.\" All of a sudden, Elisabeth realized that the hallway outside was packed full of Royal Knights. It was unclear how long they'd been there, but by the sound of it, they'd been eavesdropping on the meeting. The guard outside must have been complicit, too. It was a bald-faced act of treason on all of their parts, but given the current circumstances, it was best not to get hung up on little details like that. Darius's well-worn armor clinked as he took a few steps forward. Then he knelt before Maclaeus. The young king hadn't been expecting that, and he let out a small gasp. Darius bowed low and spoke with great reverence. \"It will be our honor to accompany you, Your Majesty. Please, King Maclaeus, hold your head high. Each and every one of us is ready to stand here until the last man for you.\" Cheers rose up from behind him. That was what the knights had been looking for\u00e2\u20ac\u201da reason to stand fast and fight. They were being faced with a calamity on par with the end of days, and all they'd been hoping for was someone to show up and lead them. They raised their fists high. One after another, the knights let out shouts of approval. That marked the moment that Maclaeus the Craven, the worst king in history, was recognized by the army as a leader worthy of succeeding the Mad King. *** Tears started beading up in the corners of Maclaeus's eyes. Before they could fall, though, he quickly wiped them away. As he did, one of the high priests nodded. It was the old man who had asked why Elisabeth couldn't have been the one to die. At some point, a small, glowing dove had appeared in his hand. The creases in his face wrinkled as he quietly spoke. \"I see. In that case, I suppose there's no helping it... King Maclaeus, I have a message for you from the saints. There is the sin of La Filsell to consider, the one who reacted with hostility to the prospect of having her contract with God severed and attacked Madam Jeanne. But more importantly, they wish to honor La Christoph's vision of salvation and Her Holiness the Saint's noble sacrifice. As such, all of them are prepared to fight and die alongside the Torture Princess.\" \"The...saints are?\" The Torture Princess was shocked. That wasn't the choice she'd expected them to make at all. For most of the saints, their prayers had ultimately warped even their very flesh. God was all they had. And even though it wasn't the issue at hand, Elisabeth's eventual goal was to remove them all from God's influence. They should have viewed her as an enemy. But now they were choosing to help protect the world. Then the high priests all moved as well. They dropped to their knees as one and clasped their hands together as though in prayer. \"The saints' resolution is firm. As such, we shall martyr ourselves before that same fate.\" \"You lot, too?\" It was only then, at long last, that Elisabeth realized something. All of them, the old man included, really were high priests. Beside them, the aristocrats straightened their posture. Then they all heard a flustered voice from outside. \"Whoa, why's it so packed out here? I could smell the sweat from down the hallway!\" The voice belonged to one of the civil officials who'd been waiting by the communication devices. For some reason, there was something almost goofy about his tone. The official waded through the sea of men and barged into the room once more. This time, there was a communication device perched atop his shoulder. He pointed at the white orb and shouted excitedly. \"Madam Elisabeth! The device followed along of its own accord, but the point is, you have a message from Sir Vyadryavka! It goes, 'Our retreat was successful. We owe you a great debt, Madam Elisabeth. We know Alice Carroll has awoken, and we're in the process of reassembling the army to come to your assistance.'\" \"You're incorrigible, all of you!\" Elisabeth barked with no small amount of vexation. The communication device flapped its wings in an odd display of pride, and Elisabeth combed back her bangs as a poignant thought crossed her mind. Nobody wanted to die. Yet in spite of that, everyone was choosing death. And they were doing it to protect those who needed protecting. Maclaeus looked straight ahead and, in his role as the sad, lonely man bearing the weight of the world, he spoke. \"Madam Elisabeth, would you do the honors? We've all chosen to tie our fates to yours, and for the sake of the people, we're prepared to dance this dance to the bitter end. Now, say the word and lead us into hell.\" At that moment, Elisabeth felt as though her entire body had been buffeted by a fierce gale. However, the sensation hadn't been caused by the wind. Innumerable people were listening to her words. The strength of their gazes was striking her like an arrow. The high priests were kneeling, Vyadryavka was crossing his arms, Izabella was staring ahead with great dignity, Jeanne was grinning ever so slightly, and the human king was blinking back tears. Countless soldiers were hanging on to her every word. Her next few words would no doubt lead many of them to their deaths. Even so, she had no regrets. And so the Torture Princess made her fearless declaration. \"We go now to our deaths\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto our dawn. Let Armageddon begin.\" \"This time, foolish child, I, too, will join the fray.\" The hallway was aflutter with activity as everyone rushed to and fro in preparation for the battle. Suddenly, Elisabeth heard someone call over to her from behind. She turned back to find that the darkness in one corner of the hallway was deeper than it should have been. A smooth ripple spread across the shadow's surface. Then, like a fish leaping from the water, a fell beast appeared from within. It was the Kaiser, the supreme hound. The knights present all leaped where they stood, but the Kaiser ignored them. He gave his head a great shake. Elisabeth narrowed her crimson eyes. During the battle with the Sand Queen, the Kaiser had steadfastly chosen to remain on the sidelines. She couldn't imagine what was different now. \"What are you up to, Kaiser? Here I was thinking you had no intention of fighting at all.\" \"Ha. Fool. I told you, didn't I? The stage wasn't suitable for me to come out on, and that a more fitting moment lay later on. Now that time has come. That's all there is to it. You need wings, do you not? Just this once, I shall allow you to ride me.\" His final offer caught Elisabeth completely by surprise. It was an exception among exceptions for that proud beast to allow a human atop his back. Elisabeth sank into thought for a moment. The fact that \"the time had come\" allowed her to arrive at a conclusion, and she confronted the Kaiser about a fact that, on some level, she had realized all along. \"When your contractor Vlad died, you should have disappeared. Yet here you are, just as ever. It stands to reason, then, that in Vlad's final moments, you used the person who appeared before him\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Saint\u00e2\u20ac\u201das an intermediary to make a new contract.\" The Kaiser offered little in the way of a response. He just silently sneered at her. Elisabeth stared into his hellfire-filled gaze and cut to the chase. \"Your new contractor\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis it Kaito Sena?\" \"The one and only. Foolish child. I say, that certainly took you long enough to figure out.\" As he replied, the Kaiser scratched the back of his ear in much the manner an actual dog would. For some time, the question had been, what exactly happened back there? Perhaps having grown tired of growing tired, the Kaiser finally filled in the blanks. \"The Saint appeared the moment Vlad died, and part of what she did there was ensure the succession of my contract. To do so, she returned it to its original owner, and Kaito Sena received it. And when he did, he asked something of me: 'When Elisabeth is in peril, I want you to save her,' he said. What a dolt that one is. As always, the things that come out of his mouth are nonsensical beyond compare.\" The fact that the request came from someone he deemed worthy notwithstanding, the Kaiser had probably been loath to admit that something like that was the sole reason behind his actions. Upon recognizing that further silence would cause problems down the road, though, he had given up and explained himself. However, Elisabeth's response was to narrow her eyes. Surely that condition had been met long ago. \"I feel I've been in no small amount of peril up till now.\" \"Ha! How so?! The rabble died off, certainly, but I see you're still standing. But this time is different. You'll die if things go on like this. There can be no doubt of that. So consider this something to be proud of. I shall accompany you to the depths of Hell itself. After all, failing to carry out that single request of his would be a blemish on my reputation.\" The Kaiser scoffed. Elisabeth stared intently at him. The supreme hound didn't seem to realize it himself, but Elisabeth couldn't help but give voice to her observation. \"You sound more human than ever.\" \"In what way?! I'll bite your head off, child,\" the Kaiser growled back. Even his expression seemed oddly human. That said, Elisabeth had no idea if there was any deeper meaning to the fact. Thus, the battle began. So that the people of the world could struggle valiantly and die believing in the future. So that they could bring the story to an end. 8 Armageddon It's time for a story. It's the story of a boy who was brutally killed by another and a story of a monster who cruelly killed others. Or perhaps it's a story of a child who was abandoned by his parents and a hero who was abandoned by the world. It's a story of what happened after the two of them parted ways. For"}, {"text": "that was when the tale of admiration, folly, and love ended, and when the tale everyone built up of repentance, hatred, and dreams began. Or perhaps, it was the story of a young lady left alone and a story of a child who was abandoned, a tale of a woman who was once a monster and a girl who became a monster herself. And so too was it the story of the legions who were foolish and unchanging in their ways, yet were worthy of protection precisely because of that. In short, it was a story of the masses. A story of the fate of those who hated, and loathed, and loved, and feared, and sorrowed, and grieved, and yet made their choices all the same. It was a story that would never be remembered as a tale from long, long ago. For it was a horrible, wretched little anecdote. One that was far too twisted to pass off as a fairy tale. It was, in the end, a story that needed to come to an end. And so she took up her sword. And so they drew their blades. It's time for a story. A story of repentance, hatred, and dreams. A story in which she and they dreamed of saving the world. A story they dreamed with all their might, even if it meant throwing themselves to the wolves. A calamity cometh. A calamity cometh. To all the peoples of the land. And that calamity's form was that of a little girl. They didn't even have to wait for evening to fall. When the adorable little girl made her descent, the sky at her back was still a pale blue. As promised, Alice arrived in the plaza just before the royal tomb. She did a twirl for no particular reason, and her dress's frills spun in a circle around her. The Saint's blood she had previously been drenched in was all gone. Now she was the spitting image of an envoy from the heavens. Despite the fact that she was calamity given flesh, Alice was wearing a great big smile. She called out, her voice light and cheery. \"All right, Elisabeth! I came, just like we promised!\" Light crackled across the air, burning bright as it seared its way toward Alice. The attack came in the form of a divine beast, and it had been summoned forcefully without even the use of a chant. However, Alice didn't so much as deploy Humpty Dumpty in her defense. She simply let out a quiet murmur, as though she'd foreseen the attack. \"White Rabbit Hole.\" A black hole opened up in the air, soundlessly carrying the light and heat away to some wondrous land. In the same breath, Alice wordlessly called forth her knight, and the White Knight made his majestic arrival with nary a sound. Alice slung herself onto his steed's back. The Knight swung his lance diagonally and carved his weapon through the empty air just as silently as he'd made his appearance. The shock wave from the strike traveled all the way to one of the graveyard's far-off knolls and exploded against it. After a brief moment of stillness, the entire knoll got blasted away. Fire began raging off in the distance. Nobody there could have possibly survived. Alice held down her hat as she watched the destruction play out. She let out a loud shout. \"You're supposed to start with introductions! But now, see, the dummies who tried to help you are all dead! Why don't you come on out now, Elisabeth?!\" \"Impressive as always, I see. Measuring you by this world's framework is an exercise in futility. The way you defy all limits and boundaries you should be restrained by, why, it's like dealing with God or Diablo if they were given free will.\" When the dust cloud settled, there stood Elisabeth. The Torture Princess's black hair fluttered behind her as she and the Fremd Torturchen squared off. Alice smiled again, then replied in a lilting tune. \"That's right. Did you only just realize it, Elisabeth? I'm the bringer of the end of days, the new crisis, the Beast of the End. Or maybe I'm the one who delivers the final judgment. It doesn't really matter. What matters is, when Father died, I finally understood something. If I wanted to, I could and can destroy anything.\" Alice softly closed her eyes. Her voice rang with a deep regret. \"I wish I'd realized it back when Father was still alive. Then I could've destroyed everything except the two of us.\" If she'd done that, Alice wouldn't have had to be alone. But time only marched in one direction. Just like the White Rabbit was late, Alice had been too late as well. That was why she wanted to carry out Lewis's final wish. She intertwined her fingers as though in prayer. \"There was someone who loved me. There was someone who stroked my hair. There was someone who forgave me. He was the first person in all the world who did that. And this is what he wanted.\" This is what I want. So, \"Please, everyone, let's all please die together.\" Her voice echoed out pleadingly. She looked like she was on the verge of tears, and she was making the request with utmost sincerity. Elisabeth sighed. She thrust her finger straight at Alice. Then the Torture Princess gave the same bold reply she once had so long ago. \"Hard pass!\" \"...I beg your pardon?\" Alice gave her a look of absolute displeasure. A childish rage flared up in her red eyes. Elisabeth ignored her and snapped her fingers. A large hound appeared by her side. The flesh on his back churned. With a horrible noise, his ribs extended out into the sky, and membranes spread across them and formed bat-like wings. The Kaiser laughed in a voice that sounded almost human. Elisabeth didn't care one bit about Alice's displeasure. She spoke, proud and unfaltering. \"'Tis time for our game, Alice. I shall have difficulty besting you on my own, no doubt, but...a promise is a promise. Now come! The dawn is nigh! Come end my long nightmare, if you can!\" \"Oh, you don't have to tell me twice! I'm going to end this, Elisabeth! Right here, right now!\" Alice shouted back. The White Knight readied his lance. Elisabeth leaped atop the Kaiser's back. She soared high into the air. The Knight swung his lance to the side, and the Kaiser responded by giving his wings a powerful flap. The two shock waves slammed into each other. However, the White Knight's blow won out. That was when Elisabeth called out the name of an old, familiar torture device. \"Iron Maiden!\" A maiden with golden hair and a scarlet dress manifested in the air. She spread her arms out lovingly, embracing even that invisible shock wave and killing its momentum. However, doing so destroyed her, and she plummeted downward. But she wasn't the only attack being deployed. \"Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, AAAAAAaaaaaaAaAaAaAAAAAA!\" There was an eerie solemnity to the voices. They sounded just as much like a scream as they did a hymn. A flock of birds. A school of fish. Rainbow light. Drops of blood. The attack slammed into Alice hard\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfrom the side. \"Huh?\" As far as Alice knew, she had already finished killing the saints. That was what made it the perfect surprise attack. Some of her white hair burst into flames, and she hurriedly put it out. Meanwhile, the White Knight held his shield forward. A great bow shot slammed into it, and the arrow's powerful poison began eating away at the shield's metal. Then another barrage of great bow arrows came flying from a different direction altogether. The White Knight swatted them all down. Although Alice was unharmed, her red eyes were as wide as dinner plates. She let out a dumbfounded murmur. \"You're kidding... Just how many people do you have?\" \"I told you, did I not? On my own, I would've had trouble besting you. But with allies, 'tis a whole different story. We intend to face you until death claims us\u00e2\u20ac\u201dO haughty judge, O ye who would name herself the end of days' reprisal.\" The Kaiser fluttered his wings, and Elisabeth came to a stop in the air. However, the situation hadn't changed. Things were still just as critical as they were before, and the tables remained utterly unturned. Yet Elisabeth made a bold proclamation. \"Welcome, Fremd Torturchen. Welcome to Wonderland.\" The Torture Princess bore a vicious grin. She was majestic in her brazenness, almost as though she truly believed that victory was all that awaited her. Lance strikes carved through the air. The thrusts were aimed at the saints, who were in the middle of dispersing. However, not all the attacks proved fatal. Part of that was thanks to the priests' barriers, but more than anything, it was due to the paladins, who were working together to move the saints around. And the method they were using was as simple as could be. They had loaded the saints and priests onto carts and were pulling them through the areas of the city that had already been evacuated. It made for an absurd spectacle, and \"irreverent\" didn't even begin to describe it. Surely there had to be a limit to how ridiculous a tactic could be. At the same time, though, it was proving surprisingly effective. The saints' second biggest problem might have been their lack of endurance, but their biggest flaw was how immobile they were. A stationary target was just asking to be killed. Once it got moving, though, it was a different story. As the paladins raced atop the cobble paving, one of the youngsters among their ranks called over. \"La Dhruv, are you holding up all right?\" \"I... Yes, I'm...still...fine,\" replied the old man with the belly full of fish. He rubbed his transparent stomach and nodded. He had used up all his mana during the fight against the Sand Queen, but he had largely recovered. The mana from the high priests and the blood transfusions had done the trick. Now he was good to fire off multiple shots in succession again. The old man, La Dhruv, had fought under the Mad King's command during Ragnarok as well. The bombardments the saints fired off in that battle were the stuff of legend, even to that day. Now La Dhruv was willingly staring death in the eye yet again. The young paladin stole a glance back at the man he was risking his life to cart around. He went on, almost unthinkingly. \"Forgive me, but I have to ask...why?\" \"Just shut up and run, you dolt! You'll bite your tongue!\" the man's superior snapped at him. \"No, it's, fine,\" La Dhruv said, cutting in. He gently answered the question with one of his own. \"Why, what?\" The young paladin faltered for a moment. However, not wanting to have any regrets, he let his doubts spill out. \"I, um, I heard about what happened with Madam Elisabeth and La Filsell. And about how you spent all that time with La Filsell afterward... That's why I was so surprised when you all volunteered to put your lives on the line and carry out this miraculous bombardment. I just wanted to ask, why?\" he asked timidly. The fact of the matter was, this was a battlefield. It wasn't the kind of place you went to fight on behalf of someone you hated. La Dhruv gave the young man's question an understanding nod. Then, abruptly, his face underwent a shift. All of a sudden, La Dhruv was youthful again. All his wrinkles and age spots were gone. Young and beautiful, he spoke. \"We listen to all voices. Not just La Filsell's lament, but also La Christoph's prayer...as well as the Saint's final words.\" \"You heard Her Holiness?!\" \"Let me tell you something rather blasphemous. We may be saints, but just like"}, {"text": "her...it was as people that we made our choices. And our choice, made freely, was to believe.\" The paladin's eyes went wide at the unexpected revelation. Normally, the saints had little in the way of free will. However, the Saint's death seemed to have triggered something in them. Now they had found something to believe in. While the paladin gawked, La Dhruv's face returned to decrepitude. His hundreds of wrinkles creased as he spoke softly. \"Even, if, we someday, lose, our connections...God, will still, be in, our hearts. As people, we believe, in La Christoph's smile, and the Saint's wish. And those, who owe their life to another, have a duty to fight.\" The young paladin gasped. It was true\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif not for the deaths of La Christoph and the Saint, the world would have reached its breaking point far earlier. Everyone there owed their lives to those two. The sure light of volition burned in La Dhruv's eyes. Despite his unsteady voice, his intent was clear. \"And so, we fight. No matter how foolish it may be.\" With that, La Dhruv resumed his chant, and the fish-shaped divine beasts bursting from his belly twisted and writhed as they shot forth. They swam through the air and made for Alice. It was hardly enough to take her down, but the incessant bombardment was making it difficult for her to get a precise read on their locations. However, the shock waves kept on coming. The paladins ran with all their might, then abruptly veered and changed course. A moment later, the house right behind them exploded. As rubble rained down around them, a couple of the paladins shouted. \"Sorry about the bumpy ride.\" \"You know, this is almost fun!\" \"Is that so,\" La Dhruv replied. \"Just, don't, mess up, the steering.\" \"Of course!\" All they could do was run around awkwardly until the saints hit their limits. Either that or until they got unlucky and died to one of the shock waves. However, their gaits were free of despair, and their expressions were unclouded. For there was something they knew in their hearts. There could be no doubt that they were living in the last stages of a miracle. And knowing that meant that nothing could give them pause. Then there were the roofs. The people who lived in the Capital were well-off, so the houses there were built sturdy. You could run across their rooftops with no problems. And what's more, aside from the areas where nobles lived, each block of houses was built adjointly. Because of that, the beastfolk and Royal Knights were able to move freely about the rooftops. Their great bows needed to be fixed in place, so they had abandoned them as soon as the battle began in earnest. Now they were using regular bows to fire off their sporadic rains of poison arrows. Whenever they got close to the main plaza, they also mixed in attacks with jars of oil and flaming arrows. The haphazard volleys amounted to little more than harassment. They were unable to inflict any actual damage to Alice herself. However, their efforts made for a fine distraction. Each time her dress melted or burst into flames, Alice would get flustered and throw a childish tantrum. And because there were so many different people firing, the White Knight had trouble aiming. Even so, the archers still needed to dodge the wide-area attacks with their own two feet. \"Southeast, range four! Disperse!\" When the beastfolk voice cut through the air, everyone scattered. The shouts were designed to succinctly convey the direction and power of the incoming attacks. The archers broke into a dash. When the shock wave landed, it carved a gaping hole in the ground. Debris exploded up from the impact site and rained down hard before eventually settling down. Vyadryavka rose from his defensive crouch. Darius stood beside him, lightly armored and stretching his shoulders. He'd forced his way through more than one rain of rubble, but there wasn't so much as a scratch on him. The man was built tough. Vyadryavka gave him an appraising look, then spoke with some surprise in his voice. \"My people do battle in the forest, so we're old hands at fighting across varying elevations. I must say, you and your men impress me. To be honest, I didn't expect you all to be able to keep up with our speed.\" \"We're the Royal Knights, I'll have you know! We know this city's layout, even its rooftops, like the back of our hands! I was expecting you lot to spend half your time getting lost, but I gotta hand it to you, your men did well!\" Vyadryavka finishing standing up. Darius crossed his arms. They stared confrontationally at each other. A few seconds passed. Then the two military men bumped their arms together. Each had praised the other, and each of them nodded. Then they lowered their arms and resumed their positions. Vyadryavka readied his bow once more. The beastfolk around him followed suit. At the moment, they were far away from the plaza. Vyadryavka used every ounce of beastfolk strength and visual acuity he had, drew back his bowstring, and fired. \"Hellhole, Pendulum, Gavel!\" All the while, Elisabeth was deploying one torture device after another. She knew full well that all of them would just be destroyed, yet she doled them out lavishly and spared no expense. The sheer fervor she was displaying was almost reminiscent of her onetime fight against Kaito Sena. The White Knight handled all her attacks with aplomb. He charged through the Hellhole, gouging out the earth all around him, then sliced the Pendulum to ribbons and batted away the Gavel with his sword's pommel. But every second he had to spend defending himself was time that he wasn't attacking the others. Then the saints' blasts and the myriad arrows found their mark. Izabella took advantage of that opening to glide forward on her mechanical legs. She wound a chain around the White Knight's arm and slid in a wide circle to obstruct her foe's movements. Her silver hair traced an elegant arc through the air. Even so, the White Knight continued maneuvering his steed and evading Elisabeth's torture devices. That was when the saints' bombardment hit Alice head-on. She screamed. Before the White Knight had a chance to grab her, Izabella severed the chain of her own accord. She beat an immediate retreat, then spun back around and hurled a good dozen throwing knives at Alice. As she did, Elisabeth's voice rose up in unison. Six vortices of petals and darkness manifested in the midst of Izabella's attack. \"La Guillotine, Saint of Beheadings.\" The situation was pure chaos. With all the attacks coming in, they could barely even see Alice anymore. It almost felt like they were a group of adults ganging up on a child and bullying her. There was a limit to how long they could keep up their onslaught, but at the same time, they were slowly but surely wearing Alice down as well. They had reached an equilibrium. Now all we need do is buy as much time as we can. Elisabeth could see victory just on the horizon. She called forth yet another torture device. Alice held down her hat with tears in her eyes. She balled herself up smaller and smaller, then murmured just five words, \"This is all so dumb.\" Her voice reached Elisabeth's ears with unsettling clarity. At the same time, the White Knight drew his arm all the way back. He was completely ignoring all the incoming attacks. This time, something was terribly different. A chill ran down Elisabeth's spine. However, Izabella and Jeanne were the only other ones who noticed. There wasn't time to shout out an order. Not a moment later, the White Knight threw his lance. Silver light hurtled through the air. It drew a straight line not just to the plaza, but all the way to the Capital proper, and obliterated everyone in its vicinity. 9 A Waltz for Two In truth, she knew it was never going to happen. But still, she wanted to dream. The place where Jeanne de Rais once lived had been home to nothing but death. It was a remote place surrounded by cliffs, and everyone there lived knowing that death would someday take them. To them, Jeanne was nothing but a puppet meant to massacre them all. In order to create their fervent entreaty, the alchemists put their very lives on the line. \"Grant us our wish, O Torture Princess. Send us to our eternal rest.\" Jeanne had no desire to speak ill of their pride, nor did she intend to ridicule the cause they'd spent so long believing in. Otherwise, she wouldn't have put in the work she had to see their dream to fruition and to become the maiden of salvation. As far as how she actually felt went, though, she had just one thing to say. \"That's so messed up! \"I mean, if you're dying, your dreams ain't worth shit. They're just a burden, weighing down the livin'.\" The alchemists hadn't let emotions influence their actions. To them, there was only death. And that coldness of theirs had been Jeanne's entire world. But then she found something warm. Izabella was the first beautiful person she had ever met, and even after all the machine parts Jeanne had augmented her with, Izabella had retained her kindness. She was so gallant, so lovely, and always so warm. Izabella took her hand. Izabella didn't shy away from her blood. Izabella cried for her sake. Izabella lamented her wounds. And so, Jeanne let herself believe. She'd even had a foolishly sappy exchange about it. \"Marriage!\" \"Of course! We'll have a big ceremony in the Capital!\" She'd wanted so badly to believe. Like a maiden in the midst of a dream. \"In truth, I knew it was never going to happen. But still, I wanted to dream of something beautiful.\" There was no time to dodge the White Knight's throw. In all likelihood, just about everyone was dead. Vyadryavka? Darius? The paladins? The Royal Knights? The saints? The beastfolk? Rubble fell. Fire rained down. They eclipsed everything. All of them? Elisabeth's crimson eyes went wide. She found herself at a loss for words. Before her, she could see the solid line that had been gouged out of the city. Fire licked at the gash. It was like looking at a meteor's landing site. The civilians had been evacuated already, but all the combatants were dead. There was little chance any of them had survived. Alice quietly raised her head. She posed her question with the indifference of a queen. \"Now it's truly over. Really and truly. Later, I'll make sure to go kill the king who conspired with all those knights and saints, too. So are we done playing tag now?\" She calmly cocked her head to the side. The look in her eyes made her intent perfectly clear. If the game was over, she was going to begin her massacre. She wasn't even giving Elisabeth time to mourn the dead. Alice was a queen now, and her heart had no mercy in it. Elisabeth shook off her shock for the moment. She was just about to give her unhesitating answer, but then another voice cut in. \"Not yet. We're still here, aren't we? Open your damn eyes, girl.\" \"We, married couple Izabella Vicker and Jeanne de Rais, will be your opponents.\" The woman of gold and the woman of silver strode forward. The former's right hand and the latter's left hand were clasped tightly together with their fingers interwoven. Elisabeth bit her lip. The two of them were strong, to be sure. But they were no match for the Fremd Torturchen. And the gap between their strength and hers should have been obvious to them. Yet even so, they didn't let go of each other's hands, and they didn't flee. The sheer"}, {"text": "depth of their resolve was plain for Elisabeth to see. However, she raised her voice anyway. \"Jeanne, Izabella\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthis is beyond you. You've done enough!\" \"You said it yourself once. 'If any dared tell me what to do, I'd lend them no ear.' 'The burden of your choice shall be yours alone to shoulder.' And 'Saving the world and destroying it are but mere matters of personal selfishness,'\" Jeanne replied. Those were words that Elisabeth had spoken long ago at the World's End. Elisabeth let out a small gasp. Sure enough, choosing to live or die was a burden that only a person themselves could shoulder. No matter what lay beyond, nobody had the right to stop them from making that decision. However, Elisabeth started to argue anyway. Before she could, however, Jeanne went on with a serene look in her eyes. \"Do you have any regrets, foolish lady?\" \"What nonsense are you spouting, now? At this eleventh hour, how\u00e2\u20ac\u201d?\" \"Could I possibly still have regrets,\" she tried to finish. This was supposed to be a battle she was going to her death in. The very fact she was there should have refuted the very notion. But she couldn't do it. For in that moment, \"Ah\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\" Elisabeth remembered. It all hit her, whether she wanted it to or not. That one wish she had, the wish not unlike a star. Jeanne snorted upon seeing Elisabeth's reaction. She spoke in a tone both severe and matter-of-fact. \"You want to stop us. And when you succeed, you'll end up dying in our place, but\u00e2\u20ac\u201d'you can't seriously tell me you paid a single thought as to whether you'd regret it or not!'\" This time, the words were ones that Kaito Sena had once spoken. Jeanne had been torn about whether or not to kill Izabella back at the World's End, and that was what Kaito had told Jeanne to help her see that she wanted to save Izabella. Now Jeanne had taken that same comment and turned it back on Elisabeth. There was no way Elisabeth could lie, not when faced with those words. She was totally and completely beaten. Recognizing that, she steered the Kaiser in a new direction. If those two were going to stay, then it was Elisabeth's job to leave. Having all of them get taken out in one fell swoop would be counterproductive to their goal of buying time. Elisabeth quietly proceeded onward. Her black hair fluttered behind her. However, she did make one half whisper of a comment. \"Forgive me. I shall follow you shortly hereafter.\" \"If all goes well, you won't have to. I ain't plannin' on goin' down easy, y'know.\" \"That's right, Jeanne,\" Izabella agreed. \"I...wait, 'I'? Don't you mean 'we' won't\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhey, whoa, aaaaaah!\" Instead of answering the question, Jeanne snapped her fingers. When she did, all of Izabella's machine parts burst into motion. In accordance with Jeanne's orders, they started moving on their own, and Izabella's legs broke into a run regardless of what Izabella herself desired. She raced down the path that had been carved through the city. In what seemed like no time at all, she was already gone from sight. After checking to make sure that Izabella had fled far enough away, Jeanne nodded all on her own. \"You hoped for a future together with me. You brought me happiness...and that alone is enough. Good-bye, my beloved. May you find a more suitable partner, and may you live happily ever after with them.\" Jeanne gave her a little wave, much the way a child would. However, she immediately squeezed her pale hand tight. She turned toward Alice and focused her rose-colored eyes straight on her. Then, for the very first time in her life, Jeanne broke into a gentle smile. She faced the Fremd Torturchen and spoke. \"Would you mind if we talked for a bit, young lady?\" \"Talked?\" It was such a fair and radiant expression that Alice couldn't help but stop mid-attack. For a moment, Alice was taken aback. She seemed captivated by Jeanne's expression. However, she hurriedly pulled herself back together. She spoke in a tizzy. \"A-ahh. You're trying to buy time, aren't you? But I'm not going to fall for that. Crushing you will be ever so easy. You should know that no one is coming to save you.\" \"You're not wrong. It would be a lie to say that I'm uninterested in buying time. But more than that...I've wanted to chat with you for a good long while now.\" Jeanne's expression was as serious as could be, and her words were unblemished by falsehoods. Alice squinted at her. She still found the whole thing rather suspicious, but she bade her White Knight to lower his lance for the time being. Jeanne gave her a small nod by way of thanks, then went on with great eloquence. \"I'm an artificially made Torture Princess. The moment I was born, I was entrusted with a mission to save the world. 'Grant us our wish, O Torture Princess. Send us to our eternal rest.' I won't speak ill of their request, and I intend to honor their pride. But still...what they gave me was unmistakably a curse.\" The slightest of gleams shone in Jeanne's rose eyes. Alice arched a suspicious eyebrow at her. Given her expression, she didn't understand what Jeanne was getting at, but she definitely had a bad feeling about it. Alice gulped down her saliva. Her voice trembled a little as she urged Jeanne to go on. \"...What are you saying?\" \"I'm talking about repentance, hatred, and dreams. He probably apologized to you as he entrusted you with his dream. But really, that dream was nothing more than a bald-faced hatred toward the world. I mean, you cottoned on to that, right?\" A flash of terror ran across Alice's face. The tremendous power she wielded was the furthest thing from her mind, and she tried to clamp her hands over her ears. Before she could, though, Jeanne went on and whispered the thing that nobody else had pointed out. Her words gouged at that still-fresh wound. \"He loved you, no doubt\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut there wasn't any love in that dyin' wish of his.\" \"Off With Her Head!\" Alice cast her spell, and an executioner's ax appeared in midair. However, all it managed to lop off were a few tufts of Jeanne's hair. Alice was so shaken it had affected her aim. She was quivering all over. Jeanne's eyes flashed like jewels as she blinked them. She quietly went on. \"That isn't what love is.\" \"Shut up, just, just shut up already!\" \"Izabella, my beloved, held my hand. She didn't shy away from my blood. She cried for me. She lamented my wounds. And if she was to die, then no matter how it happened, she would say one thing and one thing alone to me.\" Jeanne looked down at her finger\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand at the gleaming blue ring resting on it. With how dire the situation was, they hadn't been able to get the real deal, and that was what she'd been given in the meantime. Jeanne planted a kiss on it and continued. \"'Go on and find happiness without me.'\" \"Stop it! Stop...stop...please, just stop...\" \"You had a curse placed on you. The dreams of the dying ain't worth shit. They're just burdens, weighing down the livin'. So why not just put a stop to all this? I mean, you go and smash up the whole world, and what'll you really be left with?\" Alice hunched over and began violently trembling. She looked around nervously. However, there was nobody to answer for her. For Alice was alone. She cried and cried and bit down hard on her lip. Then she shook her head and spat out her reply like one would a mouthful of blood. \"I know that. I knew it already, I really did. But in their heart of hearts, everyone has just one thing that truly matters to them. If they can't have that, then what can they have? I'm the only one who understands Father's sorrow. So it's fine. I'm not going to stop. This is my choice, and I've made it.\" Alice violently wiped away her tears. She glared forward with all her might. Then, like a proper adult woman, she spoke plainly and definitively. \"I choose to accept Father as he was.\" Alice had decided to fulfill his wish. No longer would she hesitate, and no longer would she falter. In that moment, Alice accepted it all. She chose to affirm her father's hatred, then made her final decision. And by doing so, she was spelling the world's doom. It was a tragic path to choose, but the love that had inspired it was admirable. Someone she wished was alive had been killed. He had entrusted her with his dream. And she had accepted it, even knowing it was a curse. And thus, she hoisted up the flag of revenge\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand chose to die alongside all of creation. Alice raised her hand to resume her attack. However, she spoke in an unthinkably gentle voice. \"But still, thank you. I'll remember what you told me until the very end.\" \"I see. Well, if you're going to accept everything about your beloved, then I guess we ain't got no choice but to kill each other.\" \"That's right. And I'm sorry to say that it's me who'll be killing you.\" There was a tinge of loneliness in Alice's voice, but as she spoke, she continued making her move. She snapped her fingers. The White Knight did as instructed and brandished his lance. As a show of resistance, Jeanne summoned up eddies of golden flower petals and forged them into the most powerful shield she could muster. The White Knight fired his shock wave. Even at a glance, Jeanne could tell that she didn't have the strength to block it. But all of a sudden, something changed. The White Knight's shot went wide. Instead of hitting Jeanne, it went flying off into the distance. Jeanne squinted to try and figure out what had happened. When she realized the reason, she gasped. At some point, someone had wound a chain around the White Knight's arm. Jeanne traced its silver length with her gaze. There on the other end, standing there like it was the most natural place in the world for her to be was Jeanne's beloved, Izabella. Jeanne thought she was dreaming. But no. It was real. She had appeared like a prince out of a fairy tale, ready to show up when and wherever she was needed. That was simply how fantastical the woman Jeanne loved was. \"What are you doing back here?! I thought I got your ass to safety!\" However, Jeanne shouted all the same. Izabella blinked. The situation before them was downright hopeless, yet for some reason, Izabella scratched her cheek sheepishly like she didn't have a care in the world. She replied in an awkward, almost bashful tone. \"Maybe, but...isn't it a husband's job to come running when her wife is in trouble?\" \"What're you on about, dumbass?! I'm not the wife; you're the wife!\" Jeanne cried at the top of her lungs. She wondered what in the world was going on. Both of them were being idiots, but as Jeanne saw it, Izabella's actions were far more idiotic than hers. She should have known perfectly well that coming back would mean her death. But at the same time, there was something else Jeanne came to realize. No matter how many times she tried to push Izabella away, Izabella would just keep coming back. Why, she wouldn't so much as give it a second thought. Her fair silver hair would stream behind her all the while, and the look in her blue and purple eyes would be one of bewilderment at the very prospect of staying away. But that all made perfect sense. That was just the kind of woman Izabella Vicker was. And that was"}, {"text": "precisely why Jeanne loved her so. Tears welled up in Jeanne's eyes, and she clamped them shut. Then she gave up. And as she did, she nervously extended her hand. Earlier, even though she knew how impossible it was given the circumstances, she had dreamed of something beautiful. \"Marriage!\" \"Of course! We'll have a big ceremony in the Capital!\" Now it was as though that dream were coming true, like they were having their wedding right then and there. Jeanne took her lover by the hand, and Izabella readily squeezed hers back. Golden flower petals decorated their surroundings like they would in a ceremonial hall. As she intertwined their fingers tight, Jeanne posed the question. \"My beloved lady, will you stay by my side, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, to love and to cherish\u00e2\u20ac\u201deven if it means throwing your life away?\" \"It would be my pleasure,\" Izabella replied, beaming. She puffed herself up with pride, like there was no other answer worth giving. Jeanne gave a teary-eyed smile. And with that, the two of them began their Waltz. 10 The Torture Princess and the Kaiser There was a conversation that took place just before Armageddon. \"I need to tell you about your brother.\" Those were the words Elisabeth Le Fanu had used to broach the subject with Izabella Vicker. Then she told Izabella everything. About the contractor to the Knight, who was one of the fourteen demons\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand about his features and the way he died. She told Izabella that she wasn't positive the man had actually been her younger brother, but to Izabella, the matter was settled. There was no doubt in her mind that had been her brother indeed. Izabella's brother had had eyes of the purest blue. He was possessed with both a strong will to live and a powerful sense of justice. The regrets he felt at the Plain of Skewers would easily have been enough for the demons to win him over. After telling Izabella what happened, Elisabeth asked her to choose if she was going to fight or not. If she wanted to flee, Elisabeth wouldn't have blamed her, and if she wanted to turn on Elisabeth, that was her right. However, Izabella's sole response had been, \"Thank you.\" She wanted to thank Elisabeth for saving her brother after he fell in with the demons. That was how she truly felt. However, that wasn't to say she didn't feel torn up about it. When she thought back, Izabella realized that, for the longest time, that was how her whole life had gone. She had constantly been forced to weigh her own wants and needs against what was right, and she had chosen righteousness every time. She had no regrets about that. But it did make her sad. Izabella Vicker's life had been a painfully prosaic one. But then salvation had come to her from the last place she'd expected. The person who'd once fallen into her arms had been unbelievably beautiful. Jeanne had saved her. Jeanne had pined for her. Jeanne had loved her. Jeanne was her everything. Jeanne had gone and loved someone who had naught to her name but righteousness. And to the very end, Izabella had had the person she loved by her side. That in and of itself was a blessing of the truest sort. And because of that, Izabella Vicker thought of herself as one of the happiest people in the world. Do you pledge to take me, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, to love and to cherish, to comfort and to support, with all of your heart until death do us part? \"I do.\" The corpses of two women lay before Alice. Everything from their waists down had been shredded to ribbons, and their guts had come spilling out of their chests. However, the fact that anything remained of them at all was an oddity. Such was the sheer power of the White Knight's attack. However, Alice had deliberately misaimed her final slash. She couldn't blast them away into nothing. She simply couldn't. The two women had been holding hands to the bitter end. And they'd been smiling oh-so-peacefully. \"Why...are you smiling?\" Alice mumbled. She racked her brain. Wasn't death supposed to be sad? Wasn't it supposed to be despair-inducing? If she were the one dying, she certainly wouldn't have been able to wear an expression like that. So why\u00e2\u20ac\u201d? \"Why, why, why ARE YOU SMILINGGGGGGGGGG?!\" She got no reply to her scream of a question. For Alice was alone. She clenched her fists tight in front of her chest. She had butchered countless scores of people there, yet she stood there and shed big, soppy tears. Then, out of the blue, she raised her head and spoke as though she'd stumbled upon a single last ray of hope. \"Elisabeth! That's right, that's right. Elisabeth.\" She started walking with an unsteady gait. She had dispelled the White Knight for a time as she stared at Jeanne's and Izabella's corpses, so it was her own two legs she now tottered on. Her faltering footsteps carried her across the gash she herself had gouged in the ground. She was the spitting image of a child who'd gotten lost. It was like she was chasing after an older sister who had gone and left her behind. \"C'mon, Elisabeth, tell me, tell me... Because I don't get it, see.\" I don't understand any of it anymore. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. As a matter of fact, there was nothing there at all. The only things filling it were milky-white and rainbow hues. Diablo had left no lasting changes there, yet all the same, it was impossible to deny that death had a stronger hold over the world than ever. There was something terribly odd about that fact when Elisabeth thought about it. She was at the World's End. The place that the Saint had designated as such. That was where she watched Jeanne and Izabella die. She silently dispelled the image\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe window\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat the blue ring had displayed for her. A single teardrop rolled down her cheek, and she turned. This time, her gaze came to a quiet rest on the people slumbering in the crystal. The Kaiser said nothing. Elisabeth gingerly placed her hand atop the crystal's glowing surface. It was as cold as could be, but she rested her cheek against it all the same. \"Kaito, Hina...will you fight with me?\" No response came. However, she nodded anyway. She conjured a flower petal and used it to slit her wrist. The Torture Princess's mana-infused blood spilled forth, trickling into crimson lines and delicately encircling the crystal where Kaito and Hina slept. When it did, the two slumbering pillars began moving in kind. They coiled around each other and their thorny vines pointed outward. Brilliant roses of azure and crimson bloomed along their lengths once more. Then the newly grown pillars wound themselves around the crystal like some sort of profane shrine. Now the preparations were complete. Elisabeth let out a brief exhale. Then, without a word, she sat down. Never again would she be able to rest her back against that crystal. She cast her solitary gaze up at the sky. The Kaiser made no snide remarks. He was a clever enough beast to realize that this was hardly the time for such things. And with that, Elisabeth did like she had so long ago, and began singing a song. It's time for a story. It's the story of a young woman left alone and a story of a child who was abandoned. Or perhaps it's the story of a woman who was a monster, and a girl who became a monster herself. It was, in the end, a story that needed to be ended. And so she took up her sword. And so they drew their blades. It's time for a story. A story of repentance, dreams, and hatred. A story in which she and they dreamed of saving the world. A story they dreamed with all their might, even if it meant throwing themselves to the wolves. The change came about all at once. Crimson boiled up atop the clear ground, and the snowflakes piled high, and the ice cracked and shattered in succession. A wave of terrible teleportation circles spread out like a toxin. The first ones to show up were the fixed batteries, who appeared in a circle surrounding Elisabeth. Their eyes and tongues had been plucked out, their limbs had been severed, and they writhed as they suffered in an eternity of pain. Elisabeth realized something in her gut. This is the sum total of Lewis's legacy. There was no way there were any more of them than that. Finally, the very last of their reserves had been deployed. It was time to put an end to those pitiful creatures. Elisabeth wasted no time in leaping astride the Kaiser. She soared through the air, nimbly avoiding the searing rays of the batteries' screams. The Kaiser flapped his wings, higher and higher and higher still. He let out a low growl. \"Enough with the nobodies. Go to your rests and be quick about it.\" Upon reaching the highest of heights, the Kaiser descended. Darkness blotted out everything around the site where the fourteen demons' mightiest member landed. For a time, everything was deathly silent. Then, after a few seconds, the darkness transformed into black feathers. The feathers exploded in a shower of azure flower petals. The blast was at the fixed batteries' center, and it reduced them all into piles of entrails and puddles of blood. In death, they were finally free from their suffering. Despite the display of overwhelming power he'd just put on, though, the Kaiser didn't laugh this time. After he landed, he adopted a low stance and growled out an ominous prophecy. \"She's coming, foolish child. A calamity cometh.\" A calamity cometh. A calamity cometh. Thus spoke the mightiest of the fourteen demons. Suddenly, a black spot not unlike a rabbit hole opened in the air. A young girl in a blue dress hopped out. It was Alice, but there was something off about her. She was crying, and both of her arms were outstretched. She looked anxious, almost like a lost child. \"Elisabeth... Ewivubeeeth!\" \"And why exactly are you crying?\" Elisabeth asked her, acknowledging Alice's sorrow in a voice so gentle she surprised even herself. Alice trembled as she shook her head. Her hat's white ribbons were drooping as well, and they shook side to side in concert with her. Tears streamed down her face as she desperately tried to get the words out. \"I don't get it. I don't get anything anymore. There's only one thing I'm even still sure of. So please, Elisabeth\u00e2\u20ac\u201dplease, die together with me!\" \"And what, may I ask, led you to that particular conclusion?\" Elisabeth's voice rang with exasperation, but she already knew. There was no getting through to her. Alice looked like she might listen to reason, but that would never happen. The fact of the matter was, that one thing really was all that Alice had. She had left too many corpses in her wake. Not even her youth could excuse what she'd done. And Alice herself knew she was past redemption. Destroying everything was the only option she had. That was simply the nature of the deeds Alice had wrought. Before Elisabeth even noticed, Alice was astride her White Knight's horse. There had been no perceptible change in the interim. It was like an optical illusion\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe scene Elisabeth had been looking at had been swapped out for another. A realization crossed Elisabeth's mind. Alice and the White Knight were basically one and the same. She hadn't even needed to speak an incantation to summon him. The only way to beat the Knight would be to kill Alice. The White Knight raised his lance aloft. If his strike landed, there would be no"}, {"text": "surviving it. However, the Kaiser chose not to put any distance between them. Instead, he leaped, using his lithe muscles to propel his black body in a beautiful arc through the air. He bit down on the White Knight's neck. As Elisabeth clung to the Kaiser's back, she reached out her arm. Then, in unison, they wrenched Alice and the White Knight from the back of their steed. From there, Elisabeth and the Kaiser dropped their foes from high up. It was a tactic that was only available to them then, in that moment. Alice's tears had caused her to let down her guard in a fatal way. \"Huh?\" Alice cried in surprise. However, the White Knight remained silent. He had no proper will of his own. Blood spurted out from his windpipe, but he still prioritized Alice above all else. Still far from steady on his feet, he swung his lance. Elisabeth summoned a new weapon into her hand. \"Whip Sword!\" Her blade extended on its own accord as it curved through the air. By snapping it every which way, Elisabeth succeeded in diffusing the imperfect shock wave. Even so, it was still strong enough to sear her skin. However, she cast her Whip Sword aside all the same. She spared no thought for whatever follow-up attack might be coming. Instead, she readied Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal and swung it straight down. Her aim was to gouge out Alice's heart. \"'Tis over now.\" And in that moment, it was like time itself stood still. Her sword cracked. She hadn't gouged out Alice's heart at all. As a matter of fact, her blade had failed to so much as pierce her skin. Fissures ran along its length as it sat motionless atop Alice's skin. It was as though she'd just tried to stab a hunk of metal. A profound sense of remorse spread through Elisabeth's heart as she quietly realized the truth. Ah. Is that...so. She was too late. That single attack the White Knight made back at the Capital had probably marked the final borderline. The vast quantities of mana Alice obtained had sparked a change in her body. Now no steel nor heat could mar her flesh. There wasn't a single person in the world who could hurt Alice anymore. All the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't kill Alice Carroll again. Ending her is beyond me now. Alice seemed to be aware of the change she'd undergone. For a moment, a look of sadness flitted across her face. However, her expression soon changed. She decided to adorn herself in that same innocent obliviousness to the very end. It was as if to say that, as one who sought to end the world, doing so was her duty. A stiff smile spread across Alice's face. She gave her fingers a light snap. \"Good-bye, Elisabeth. This was fun. Really, it was.\" That was the White Knight's signal. He started by shoving the Kaiser aside, and the black beast left a trail of crushed snowflakes in his wake as he skidded across the ice. Then the White Knight rose to his feet. There was a deep sadness in Alice's voice. However, the White Knight showed no mercy. He raised his spear and drew it all the way back. Then he hurled it straight at Elisabeth. The deadly blow was accompanied by a burning shock wave, and when the Kaiser dived in the way, it pierced him right through. \"...Why?\" Elisabeth asked, shouting the question at the speared hound from the bottom of her heart. \"A fair...question. I'm not...quite sure myself,\" the Kaiser replied. He sounded oddly pleased. Cracks formed on his sleek black belly and began spreading outward. This was no ordinary wound he'd suffered. He was starting to shatter, like ceramic that had been exposed to too much heat. One clink rang out after another as little shards of him broke off. With a distant look in his eyes, the Kaiser let out a growl. Then he laughed a very human laugh. \"It's all his fault. That twisted glass sculpture of a boy\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe and He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind both. They fought for you, and somehow or other, I must have ended up thinking it would be a shame to let you die. What a sorry sight I've become.\" The Kaiser's words were self-derisive. Strangely, though, there was no regret in his voice. The black dog continued cracking. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Instead of seeming cruel, there was actually a sort of dignity to it. The Kaiser rose heavy to his feet, losing parts of himself all the while, and walked his chosen path with the utmost regality. The supreme hound came to a stop before Elisabeth. His innumerable fragments shone brilliantly as they scattered into the sky. At the glowing black center of it all, the Kaiser spoke. \"Tell me, child. Is being human truly this painful? Is this why you tremble and cry out of fear of losing things?\" \"I suppose it is, yes. To be human is to know fear.\" \"Then you're a strong lot. Your lives are so pointless, yet instead of dying, you live.\" Black crystals clinked downward. It was like looking at an hourglass. The pile they made must have once comprised the Kaiser's innards. It was unclear whether or not he felt pain, but if he did, the black hound paid it no heed. He scowled down at Elisabeth as proud and as lordly as could be. \"Go on, foolish child, and win. Survive. You were the one who slew me...so I forbid you from dying!\" With that, the Kaiser leaped again. A flash of black covered in more cracks than she could count drew an elegant arc through the air. A second lance strike caught him square in the torso. His gaze, burning with hellfire, landed on Elisabeth. It was the gaze of someone looking at an absolute fool. There was something almost human about those eyes, and they nearly resembled Kaito Sena's. A tiny clink rang out. The most beautiful fragment of all flew up, then vanished. That was the last of them. No life remained there. Elisabeth staggered to her feet. She let out a husky laugh. This time, she shed no tears. Her reserves had run dry long ago. She simply let go of her cracked sword's handle and shouted. \"Alice!\" \"...Elisabeth,\" Alice replied. She made her White Knight stand down. Just as before, Alice dropped a spoon into her hand. No blade could cut her. In fact, there wasn't any sort of attack that could harm her anymore. Yet even so, Elisabeth was prepared to fight to the bitter end. It was a pathetic display of resistance. However, a silent bellow echoed in Elisabeth's mind. I have no regrets. \"I have not a single regret.\" She had certainly made plenty of mistakes, and her wish might well go unanswered. But the fact remained that she had reached out and grabbed hold of that one frail hope. \"If any dare call that an error, they shall have me to answer to!\" That was why she had no regrets. Just a single tiny wish, not unlike a star. Elisabeth drew her long sword once more from a swirl of black darkness and crimson flower petals. Her glossy hair swayed behind her as she appeared before the girl. Alice, for her part, was waiting for the Torture Princess without so much as a shred of fear. Her arms were spread wide, and a broad smile sat plastered across her face. It was like she was greeting a playmate and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. Elisabeth's sword was raised aloft. Alice had her spoon in hand. Crimson and azure petals were cascading all around them. The Torture Princess brought her sword down and\u00e2\u20ac\u201d The room was red. It had no windows. It had no doors. Nobody could leave it. And nobody could come in. It was almost like a graveyard. Or perhaps a prison. And yet now its nonexistent door had been left wide open. Inside, Hina was sitting alone. She slowly surveyed the room's interior. The room's interior, dyed all in red. The room's interior that, even after getting sealed away in the crystal, Kaito Sena had coated with his blood as he continued absorbing the world's pain. She spoke softly. \"You were never fighting alone, Lady Elisabeth.\" And\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Right before Elisabeth and Alice's blows met someone reached out and caught them. The ensuing gale force sent the person's tattered cloak flapping about. Their hood hung low, obscuring their face, but whoever they were, they had just caught the blades without so much as breaking a sweat. Elisabeth frowned. She could tell\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif the person hadn't stepped in, she was the one whose chest would have been gouged out. She looked at the newcomer holding the blades. They really did resemble the Butcher...except for their hands. Their hands were human. That was it. That was her wish. That tiny, glimmering, starlike, solitary wish: to see him again. With a thousand different emotions swelling up inside her, Elisabeth Le Fanu spoke. \"Kaito, is that you?\" And\u00e2\u20ac\u201d he nodded. 11 And with That, the World It was a tale from long, long ago. There once was a boy who was brutally killed by another, and there once was a monster who cruelly killed others. Or perhaps there was a child who was abandoned by his parents and a sinner who was abandoned by the world. By now, there was nobody left who knew how they spent their days. But the sinner was fine with that. The two of them used to be together. That was enough for her. But that was a big fat lie. In truth, she had a wish. A single, glimmering, starlike wish. For the sinner wanted, once, even just once would do, to see the boy again. The black cloak flapped away. When it did, it left behind a familiar figure dressed in a military uniform. His faded brown hair was tied up short in the back, and he had a boyish face and was short of stature. He was also underweight, and his growth had clearly been stunted. There was the person who had sacrificed himself to save the world. It was, without a doubt, Kaito Sena. He surveyed his surroundings with a quiet confidence. It was then that Elisabeth realized something odd about him. The amount of mana Kaito had in his body was far greater than it had been before. He had surpassed the point he'd been at when they called him the Mad King. In fact, given the state he'd reached... ...he can no longer be considered human. \"Sorry for the wait, Elisabeth. I was gathering the pain of all God's creations, using Diablo to convert it into mana, and transferring it all into my immortal body inside the crystal. I only just got the full amount I needed. Now I have complete mastery over God.\" Kaito Sena's tone was calm as he spoke that unbelievable truth. Elisabeth gasped. In a sense, it was the same as the method she'd conceived of to sever their world's connection to God and Diablo. However, she never imagined that Kaito Sena himself would be the one to attain full control over God. Elisabeth found herself at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Kaito Sena snapped his fingers. It took Elisabeth a moment to realize what had happened. All traces of Diablo, including the ones in her own flesh, had vanished from the world. The ousted demon grandchildren had no doubt suffered the same fate. Kaito had forced God to recognize all of Diablo's acts of violence, including the lesser demons' acts of destruction, as \"destruction carried out before the reconstruction.\" As such, God had rejected Diablo and expelled it from the world. It was an unthinkably grand feat, and Kaito had pulled it off with a snap of his"}, {"text": "fingers. And yet in spite of that, Elisabeth wasn't dead. Kaito had swapped out her demonic flesh for completely normal flesh that still generated enough mana to sustain her vital functions. No mere mage could have pulled off a feat like that. At that point, Elisabeth came back to her senses. She lashed out at Kaito Sena. \"You utter fool! Nobody asked you to go that far! Nobody asked you to shoulder all that!\" \"I mean, you say that, Elisabeth, but you're pretty beat to hell yourself. I gotta say, it's not like you. Here.\" Kaito Sena snapped his fingers again, and all the wounds on Elisabeth's body vanished in an instant. She blinked. It was only then that she belatedly realized that, at the moment, God and the world loved Kaito Sena with all their heart. In fact, he and God were now one and the same. His smile was the same as ever, but Kaito was something more than human. He had ascended in every sense of the word. A smidgen of despair flitted through Elisabeth's mind, but her thoughts were soon interrupted. \"Why... I was supposed to be powerful... You're Kaito Sena! You're Kaito Sena, right?! What did you do?!\" Alice screamed. Her voice was filled with a mix of awe and dread. Kaito quietly returned her gaze. He closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded, as though he'd just learned everything there was to know about her. \"The Fremd Torturchen, Alice Carroll, Sara Yuuki... Ah.\" \"See, you got to see him! You got to see him, Elisabeth. So why... Why? Why is it just me... Father, FAAAAATHER!\" \"You don't even understand the weight of your sins, do you?\" Kaito remarked. \"I can't just kill you. Killing you wouldn't resolve anything. So instead, let's do this.\" Kaito Sena snapped his fingers once more. The moment he did, Alice's golem body was transformed into a human one, and all her mana faded away. However, she didn't have a chance to get startled by her transformation. The next moment, she vanished altogether. Alice had been sent somewhere else. Elisabeth's eyes went wide. That \"somewhere else\" wasn't even in their world. Kaito's new influence even extended to other worlds. As he performed this outrageous feat, he chose\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor some reason\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto wipe some dust off his uniform. \"All right, next up...\" He scratched his cheek, then nodded. A long sword dropped into his hand. The inscription etched in its blade seared itself into Elisabeth's eyes. \"All things are pardoned unto me. But I am ruled by none.\" Elisabeth was struck by a terrible premonition. She shouted at Kaito once more. \"Kaito, wait! What exactly are you intending to do?!\" \"...Ah, right. I should've figured you'd notice.\" Kaito smiled awkwardly. Seeing that made Elisabeth feel like she'd just been stabbed in the chest. His smile hadn't changed a bit. Despite all the changes he'd gone through, he was still the same person. He was, and would always be, her foolish servant. For even with all that power, Kaito Sena was just Kaito Sena. And because of that, she needed to stop him. She faced him and ran her mouth a mile a minute. \"I shan't allow it. Not after you only just got free of that crystal. I shan't allow it, not on my life.\" \"But you get it, don't you, Elisabeth? People have been freed from Diablo's influence. And I've ordered God not to begin the reconstruction, but...as long as I'm around, someone's always gonna show up who tries to use me for evil. Either that or I'll just end up becoming this world's new god.\" Kaito paused for a moment. Elisabeth could all too easily imagine things playing out that way. People would doubtless flock to him and revere him in God's place. He gave his head a sad shake. \"I'd just as soon avoid that whole mess. No good can come of having higher entities remain here.\" \"Perhaps...but...why would you go to such lengths to protect this world?!\" \"Well, that's an easy one. Isn't it obvious?\" Kaito smiled gently, just like he had the last time. He was the strongest person in the world. He had surpassed even God. And yet with a look of utmost admiration in his eyes, \"It's because you live here, Elisabeth.\" \"What do you intend to do about your promise?!\" Elisabeth shouted the same thing she had once before. She grabbed his hand tight, desperate not to let it go. Kaito Sena could have shaken her off with ease, but he stayed put. She went on, shouting so hard she was liable to hurt her throat. \"You told me, did you not?! You said you would remain by my side! You and you alone!\" \"And hey, you bringing me back to life and summoning me here must have been some kind of fate... So until you start walking the road to Hell, I'll try and stick by your side for as long as I can, even if I'm the only one.\" It was a promise the two of them had exchanged long ago. Throughout Elisabeth Le Fanu's bloody life, she was accompanied by a single foolish servant. The two of them had thought that sounded just fine. \"Don't worry,\" Kaito had once said. \"I plan on keeping it.\" And after preventing the reconstruction, he had gone to his slumber inside the crystal. The fact that he was shouldering the weight of the world meant that he wasn't even able to die. That had been his way of staying by Elisabeth's side. But now all he said was, \"I'm sorry.\" With that, Kaito Sena spun his sword around and laid its slender blade against his own neck. He spoke in the voice of a person waving good-bye. \"Good-bye, Elisabeth. I love you.\" And with that statement, full of an almost-childlike tenderness, Kaito Sena sliced open his artery. With the death of their contractor, God and Diablo vanished. Now their ability to interfere with the world was sealed away, and a blinding light seared Elisabeth's gaze. Tears gushed from her eyes and sprayed through the air. Her body felt like it was burning. Yet she refused to release that hand. She refused, in no uncertain terms, to let go. Then she could see nothing, and with that, the world was well and truly saved. And they all lived happily ever after. 12 A Little Vignette In a city made of concrete and asphalt, there sat a little street corner. On that corner, a police officer took a young girl into protective custody. She was a pretty girl with red eyes and white hair. However, her outfit was filthy, as she'd fallen over on the road. Rain streamed down as she gazed up vacantly at the sky. The officer helped her up, but she offered no reaction. Upon determining that her life wasn't in any immediate danger, the officer took the girl in to the police station. However, they couldn't figure out who she was, and the girl wouldn't tell them what happened. All she did was mutter. \"Father...\" \"Can you tell us where your father is right now?\" The girl still didn't answer. She just went on with tears in her eyes. \"I have nothing. I've been left without a single solitary thing. And yet, \"There was someone who cherished me. \"There really was.\" The girl just kept repeating that over and over. As for what would become of her, there was no way for people from other worlds to say. From there, the rest was up to her. And that was all there was to that unremarkable little vignette. 13 Elisabeth's Story She was back in that old familiar castle. When she woke up, her dim-witted servant was screwing up breakfast. Beside him, her lovely maid smiled as she lifted up the dishes she'd remade into masterpieces. Elisabeth licked her lips with anticipation, and the Butcher came over to peddle his meaty wares. Their conversations were light and lively, and the hours went pleasantly by. She was dreaming. She knew she was dreaming, but she dreamed nonetheless. If she could, she'd have liked to stay in that dream for the rest of her days. But she had to wake up. For she owed her life to another. And so, Elisabeth slowly opened her eyes. The first things that entered her vision were the live flowers hanging from the ceiling. Ain and Lute were standing beside her. Upon seeing them, Elisabeth started to quietly close her eyes back up. However, Ain was one thing, but the other's person's presence didn't make sense. Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up with a start. Lute was supposed to be dead. Yet there he stood. The one difference was that one of his arms and one of his legs had been replaced with wooden prosthetics. His tail, now noticeably shorter than before, curled up as he spoke bashfully. \"Sir Aguina Elephabred saved me.\" He went on to describe how, when he was inside the Sand Queen flesh blob, he'd heard a voice. \"I said I would congratulate you if you became a father, did I not?\" \"I lost mine. But you didn't. This is no time for you to die.\" Then, before the blob had a chance to explode, Aguina had spit him out as far as he could. Later, the beastfolk medics had found him collapsed while they were gathering up the dead bodies. In her arms, Ain was cradling a young baby\u00e2\u20ac\u201da copper-furred child with the head of a wolf. By the look of it, the child took after Lute. \"It's a boy,\" Ain said, then described how he was growing up healthy and strong. For some reason, Elisabeth's body hadn't aged a day. However, Ain and Lute told her, ten months had passed. They explained to her what had happened. Nobody with Alice's mastery over dark magic had shown up since, and by all accounts, the world had well and truly been freed from the threat Diablo posed. In the interim, Maclaeus Filliana and the surviving Kings of the Forest had forged a new treaty, and now all the races' survivors were working together as one to rebuild. \"So what exactly happened at the World's End?\" Ain asked her. However, Elisabeth didn't tell her the specifics. She simply gazed off into space as though searching for someone. She looked down at her palms. All the warmth they'd felt was gone now. Then, finally, she spoke. \"We needn't worry about God and Diablo anymore,\" she said. That was all she told them, and she did so with a smile. More time passed. The red sun had just sunk in the sky, and darkness was beginning to overtake the area. A single figure was running through the night. It was a man, clad in a ne'er-do-well's stereotypical droopy hood. He was frequently glancing about as he ran. It seemed his well-practiced movement was paying off, as he didn't see any sign of his pursuers. Certain he'd successfully made another escape, he breathed a sigh of relief. That caused him to let his guard down. A slender figure fell on him from above. Someone had descended like an arrow from the rooftops, mercilessly landing on him high-heels-first. He let out an ugly scream when his attacker trampled his stomach. The voice that rang out was as cold and as sharp as a knife. \"'Twas obvious your crimes would catch up with you. So why did you think you could escape me? 'Tis precisely what's so irksome about you weaklings who fail to grasp the difference in strength between you and your superiors.\" The man frantically looked up at his foe. Her resplendent black hair glittered in the moonlight, and her skin, which her risqu\u00c3\u00a9 bondage dress lay bare, was captivatingly awash in the light as well. The man let out a cry filled with awe and despair. \"E-Elisabeth!\" \"Precisely. I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu.\" A"}, {"text": "sadistic smile spread across the beautiful woman's face. As she pressed her foot down on the man, she made her bold declaration. \"I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow.\" \"I caaaught him.\" \"Excellent work!\" As she made her listless announcement, Elisabeth kicked the bound robber forward. The beastfolk responded with their thanks as they approached their captured foe. A bird-headed soldier dragged him down to the dungeons. Elisabeth rotated her shoulders in exasperation. Lute walked up to her and handed her a hot cup of tea. \"I would expect nothing less. With this, we can strike another name off the most wanted list. He gave us the slip during that big rash of burglaries, you see, and sniffing him out was beyond us.\" \"Well, the blame for that hardly rests with you. He was using a powerful herb to mask his scent. Anyhow, that's all, correct? I shall be taking my break now. I have an early morning tomorrow.\" With that, Elisabeth turned to leave. Lute watched her go, then picked up his quill pen. His days in the field were behind him, and now he spent most of his time handling paperwork. He glanced over at the portrait of the child on his desk and smiled. After surreptitiously watching him for a moment, Elisabeth closed the door behind her. Nowadays, her job once more was to help defend the peace, and she had helped bring an end to a number of major conflicts. As of a few years ago, though, the bulk of her battles had been against petty thieves. And the crime rate was on the decline. All of that was due to the fact that problems involving magic had stopped occurring as they once had. That was a result of the world being cut off from God and Diablo's influence, no doubt. Reports had come in from mages from all over about their magic not working. And the one surviving saint, La Filsell, had her wounds close up as well. Nowadays, she was hard at work trying to help bring comfort to the masses. As magic slowly died out, the world's economy and flow of goods would probably end up changing in turn. In fact, Elisabeth was certain of it. Eventually, even the Kings of the Forest would succumb to their old wounds. Many truths would be lost or distorted behind history's veil, and once they'd both lost their regents, the other races would slowly fade away. Even religious doctrines surrounding God would shift and change over time. Eventually, their world might end up becoming not unlike the one Kaito came from. And for that matter, his world might once have had a grand battle such as ours, Elisabeth mused. That said, there was no way of knowing one way or the other. It was all too easy for history to change based on who was telling it. Once she returned to her room, Elisabeth dutifully polished the personal effects on her desk\u00e2\u20ac\u201dher subordinates' and Izabella's armor and a piece of metal from Jeanne's dress. Then, after putting them back in their places, she double-checked her schedule. The ceremony tomorrow might well end up marking one such shift in history's winds. For tomorrow, there was going to be a festival celebrating the twentieth year of Maclaeus's reign. Fireworks burst into the sky, though nowadays, they operated off metallic reactions rather than magic. People were singing songs, food stalls lined the streets, and cloth banners etched with white-lily coats of arms fluttered in the air as children recited passages praising the king. The humble festival was being held all through the city. Over a decade had passed since Armageddon, but they had been so focused on rebuilding that they were still using a provisional royal castle. In a sense, that just went to show how unmolested their borders had been of late. The world had seen its share of crises after the battle with Alice, but there hadn't been any large-scale invasions since. When Maclaeus came out from inside, the festivities reached their peak. The last of Elisabeth's magic was preventing her from aging, but the same couldn't be said of him. By now, Maclaeus was a man well into middle age. But when the Torture Princess came over and congratulated him in her capacity as a representative from the beastfolk lands, he shed tears all the same. Elisabeth grinned at how he hadn't changed a bit, then patted his head. \"In my eyes, you are still but a youth. You've done well, Maclaeus. 'Tis hard, these days, to imagine you being the same man they once called the Craven King.\" That got a big laugh out of the crowd, and they all threw their handfuls of flower petals up in the air in celebration of their king. Nobody there had a bad thing to say about him. Once she had finished carrying out her duties, Elisabeth wasted no time in beating a retreat from the official festivities. Maclaeus had technically asked her to attend the banquet, but raising a glass in private later was more her speed. She stood alone and surveyed the city. The crowds were still thinner than they'd once been. Even so, though, there were still plenty of people living and making merry. A gaggle of children barreled past her, their fists full of candy. Some of them were of mixed race. The masses had very nearly come to bear deep grudges against even the mixed-race folk who hadn't supported the revolution. However, the soldiers did a thorough job of cracking down on that, and thanks to their hard work, the mixed-race people had survived. Elisabeth herself had also played a role in those efforts. These days, nobody called the Torture Princess \"the Torture Princess\" anymore. Many people knew of the self-sacrificing battles she'd fought, and as a result, their memories of her past misdeeds had largely faded. However, the dead never forgot. Nor did she. No day would ever come where her crimes could be forgiven. Even so, the living had poor memories. Flocks of sheep were, fundamentally, stupid. And due to that innate goodness of theirs, the Torture Princess had become just Elisabeth. It was the exact opposite of how Kaito Sena had become the Mad King. \"...'Tis all your fault, Kaito. This is what you left behind.\" It was right then, as the murmur left Elisabeth's lips. In that moment, a strand of silver hair softly brushed her cheek. She felt as though time had just stopped. She turned back and stared into the crowd, then saw herself reflected in a pair of jeweled emerald eyes. However, their gleam soon vanished amid the hustle and bustle of the city. Elisabeth froze in her tracks. She knew those eyes. She couldn't have forgotten them if she'd tried. She broke into a run and gave chase to that familiar silver hue. She ran and ran and ran some more. All the while, she wondered if perhaps she was still dreaming. A small teleportation circle sat in a back alley. With magic fading from the world, there weren't many who could still use those. Instead of checking to see if it was trap, Elisabeth charged straight into it. A moment later, she found herself in a land with a milky-white and rainbow sky. A pair of pillars stood at the World's End. Feathers of white and black and roses of azure and crimson fluttered down from them onto the icy ground. They descended beautifully, falling like rain or snow would. Amid that gorgeous sight, a lone woman stood before the pillars. It was her dearest maid, Hina. After Kaito's death, she had gone missing. Elisabeth raced wordlessly toward that old, familiar face and nervously brushed her hand against its pale cheek. She could feel it soft under her fingertips. Hina was really there. Hina gave her a warm smile. She was holding something in her hand, and she presented it to Elisabeth with great care. \"Here, Lady Elisabeth.\" Elisabeth peered into Hina's cupped hands. She was holding a shard of crystal. Elisabeth's eyes went wide. Inside it, tucked away like a tiny star, sat Kaito Sena's soul. Elisabeth realized exactly what had happened. Kaito's body had always been nothing more than a golem. His soul would fade away if he lost enough blood, but there would be a short window thereafter where he could be summoned back again. But even now that that window was closed, it would also have been possible to store his soul in some other receptacle for safekeeping. And a crystal that had been created by God and Diablo would have made for the perfect vessel. As Elisabeth stared dumbfounded, Hina softly explained. \"This was what Master Kaito wanted. After it all happened, I feared that someone might try to use the crystal and Master Kaito's special soul for evil during the chaos of the rebuilding efforts. Between that and how my gears had largely fallen into disrepair, I had to go into hiding. But now, at long last, I can finally deliver this to you.\" \"Is...is that so? But if that's the case, then...could it...could it be?!\" \"It is. Now all we need is a vessel.\" Elisabeth went silent for a few seconds, then burst into laughter. It was the first heartfelt laugh she'd had in over a decade. She grabbed Hina, reached her arms around her slender frame, and squeezed her tight. Tears welled up in Hina's eyes as she returned the embrace. The two of them hugged each other with all their might. Still holding each other, they began spinning atop the ice like they were sharing a dance. After a good long while of that, Elisabeth came to a stop and grabbed Hina by the hand. They looked each other in the eye and smiled once more. Then they dashed off as fast as they could. The two of them tripped and fell more than once. Even so, they never let go of each other's hands. A few months passed. Over at Elisabeth's castle, a magic circle spun into action. Magic had all but vanished from the world altogether, and this would be the circle's final activation. The momentous wish's time had come, and Hina had chosen to wait in the next room over. Elisabeth had encouraged Hina to come join her, but to no avail. \"The two of you need a moment to yourselves,\" Hina had replied with a smile. The soul moved from the crystal to the golem Elisabeth had specially made. A long, long silence fell, one that seemed to last an eternity. Then the now-powerless boy dressed in an unbecoming butler uniform opened his eyes. Before him stood a young woman of unparalleled cruelty. Elisabeth grinned as she spoke. \"O Sinless Soul, stricken down in a manner most foul. From this day forth, you shall be my loyal servant.\" Her tone left no room for refusal. Belatedly, Kaito realized that he was breathing, and as he let slip a small chuckle of confusion, the girl before him made a dignified proclamation. \"I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow.\" Another silence descended on them. Eventually, Kaito burst into laughter, and the corners of Elisabeth's lips curled into a smile. Kaito spoke. \"Welcome home, Elisabeth.\" \"You're the one who just came back, dullard.\" As she spat her insult at him, though, Elisabeth shook her head. It had been so long. As she thought of the time the three of them had spent together, and of the long, long time she had spent alone, she gave her sincere reply. \"'Tis good to be back, Kaito.\" That marked the second meeting of the boy who was just Kaito Sena and the girl who was no longer the Torture Princess. It's time for a story. It's the story of a boy who was brutally killed by another and a story of a monster who cruelly"}, {"text": "killed others. Or perhaps it's the story of a child who was abandoned by his parents and a hero who was abandoned by the world. It's a story of what happened after the two of them parted ways. For that was when the tale of admiration, folly, and love ended, and when the tale everyone built up of repentance, hatred, and dreams began. It was, in the end, a story that needed to be ended. And so, she took up her sword. And so, they drew their blades. It's time for a story. A story of repentance, hatred, and dreams. A story in which she and they dreamed of saving the world. A story they dreamed with all their might, even if it meant throwing themselves to the wolves. And it's the story of the tiny wish that followed that dream."}]